Thanks Marcos, for the post, and my condolences on the death. Heard this from Fr Cecil in Sawantwadi too.
Because Fr Catao was a strict disciplinarian -- and he came to our school in Mapusa soon after a series of 'popular' (or lenient, depending on your point of view) principals -- he was often misunderstood. If I recall right, he came sometime in 1977, and the SSC class of that year just freaked out. They just couldn't cope with his strictness. As manifested, for example, in a fiat of avoiding any hair covering their ears (considered very fashionable in those years) or having their bush-shirts (the term used in Goa) not tucked into their pants! The year later, 1978, Fr Catao worked on a quality- control experiment. He falled all but 25 boys, and this select band of two-dozen-plus-one managed to get 100% results when they sat the board exams. Yet, it left a bitter taste for many, I guess, going by the grumbling. Our batch was used to Fr Catao. As for myself, I understood that beyond his strict exterior, there was a kind and caring person. One day, he noticed me limping around school, with my toes all bruised. "Granted leave for three days," he wrote on my calendar, without me even asking. A man of few words, I don't recall having any talk with him that lasted more than two minutes. But perhaps, in those times, we respected and feared our principals. In class though, he could make us laugh with a few of his jokes and pet phrases which we were all used to. "This reads better than a novel," he would chide us, when he wanted to goad us into reading something. His civics class helped us understand the issues crystal clear, even if they didn't quite prepare us to cope with the real-life rough and tumble of the Indian political system! If I recall right, he taught us English grammar, and was a great fan of that time-tested old warhorse made of paper called the Wren & Martin. By the time we had to leave school ourselves, I (and some others too, I guess) had come to respect the man. When we met up at a reunion a couple of years ago, we took a photo and captioned it 'Fr Catao's boys'. (Our French teacher, Madame Christine Pereira of Colvale, who since passed away, is also in the photo. So are Joseph Victoria, Gabru, Raymond, Reginald, Avinash Misquita). We felt shaped positively by him in our youth. Yes, there is place for strictness in our world too! FN 2009/5/9 Jean & Marcos Catao <[email protected]>: > For information of all those who studied with, > or at least were boarders under him, that my > brother, Fr. Vincent GOMES-CATAO expired > to-day (9th May) in Poona after fracturing > the hip bone following a fall. The funeral is > set for the 10th. Info from the Provincial > House, POONA. > Marcos Gomes-Catao -- FN * http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com "You can always tell a Texan, but not much." - Unknown
