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TRIBUTE: Fr Olavo -- a wonderful priest, friend and guide
By Melvyn Misquita
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[Journalist Melvyn S. Misquita, assistant chief of news bureau of the
Herald, pays tribute to a priest who served as the public face of
the Church, till his untimely death from cancer last month. This
article was earlier published in the 'Renewal']
AN ATTEMPT to chronicle experiences shared with a special person who has
recently left this world tends to be both painful and rewarding. Painful,
because of the sheer emotions that overwhelm the person who decides to pen
down special moments of his dear friend who is no more, but rewarding,
because of the numerous wonderful memories associated with his friend.
This seems to sum up my situation, as I begin to recall precious moments of
my interaction with Fr Olavo Velho Pereira, of the Diocesan Centre for
Social Communications Media (DCSCM), who passed away on December 22.
The first clue that Fr Olavo was to join as the DCSCM director came during
my interaction with his predecessor and then DSCSM head Fr Carmo Martins.
Despite being the parish priest at the Taleigao church, Fr Martins made
every effort to discharge his additional duties as the DCSCM incharge. But
given the growing influence of mass media in Goa, the need for a
full-fledged director was rightfully echoed during the Goa Diocesan Synod
2002.
And as with many recommendations during the Synod, this suggestion too was
taken into consideration by Church authorities a short while later. When I
called on Fr Martins sometime after the Synod, he dropped a hint by
indicating that the DCSCM would be getting a full-fledged director shortly.
My curiosity was aroused, but Fr Martins politely declined to divulge the
identity of his successor, claiming that he was unaware of the candidate.
The announcement of Fr Olavo as the DCSCM Director was to come a short while
later. And while I was happy to be in contact with Fr Martins on issues
pertaining to the archdiocese, I was also pleased with the appointment of Fr
Olavo for a number of reasons. First, I had interacted with Fr Olavo as then
director of the Diocesan Youth Centre, and as such, I would not be a new
face to him in his new role.
Then, I knew he was a talented artist, musician, orator and enjoyed
a good rapport with priests and people from all walks of life.
Perfect qualities for a person heading the social communications
mass media centre. And so, I wasted no time in wishing Fr Olavo on
his new appointment. While reminding him of my keen interest in
matters pertaining to the archdiocese, I assured Fr Olavo of all
possible assistence from my end.
>From that day onwards till December 18 -- the last conversation I was to
have with Fr Olavo -- I would frequently interact with him. As such, his
mobile number 9822177099 was one of the most common numbers that I dialled,
both during work and at home.
Fr Olavo may have been over 20 years my senior, but this difference was
virtually non-existent when we regularly discussed issues pertaining to the
archdiocese and the media. I would call on him to discuss events and
activities pertaining to the archdiocese, while he would call me up either
to inform me that a Church press note has been dispatched to my newspaper or
if he needed some advice in drafting a news item. And these interactions
made me a frequent visitor to the DCSCM office at the Bishop's House in
Altinho-Panjim.
Realising the need to acquaint himself with other members of the media, the
first project Fr Olavo undertook was to organise a seminar for media persons
at Don Bosco in Panjim. With the assistance of his DCSCM team, Fr Olavo
meticulously drew up a list of media persons and went about in a systematic
manner, thereby ensuring maximum participation at the seminar.
During the seminar, Fr Olavo was open to various queries raised by the
journalists and assured that he would be accessible to them in providing
information on matters pertaining to the Church. True to his promise, he
always made himself available to me -- right from 8 am to 11.30 pm --
whenever a comment from the church was needed, or if a news item sent by him
needed further details. He was quick to understand the requirements of
newspapers and would always oblige me with the details, along with his
customary, "Melvyn, feel free to call me up anytime if you need any other
details," at the end of his conversation.
The seminar helped Fr Olavo shortlist those journalists who volunteered to
be of constant assistance to the DCSCM. I was happy to be figure in this
list of journalists, with whom Fr Olavo would interact closely and
frequently.
His ability to be open to suggestions and to immediately act on them was
evident to me, with the launch of the revised edition of 'Renovacao'. I was
aware that the official church magazine was primarily being read by the
clergy. Eager to attract more readers from the laity, I listed out some
suggestions, which included the need for a new look to the 'Renovacao' and a
revised layout.
Both Fr Olavo and 'Renovacao' editor Fr Francisco Caldeira were enthused
with the idea of revamping 'Renovacao' to make it suitable to the present
Catholic community, especially since this had been a recommendation of the
Diocesan Synod.
Fr Olavo immediately invited Fr Caldeira, myself and a few priests to a
meeting to discuss the possibility of a revised layout and content to the
'Renovacao'. Fr Olavo then introduced a new cover design and added other
interesting features to the Renovacao. The results were both impressive and
encouraging. The new 'Renovacao' was appreciated by a large number of
readers.
On a number of occasions, Fr Olavo would dispel my doubts regarding
the restriction in access to information by officials in the Church
of Goa. To cite one such instance, I was always given the impression
that Archbishop-Emeritus Raul Gonsalves was reluctant to grant
interviews to the press. And when Archbishop Gonsalves returned from
his ad limina -- Fr Olavo had taken great pains to explain this
Latin term to me -- to the Holy See in 2003, I was not sure whether
Archbishop Gonsalves would grant me an interview for my newspaper.
"Melvyn, you'll be surprised to know that he (Archbishop Gonsalves) is quite
open to queries from the press. I'm sure he'll grant you the interview,"
stated a confident Fr Olavo. And as Fr Olavo had predicted, Archbishop
Gonsalves was to grant me not one, but two interviews -- the first regarding
his interaction with Holy Father Pope John Paul II and the second, on
completion of his long and fruitful term as head of the Catholic church in
Goa.
Despite his responsibilities in other Church bodies, Fr Olavo never ignored
his duties as the DCSCM director. I would often find my portly priest friend
rushing from one place to another in the equally bulky Mahindra jeep with
various tasks at hand. And yet, Fr Olavo would never hesitate to attend to
my need for a comment on some issue or the other. For instance, when I
needed details on the tragic demise of Fr Freddy D'Costa in Karnataka, Fr
Olavo managed to collect all the relevant details to enable me with my
report.
Fr Olavo took special pains to facilitate media coverage of major events in
the archdiocese, such as a special programme at Old Goa to mark the
beatification of Mother Theresa (November 2003), the appointment of
Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Neri Ferro as Archbishop-Patriarch (January 2004)
and the installation of Archbishop Ferrao as well as a thanksgiving service
to the outgoing Archbishop Gonsalves (March 2004).
I distinctly recall the excitement and speculation surrounding the
appointment of the new Archbishop-Patriarch for the archdiocese.
Right from December 2003, I would constantly call on Fr Olavo, eager
to extract from him any detail regarding the identity of the new
archbishop. Fr Olavo would often laugh at my one-point query and
would leave me in suspense with the assurance, "Don't worry. As soon
as I get the information, I'll pass it on to you." This went on till
mid-January and though I suspected that Fr Olavo had an idea of the
identity of Archbishop Gonsalves' successor, he always maintained
stoic silence. Like a true journalist, he would keep the matter
strictly confidential.
Even on the day the appointment was made public, Fr Olavo called me up in
the morning to convey the good news that the appointment had been made. "So
father, is it our Auxiliary Bishop Felip Neri Ferrao?" I asked Fr Olavo,
hoping to catch him off-guard into revealing the identity of the new
archbishop. It was still a futile move, as Fr Olavo simply laughed it out
saying, "We'll all know this by 4.30 pm this evening." Somehow, I was
convinced that he was aware of the decision, but Fr Olavo refused to allow
friendship override his commitment to secrecy.
The news that Fr Olavo was struck with a life-threatening illness was
conveyed to me in August, while I was on a two-week vacation. When I called
on Fr Olavo to enquire about his health sometime later, he played down his
illness. He seemed more eager in preparations for the Exposition of the
Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier, which was to be his last major project
at the DCSCM.
Fr Olavo invited me to be a member in the publicity committee and our first
major task was to launch the official website for the Archdiocese of Goa and
Daman. Given my interest in information technology, I readily agreed to
assist in this task. Despite his illness, Fr Olavo made it a point to meet
me at the Goacom office in Panjim. Too weak to drive a vehicle, he would be
accompanied by Exposition Convenor Fr George Aguiar, as the three of us
along with Newton of Goacom worked overtime to design the archdiocese
website within a few days. The website was launched by Archbishop Ferrao on
September 8, 2004.
While undergoing treatment, Fr Olavo was being looked after by nuns in a
convent at Old Goa and by November, the DCSCM office had been temporarily
shifted to Old Goa at the site adjacent to the pandal. Even though Fr Olavo
was unable to visit the DCSCM office on a daily basis, he was in constant
touch with his staff, Sr Celine and Rumald.
Fr Olavo's final press conference took place a few days prior to the
inauguration of the Exposition. I was seeing him after a gap of almost two
months and the changes in his physical appearance were noticeable. Fr Olavo
was quick to joke about the loss of his hair. "I now look like Yul Brynner,"
he told a journalist, who had enquired about his health. His generous
waistline had receded and despite the far menacing internal changes that
were threatening his existence, Fr Olavo bravely and professionally
conducted the press conference, answering all queries raised by the
reporters.
That was the last time I would meet Fr Olavo face to face. I did however see
Fr Olavo on November 21, but this was on television as he was being
interviewed on a television channel during the inaugural ceremony of the
Exposition.
Aware that he was in need of complete rest, I briefly spoke to him four
times over the next 30 days, largely pertaining to the news updates on the
diocesan website. As always, he was enthusiastic and dedicated in
discharging duties as DCSCM head.
My last conversation with Fr Olavo was to take place on December 18, when I
called on him in connection with the joint press note of the Diocesan
Commission for Social Action and the Diocesan Society for Education, which
was issued to denounce the controversial documentary on Goa's Liberation.
Later, to my query on the condition of his health, Fr Olavo admitted that
his health had deteriorated over the past few days. "But I hope to get
better soon," were his last words before we greeted each other with the
customary "Goodnight".
I woke up on the morning of December 23, a special day for my wife and I, as
we were celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary. My joyous mood was
shattered barely moments later, when my wife broke the news of Fr Olavo's
death on December 22, which was reported in the newspapers. I must have read
the report numerous times and yet, I simply couldn't accept the fact that Fr
Olavo was no more.
Equally painful was the realisation that I couldn't attend the funeral later
in the day, as I had to attend a crucial choir practice with catechism
children at Porvorim, in preparation of their tableau before the midnight
mass. I could barely focus on the practice, but I reassured myself that I
had made the right decision to be with the children, who were in need of the
practice. Somehow, I feel Fr Olavo, himself a gifted musician, would also
have wanted me to be with the young singers during that crucial hour.
Over the past two-and-half years, I have had the privilege of close
discussions with Fr Olavo on a number of issues pertaining to the DCSCM and
ways to improve the centre. On a few occasions, he did admit to me that his
responsibilities in other church bodies had deprived him the chance of
offering his wholehearted services to the DCSCM. But at the same time, he
always accepted the additional tasks with a cheerful smile and a positive
attitude.
But more than the professional manner in which he discharged his role as the
DCSCM director, I began to admire in Fr Olavo a person of exceptional inner
strength and positive outlook, who used his talents to the maximum and who
enjoyed excellent rapport with fellow priests, nuns and laity.
Meetings over the past two-and-half years may seem short a period to
appreciate a person. But in Fr Olavo's case, it was long enough for
me to realise that I was in the midst of a truely wonderful priest,
friend and guide. And I thank God for this special gift.
[The writer can be contacted on phone +91-9422064707 or via email
[EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] ]
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