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Fr.Nicolau Pereira passes away
Fr. Nicolau Pereira (1927 - 2003), affectionately known as pop by his students at Mapusa - Goa, passed away peacefully in the morning of the republic day. he had been briefly hospitalized at hospicio (margao) after a cerebral stroke in late 2002. Fr. Nicolau’s association with St. Xavier’s College began in June 1964 when he took charge as Vice-Principal under Fr. Edward D’Cruz, S.J. the founder - Principal. He was promoted to the post of Principal in 1965 and was responsible for shifting the college from Bastora to the present spacious campus at Mapusa in June 1968. He started the Higher Secondary Section in June 1975 and was its Principal till 1989 and Manager till 1991. In 1989 the Higher Secondary Sections were separated from all colleges and brought fully under the control of Goa Board and Directorate of Education. In 1991 Fr. Nicolan became the founder - Principal of Fr. Agnelo College in Pilar, Goa. Students admired Pop’s memory for names. He remembered the thousand of his students by name. He even remembered if the person’s brother’s and or sisters had studied at St. Xavier’s and how well they had performed. Pop always had kind words for students. If punishment is what we deserved it was never the cane or angry words. We were condemned to study a bit more in the library and were - and are - the better for it. Even after retirement Pop was not tired of education. He involved himself with editing and learning about local medicinal plants. With his passing away, an era has long to an end. He will long be remembered by his colleagues, students and the teachers that grew from amongst them. Miguel Braganza |
