REV. FR. FELICIO DINIZ: 1989 ďż˝ 2004 IN BAHRAIN.

TRIBUTE TO A DYNAMIC PARISH PRIEST

In October 1989, the Sacred Heart Church, Bahrain saw the arrival of the energetic young priest, Rev. Fr. Felicio Diniz, commissioned by Apostolic Vicar of Arabia, Bishop Bernard G. Gremoli, to be the new Parish Priest.

Felicio Piedade one of the siblings from five brothers and two sisters was born to Ermelinda and Rosario Diniz, of Curtorim, Goa, India, on 16^th March, 1946. After completing his graduation with the profession, being an Engineer arrived in the Sultanate of Oman in the year 1976 and worked for Royal Oman Police, in their Welfare Department. Whilst working in the Gulf and on reading the spiritual novel entitled ďż˝ LIFE OF CHRIST, by Archbishop Fulton Sheen, came his childhood desire to be a priest. This desire was fulfilled when Bishop Bernard Gremoli, assisted him although his family members were sad but were supportive for his call.

He was sent to Rome for his further studies by Bishop Gremoli and was later ordained priest on 31^st May, 1984 by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, at St. Peterďż˝s Basilica, at the Vatican. He celebrated his first mass at St. Paulďż˝s Cathedral in Rome and returned to work at St. Michaelďż˝s Church in Sharjah for five years.

Soon after his arrival in Bahrain, his first important assignment was to prepare for the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1990, when he first renovated the Mother Church. Recognizing the size and needs of the increasing congregation for the services that were held outdoor in humid and cold weather, he obtained permission from Bishop Gremoli and laid the foundation stone on 8^th September, 1990 and project being completed, inaugurated and blessed a year later on 8^th September, 1991 by Bishop Bernard himself, which is now the Multipurpose Hall, (where all obligation masses and other services are held) and the adjacent Kindergarten School.

His next project was to demolish the old Comboni Sisterďż˝s convent, whose foundation stone was laid on 2^nd May, 1992, with the opening ceremony performed by Bishop Gremoli on 6^th January, 1993. He later modified and refurbished the Parish Hall formerly Baathďż˝s Hall, to cater to hold limited functions of the prayer groups and Audio-Video room was built to hold Baptism and Marriage Preparation courses for parishioners.

On 15^th August, 1995 a foundation stone was laid for Parish Community Centre, after demolishing the old classrooms and priests offices, and this was inaugurated and blessed once again by Bishop Bernard on 15^th August, 1996, which now caters priests offices, canteen, classrooms for prayer groups use and for Catechism classes every Fridayďż˝s.

The biggest project was the demolishing of the old priests residence building and the construction of the Third Millennium Building, whose foundation stone was laid on the 15^th anniversary of his priestly ordination on 31^st May, 1999, with the project being completed and inaugurated in time for the Diamond Jubilee of our parish on 11^th May, 2000 by Msgr. Guiseppe de Andrea, the then Charge the Affairs, Apostolic Nunciature to Bahrain. This building now boosts with the state of the art auditorium, social hallďż˝s and the priestďż˝s residence. His final project was the re-renovation of the Mother Church with wooden structure to replace the frailing wall paints and the opening of Perpetual Blessed Sacrament Adoration Chapel, that was blessed and inaugurated by His Eminence, Cardinal Ivan Dias, Archbishop of Bombay on 27^th December, 2002.

After introducing many activities both spiritual and social for the pastoral needs of the parish, Fr. Felicio was prompted to begin the monthly newsletter, which was titled Sacred Heart Church, Family Bulletin, the first issue coming out in April 1992 and saw celebrating its 10^th Anniversary in April, 2002.

A Thank You Honoring, a fitting tribute was given to Fr. Felicio by the Clergy and Parishioners on Friday, 12^th November, where a play depicting his childhood till present was enacted, a short slide on his flashback in our parish, tributes, spiritual bouquet, flower bouquet, purse and cultural program by various communities were performed in his honor. This presentation was followed by welcoming our new Parish Priest on this occasion, which was witnessed by hundreds of parishioners who earlier gathered to give thanks to God during the Eucharistic Celebration.

Fr. Felicio, who has now passed on his baton to the new Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Thomas Quadros, will proceed on his Sabbatical leave and to pursue his further studies, will be missed by most of his parishioners, both young and old, but everyone will feel his presence and love. Hence, two of the local Goan artistďż˝s who performed here few years back, dedicated a song for Fr. Felicioďż˝s achievements and rightly named the inside of the church vicinity as the ďż˝Bahrainďż˝s St. Peterďż˝s Squareďż˝ and it is rightly so.

- John Rebello

[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Ex-Family Bulletin Editor.

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