Sunday at 17.50
Dear Friend
Yesterday, 16th was the Feast of Fr Jose Vas,
"Asia's greatest missionary" as Valmiki Faleiro rightlycalls him in his
article which I am forwarding to you in his article in Heraldo a couple
of days back, but i took some time to FWd to you.
Fr Jose Vas ancestry is from the Village 0f Sancoale where his
centuries old HOME is still preserved and it has a jack fruit plant in
which the tradition says had been planted by Jose Vas.And where there is
also a Santuaryy which i did visit.
But he was born in the village of Benaulim in the ward called PULVADDO.
It is also said that it means the following
Pulv= POROBO, a Hindu surname VADDO= ward, ( Bairro)
That house where the Asia'sgreatest missionary was born and is still
there with a small stutue in front.very close to the Chapel of Our Lady
of Patrocinio, whose feast is celebrated in November
In the same ward are the ancestral Homes of the Correia Afonsos, the
Bras Gomes, Jorge Barreto and little further of Froilano de Melo, the
Mesquitas ,the Loiola Pereiras etc
If you opened the "Dicionario de Literartura goesa:1771-1963, in the
Opus Magnum of another Goan historian who resided in this very ward.and
whose centenary was celebrated on the 18th March 2009 at the Fundacao
Oriente presided by Bishop Raul Goncaslves ,orginiary from Bambolim, but
his family lived since long in Fontainahas at a stone throw of the Home
of Aleixo da Costa
So having been chosen to be the very first Goan Bishop in charge of our
Diocese, this Fontainhas of mine was very much enriched
In tthe Dicionario,you will find thirty one Pereiras,but all of them not
necessarily from Benaulim,But one of them is and he is the father of Fr.
Loiola Pereira, the secretary of two Bishops of Goa , and who was the
doctor who helped Froilano de Melo in his Leprosaria de Macasana, that
today has been named after him
For the release of a Book by another from Benaulim, but settled in
MOntevideu ,Alfredo Mello "From Goa to Patagonia' on 24th August
1987,presided by Dr Teotonio De Souza who wrote the Forward,a short
ceremony followed to pay hommage to Alfredo's Father, the famous Dr.
Froilano de Melo
The presentation of Froilano was done by Fr. Loiola and the one and only
historian of the indo Portuguese History Percival Noronha, gave a show
of slides of the life of Froilano
It was very interesting: Percival Noronha a devoted Catholic who even
was a member of Accao Catolica in the bygone days ,left the Church high
and dry , because it had sold the valuable lands in Caranzalem, donnated
to the Church by one Conego do Souto Maior,when according to his opinion
could have been utilised for many Church activities .But he continues to
be a member of the Committee of the "Indian Christian art" founded by
the Gulbenkians and the Fundacao Oriente , first in the rachol Seminary
but now transfered to the Santa Monica Convent
( those who see the RTPI must have seen a Contacto Goa done by Nalini
Elvino de Sousa about the same)
And PN says that he does in that spirit of "Ars gratia Artis"
So in that release it was interesting to see a Catholic Priest
Fr Joaquim Loiola Pereira, hand in hand with a non Praticing Catholic
Percival Noronha, projecting for us the personality of a non practising
Froilano de Mello
We have three Goan Bishops. Raul Goncalves, from Bambolim,( but whose
family was resident in Fontainhas) followed by Filipe Nery Ferrao from
Aldona( the village of my paternal ancestors)
Who will follow? your guess is as good as mine, But Percival confided to
me that it will be ...Fr Joaquim de Loiola Pereira, of Benaulim ( the
village of my maternal ancestors)for whom he had a great admiration
In the past the Feast of Patrocinio was celebrated by the twelve
Brahimin families of the Pulvado, but now it is done by public
subscription which is certainly is the correct form which Jose Vas would
applaud: there should not be caisteisms in the Church
And that continues to exist in Goa even having our "Confrarias' based on
casts
But who was this Jose Vas after all?
I request you , dear Friend to go to Googles and will find one hundred
and eighty five thousand references!!
Really there are and many bioraphies of him, one written with one Fr.
Rego(...not my relative!!) who had gone to his for JV apostolate apud
Ceiloneses where he also died.
of them sort of overpious meant for the "Beatas"!!as they say in Portuguese
But i wish to refer to a book in Portuguese about Fr Jose Vas writen by
his "neighbour" in the Pulvavaddo
His name PEDRO CORREIA AFONSO
He had written long back but it was lying in the Form of MNS He did not
wish to get it printed during the Portuguese regime because the
"Comissao de Censura a Imprensa"
( one of Salazars idea to muszle the Portuguese People ) would cut some
parts which would not be palatable to the Regime,for whom any hard truth
was a lie unworthy to be read.
After the Liberation , he got it published in some ten instalments in
the Boletim do Instituto Menezes Braganca
whose readership was certainly very limited
The book was called "O Padre Jose Vas e a sua Epoca"
It was there when Fr. Pedro Soares,who had been Vicar in Benaulim,where
he managed to get one of the MNS which was offered to him
Later in his old age, he went to the Clergy Home,Porvorim,and his health
permiting he would celebrate the Sunday Eucarist in a private Chapel of
the GRACA COSTA family in Parra.So he came to know Gina de Sousa Graca
Costa, widow of the Eng, Antonio Graca Costa
When he felt that his end was closed and almost comatic he told GIna who
had gone to visit him almost in inaudible words to get the MNS published
IF he had not done that, the book would have never been published.
GIna ( who happened to be my sister-in law,) came to me and conveyed the
last messsage of Fr.Pedro
Around 2005 a group of entusiasts was formed and named itself "Os
Vasianos" and decided to get the book done anyhow.For various reason the
MNS was sent to Portugal to Jorge Noronha who did a lot and having
contacted some
Printing Firms, he was advised to change the title and make is more
misterious and it became
De Goa a Ceilao;Saga de um caminheiro infatigavel
PCA;son Joaquim dicided to donnate the Authors rights to the Casa de
Goa.,of which i used to call JOrge NOronha, a PILAR, considering his
total dedication to it and where he even used to give classes of konkani
and devaganiri
And for that purpose Dr Orlando Soares drafted the Deed and so Orlando
became another Vasiano!!
A Foreword by some authority was required and knowing His Eminence
Cardinal Jose Policarpo, i sent a letter to him and wrote to Jorge to
take it personaly
and to pull his leg...i wrote to him;
Vai todo chic de casaca e a Livia de um vestido dernier cris comprado na
Baixa "et bien decotelle,mas a Livia ao beijar o anel do Cardial , não
se vergue para o Cardial,.,,não ver o que não deve ver"
But it happened that the Cardinal was away and he handed over to his
Secretary Pe. Jardim
The Cardinal thus became another Vasiano!!
Who would pay the costs?!! a serious problem.My brother Vasco s.j
contacted some Nuns in South India who directed him to a Cardinal in
Rome and that Cardinal advised to contact the CONSELHO EPISCOPAL
PORTUGUES( cEP)
So again Jorge knocked the door of the Cardinal and he agreed to give
one thousand Euros.
I came to know that some old painting of Fr. Jose Vas were at the
ancestral house of the Costa Frias family in Candolim
I happened to be in contact witth Dr. Deserio Costa Frias residing in
Altinho.He immediately agreed and went to Candolim and broght them to
his Home in Altinho
But he would not let me take down to a photographer and so I took the
Manager of the Hollywood Studios up to his HOme and there they were
photographed
So Desiderio became another Vasiano.
But jorge found that the cost of printing in Lisbon would me more
expensive than in GOa and the MNS returned to GOa and it was entrusted
to Oscar Noronha , owner of a Firm called THIRD MILLENIUM who complete
the work
And I would say that Oscar NOronhas became a Vasiano
In fact when the office was inaugurate , Aurea and me were invited and
the office was blessed by Fr. Olavo Velho Pereira,....of Benaulim. (
some years later..he expired) adn we attended the funeral but not in the
old Church of Benaulim but a new one recently built.
Oneday i had gone to our Post office and saw there a shor of stamps
including of ...Fr Jose Vas, I made inquiries who would have the
collection and I was told that one Mr.Navelcar of Marcela was a fine
stamp collector and gave me his address. I wrote to him and he obliged
coming with his full collection and wanted to lend it to me to take the
photos but I felt that I could not take the responsality to keep with me
and take the photos and so the stamps do not enrich the book
There must be many hymns to Fr Jose Vas.But i felt a unique was
essencial and with the MNS I went to my old friend Manohar Sardesai.He
kept the Mns( he knows Portuguse) and after reading it phoned calling me
He was delihted to learn about JV and the Mns was of his old friend
PCA, who had been the first President of the Kokani Bhasha Mandal
MS had a special...call it mania : to compose a Hymns he wanted to first
hear the music I rushed to Pllar Seminary with the MNS and asked Fr.
Peter Cardoso who naturally also led the MNs and came to my house with
his guitar
Both went to MS and as the usual Mrs MS served ustea
Fr PC played his piece while patting his silvery hair was listening in
deep silence
Asked for an encore and while fr.PC did it .MS wrote the hymn!!
It was the very first time that a HIndu would compose a Hymn to a
Catholic Saint!!
Finally the book was released in the Church of St,John Baptist ( where
Jose Vas was baptised ) after an Eucharist by our Bishop Filipe Nery,and
along with Fr. Joaquim Loiola Pareira. Fr Saturnino and Fr Cosme Costa(
a "miracle is attributed to Fr. Jose vas when Fr Cosme was born as his
mother was about to die with case of Placenta previa and was saved
when she prayed to Fr. Jose Vas.
Afterthe Eucharist the book was finally released bythe Bishop and Fr
Saturnino presented to the audience and at the end Joaquim Correai
Afonso raised the now tradicional VOte of Thanks
( for it report plese see my "Cronica da Fontainhas " i the
"wwwsupergoa.com"
The Book will be availalble in Portugal at Casa de Goa
and at tjhe office of ECOS DO ORIENTE
mARIO VIEGAS
rUA DA CALHETA NO.3.2o Esq
Mealhada 2770-491.Loures
Tel: 219.821.851
and Third millnium
603.Shiv towers,Patto Plaza
Pangim Goa
Tel:0091.0823.243-7172
E-mail: "third- millen...@rediff mail"
we site: "www.third millleniumgoa.com
Prices: Rs 375 Dolars 20 and Euros 15
Of all the vasianos the folloing have joined Fr.Jose Vas
Fr Pedro SoaresJOrge Noronha - Manhohar Sar desai- Desiderio Costa
Frias-Orlando Soares
and those alive: Alfredo Bruto da Costa- Maria Virginia Bras Gomes and
Paulo Colaco Dias.Joaquim Correia Afonso
Fr vasco do rego....and me!
More info about the Fr. joseVas including the homily in Colombo when he
was beatified by Pope JoanPaul !! o21st jan 1995 can be found in the net
"Catholic enciclopedia
Now some comments of Myself
Where is Benaulim? go to Google and you find one hundred and eight
thousand reference with photos etc
So dond miss it.
In the bogone days I used to go even walking from margao to Benaulim or
in a carrieage pulled by two horses
It produced writers jornailist cientients, priest and Poete
At the time of the Primeiro Congresso Provincial, itwas dicdied to have
the coconut tree as symbol of our goanaise and a coconut tree was
planted in the Munipal garden garcia De Orta.
Francisco Correa afonso composed a Hymns and the music was of Froilano
de Melo
Coqueiro tua vida encerras
Santas licoes , licoes divinas
O Bom Coquiero , tu nos ensinas
a amar a nossa Terra Mai
A poet of modern times was Berardo Pinto Pereira
In his book 'Lagrimas de Saudade at Pg 40 has this hymn to
Benaulim
Ess terra ! Nossa Terra
E como um Ninho
e tambem como um Jardim
Que estende do Mar a Serra
O Brama com todo o carinho
Plantou sementes nesse Ninho
Criando o verdadeiro assim
Ora em tempos
Esse jardim se achou ofendido
Com o dardo
Por Parusurama mandado
POis muito sangue foi derramado
Um charco sangrento assim se formou
e nele um lotus encarnado cresceu
Gracas e regosijos a essa tristesa belica
Pois ela abencou-nos com uma nascenca
Dizem que os Humanos
Essa lotus encarnada cercarm
E com um cerebro diferente doados foram
Isso lhe faz alguns tanto tontos
Bem como loucos astutos
Essa aldeia minha nasceu assim
Baptisado com um nome tao lindo: Benaulim
Com muitos tontos e loucos
Talvez mais loucos do que tontos!!
My commnets.There is a tradicion that the people of Benaulim and Moira
are rather crackiss like our Sardajis or the Alentejanos in Portugal.
Finally, you, my friend may ask me who Valmiki Faleiro is
He is one of the most distinguished jornalist in the our generation. He
wrote a long serial about Goans and have unfortunately stopped because
as he says now he is going to write a history of Margao.where he resides
166, Mons Ganganelli rebelo road
Margao 403.601 tel: 273.0435
His email at CC and you would like to know that if you go to Goolgles
you will find four thousanda four hundred and sixty references!!
And to all of you warm regards
Fernando do rego
NOTA
Anexos;Fotos de tres Benaulense
Berardo Pinto Pereira:
depoismento do seu coaldeano Pe, Loiola Pereira
Discurso depois do seu funeral
MInhas entrevistas com os dois Bispos
