GL responds: George is welcome to ignore this post! However other cyberGoans should not be denied the analysis. To begin with, let me apologize for his outburst. I also apologize for the logic escaping GP about Blessed Joseph Vaz - the Patron Saint of Goa. People do get 'hot under the collar' when their long essays are shown for what they are, and perhaps their ego's deflated.
The reason why I brought up the celebration of Blessed Joseph Vaz feast in the Goan Diasporas is because there are Goans (no names please) that claim (off all things) white racial discrimination in not celebrating Goan saints by the supposedly 'white Catholic Church'. So I see the N. California Goans did not have a celebration for their own patron Goan saint. I am amused by "celebrated individually by his supporters.":=)) So, now is it that 'White Catholics' discriminate and 'Brown Catholics' show prejudice too? How about Catholics are not being too religious? :=)) In fact it is my understanding that the N. California Goans did not even jointly celebrate the feast of SFX last year on / around December 3. Perhaps the SFX feast was "celebrated individually by his supporters." I didn't see this 'individual celebration' among Goans for Christmas and New Year which is the biggest Western influence (Emperor Constantine's carry-over of the pagan mid-winter festivity) in the world. In fact the Goan cruise-gala in San Francisco bay (with multiple postings on cyber Goa) or similar activity could have been done two weeks later to honor the Goan Patron Saint. So Senhor / Shri Pinto and others, please practice what you preach. Of course it is difficult to promote upholding Goan cultural practices when Goan cultural symbols are being repeatedly crushed. I hope one finds logic in this statement and this should not be too difficult to understand. :=)) On a note of total agreement with GP, Goan culture in the Diaspora needs urgent attention. Be my guest in Utica, NY, and see the Italians (from the East Coast of USA and Canada) celebrate the feast of Saints Cosmos and Damian with street procession of statues, band, rosary and hymns ani magir mass in Italian. This is after coming to this country more than 100 years ago. Regards, GL, Utica, NY. George Pinto: (N. California) Yes, it was celebrated individually by supporters here (in fact there is a long history of such activity which I do not care to repeat). Additionally, every time something is done it does not need to be reported in Goan cyberspace and splashed several times across the lists (this is not World Goa Day). As far as the world-wide Goan community and Goan associations are concerned their strings are firmly attached to the Euro-centric, and servient role to colonial history and European saints. If they cannot step out from their second-class past, don't ask me to help. They are a hopeless lot, it is not worth my time to help them. If they do not consider Blessed Vaz worth celebrating - fine.
