This appeared in NT Panorama for Jan 30th, in respect to two persons both of
whom I came to know in my long sojourn in Goa. Mr. Alvaro Pereira sold me
much of my household provisions, until my food requirements began to wane
with increasing age. My wife used to insist that he was 'a Hero', but I knew
little of that aspect; only that both he and his wife were charming persons
to interact with over the shop counter.
Father Chico I came to know too, in somewhat the same vein---no appreciation
of his earlier personal history, but fascinated by what I saw. In the 70's
we would visit Goa from Canada. I recall a very hot and humid Sunday
afternoon when I sauntered over from our Cousin Bemvinda Dias's house to
'Clergy Home' for a 'Holy Hour'.
There were not more than a dozen persons in the little chapel, but there was
Fr. Chico, sweating profusely from playing on the old foot-bellows organ and
singing his heart out for the Benediction. Such a humble and unassuming
person, he was.
Another 'character' whom I came to know in those 'Clergy Home days' was Fr.
Albert Mendonca, S.J. What stories he had---enough to make for a pretty good
book, even if some accounts could possibly have been a little embellished!
He once said to me, concerning 'progress in spirituality': "You must be
ready to leave everything behind". Perhaps he could not even achieve that
ideal himself, but he well knew (and could explain principles involved.
All wonderful people; not to exclude Mr. Mario Cabral e Sa himself, who can
write so eloquently about them.
