Vasco do Rego was born in Panjim, on 8 January 1925. After his schooling and a short stint at the seminary, he joined the Society of Jesus on 15 August 1945. He was ordained priest in Belgium on 15 August 1955. He was inspired by his teacher, theologian Fr Pierre Charles, S.J. to use Konkani language and music in the liturgy of our people in Goa. When he was on the staff of Rachol seminary from 1963 to 1967 he took the occasion to learn Konkani thoroughly and encouraged the seminarians to do the same by including Konkani in their course of study.
His contribution to Konkani language:
� In 1964 Fr Vasco pioneered Konkani primary education by organizing four schools in the vicinity of Loyola High School, Marg�o, to introduce Konkani as the medium of instruction in the primary section. He overcame the lack of Konkani text books by getting Konkani writers and Konkani Bhasha Mandal to prepare the necessary text books, and got the Konkani teachers trained on the job. From 1968 to 1973 when he was the Rector of Loyola he could devote more time to supervise the Konkani primary education in Marg�o, and test its efficacy.
� When from 1973 to 1978 he was the Novice Master in Belgaum, Fr Vasco devoted a lot of time and energy in preparing the liturgical texts in Konkani. He was put in charge of a team of scholars translating liturgical texts into Konkani by the Regional Liturgical Commission. Ultimately, the Misa-Gronth published in 1981 is an important fruit of this work.
Though different authors had done the groundwork for the Konkani Vachpam-Gronth
Fr.Vasco made substantial contribution by way of editing and organizing its texts.
� From the time Fr Vasco went to Old Goa as the Rector of Bom Jesus in 1978, besides his Konkani preaching and organizing the novenas and feasts there and later on, he devoted all his spare time to Bible translation work.
Already in the Novo Korar published in 1971 he had contributed by translating John�s Gospel and the letters of Peter and John. As the chairman of the Bible Committee appointed by the Liturgical Commission of Goa Archdiocese, he supervised the revision work of Novo Korar, and the Old Testament translation work that was undertaken by different persons.
He has himself translated the Book of Isiah into Konkani.
� One other major contribution to Konkani of Fr Vasco, are the lyrics of a number of hymns and Christmas carols, and for some of these he has also composed the music. In Gaionancho Zhelo published by the Liturgical Commission, for instance, he has written the lyrics for 333 titles, and out of these for 47 he has also composed the music. These hymns are in answer to the challenge posed to him to sing Christmas carols in his native language when he was a student in Belgium.
� Fr Vasco has a few Konkani religious books to his credit. Sonvsarak Jezu Diat is a collection of sermons he preached at Bom Jesus on the occasion of the novenas of St Francis Xavier, published in 1995. In 1991 he brought out Stotram, a Konkani translation of the Psalms. Nazretcho Jezu is a concordance of the Gospels in Konkani in Roman script published in 2001, and the same was brought out in Devanagari with the title Nazretkar
Jezu in 2003. He has written a few articles in Konkani in Gulab, Dor Mhoineachi Rotti, Renova��o and other periodicals.
�Mgr. Dalgado Puroskar � 2005� will be conferred on Fr. Vasco do Rego at a special function to be organized on 8th May, 2005 at 4.30 p.m. at Caritas Hall, Panjim on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mgr. Sebastiao Rudolf Dalgado after whom Dalgado Konknni Akademi is named.. His Grace, Rev. Fr. Filipe Neri Ferrao, Patriarch will do the honours of presenting the award to Fr. Vasco Rego in the distinguished presence of Dr. Nandakumar Kamat.
Tomazinho Cardozo
President
DALGADO KONKNNI AKADEMI
Orda, Candolim, Bardez, Goa - India
Phones: (+91) 9822170102
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Konkani writers in Goa have launched a campaign to revive the use of the centuries-old Roman script that is being increasingly swamped by Devnagri. With more and more Konkani speakers preferring the Devnagri script, they say the language's history and heritage are under threat. Konkani is one of India's nationally recognised languages spoken mainly along the country's west coast. Konkani, the official language of Goa, is written in five scripts - Roman, Devnagri, Kannada, Malayalam and Perso-Arabic. Devnagri was rarely used in the language until the mid-1980s. But a feud between the supporters of Konkani and of Marathi led to the acceptance of Devnagri as the compromise script. Since then, the writers allege, the Roman script has been totally neglected.
"After the passing of the Goa Official Language Act in 1987, the government and institutions working for the cause of Konkani here have supported the Devnagri script only," said Dalgado Konkani Akademi (DKA) president Tomazinho Cardozo, a well-known playwright and a former speaker of the Goa assembly. "Publication of books in the Roman script has suffered and institutions like Sahitya Akademi have stopped giving awards to Konkani books in the Roman script." The language, spoken by 1.7 million to five million people - the estimates widely vary - began losing out on followers.
According to Cardazo, even Christians in Goa, who had been particularly close to Konkani, were moving away from it. "It is a fact that many Christians in Goa do not send their children to Konkani schools. They hesitate to talk in Konkani. In other words, they are losing their Goan identity," Cardazo said. DKA has now launched a campaign to promote Roman-scripted Konkani. It will publish 10 books in Roman-Konkani before the end of the year, bring out an annual magazine and enrol around 2,000 members. Cardazo also intends to start a fund-raiser to finance Roman-Konkani writers, collaborate with other institutions, launch a website and run a village-to-village 'Speak Konkani, Save Konkani' drive. (Indo-Asian News Service)
-----------
SAR News August 18, 2004
Church Leaders Welcome Goa Govt's Decision To Aid Konkani In Roman Script
By Peter Raposo
Panaji: SAR News
The Goa Government's decision to financially assist Konkani language in the
Roman script has been welcomed by various people, including the Church
leaders.
Although some people have expressed a possible divide - on its
implementation - between the followers of Konkani in the respective Roman
and Devnagri scripts, Catholic leaders, however, have dismissed these fears.
Christians and Hindus are predominantly followers of the Konkani language.
"The government's resolution to assist Konkani in the Roman script
is a good thing to happen as it needs to be protected," Father
Aleixio Menezes, the Director of the Diocesan Centre for Lay
Apostolate in Goa, told SAR News, August 16.
The statement of Father Menezes, the editor of a Konkani monthly in the
Roman script "Jivitacho Prokas", came after the Goa Legislative Assembly
unanimously adopted a resolution to extend financial assistance for the
promotion of the Konkani language and literature in the Roman script during
the middle of July.
The State Government officially recognised Konkani language written in the
Devnagri script as the official language of Goa in 1987. And later in 1992,
it was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. It is
also written in the Roman script used predominantly by the Catholic
community, which has around 4.5 lakh population in the State, and
extensively by the local Church for its religious and other purposes.
The development of Konkani in the Roman script dates back 16th century
during the early years of the Portuguese rule in Goa. "Already in 1570,
there were
Konkani grammar books and vocabularies in the Roman script which
were used to teach Konkani at St. Paul's College at Old Goa," Jesuit Father
Pratap Naik, Director of Thomas Stephen Konknni Kendr, told SAR News, August
14. And therefore, this decision to give financial assistance should have
come when the Bill was passed in 1987, added Father Naik.
However, Father Menezes, the editor of the Catholic monthly whose
subscription is 17,500, along with other Church leaders, expressed
apprehensions over the concrete implementation of the resolution. "It is
only after its concrete implementation that we will be able to say that the
government has truly promoted Konkani in the Roman script," Father Jose
Dias, 56, a staunch Konkani activist, said.
Incidentally, there are some divergent views on the channel to be
used for funding the language. Mr. Tomazinho Cardozo,
convenor of
Dalgado Akademi, in a press note issued by him stated, "If any
financial assistance is given for the promotion of Konkani in Roman
script, it should be routed through Dalgado Konknni Akademi only."
Mr. Cardozo's demand to channelise the funds through the Dalgado Akademi
came after, Mr. Pundalik Naik, the President of the Goa Konakani Akademi,
told the local press that the funds should be channelised through Goa
Akademi. A former Speaker in the Goa Legislative Assembly, Mr. Cardozo said
that Dalgado Akademi had strong bonds with all other literary, cultural and
religious institutions working for Konkani in Roman script.
While commending Mr. Pundalik, who he said was the first President of Goa
Akademi since 2001 to initiate moves to bring writers of Konkani in Roman
script closer to Goa Konkani Akademi,
Mr. Cardozo argued that before Mr.
Pundalik took over the reins of Goa Konkani Akademi, it had not even used
five per cent of its funds for the promotion of Konkani in Roman script.
"Most of the leaders of Konkani in Devnagiri script have an impression that
the standard of Konkani literature in Roman script is low," added Mr.
Cardozo who is also the Headmaster of St. Joseph's High School, Arpora.
Goa Konkani Akademi, the official Academy of the State, is funded by
the Government for the promotion of Konkani and therefore recognises
Devnagri as the official script of the Konkani.
On the other hand, Dalgado Akademi was founded by the late Father
Freddy D'Costa along with other Konkani activists, mainly from
the
Catholic community in 1988, with the sole aim of preserving and
promoting Konkani language in Roman script. It was named after
Monsieur Sebastiao Rodolfo Dalgado (1855-1922), a diocesan priest
who was well known at the international level as a scholar on
Indo-Portuguese studies, a linguist and an expert on Konkani.
"Dalgado wrote Konkani in the Roman script and was responsible to take the
language at the international level," said Father Naik who is teaching
Konkani at Thomas Kendre.
At present, the parish priest of Saints Philip and James Church, Cortalim,
Father Dias told SAR News that Dalgado Akademi would be the right body to
receive and distribute the funds as it has already taken steps to promote
Konkani in the Roman
Script. "I don't think that there is ever going to be a
clash between Dalgado Akademi and Goa Akademi as Dalgado Akademi has made it
clear that it accepts Goa Akademi the official status of Devnagri script,"
said Father Dias on being asked whether the two academies could collide on
the issue of the two scripts.
"Dalgado Akademi would like to work in collaboration with Goa Akademi and
with any other institution promoting the cause of Konkani because the
ultimate aim is to promote Konkani and keep Goan identity intact among our
people," Mr. Cardozo said, while dismissing any chances of division between
the two academies.
_____
Compiled by Gaspar Almeida, Associate, http://www.goa-world.com
WHAT'S ON AROUND WITH THE GOANS IN THE GULF:
MAY BALL 2005
Date: 12-05-05 Organized by Goan Welfare Society (GWS)-Kuwait
Venue: Safir Palace Hotel, Riggea Band: Stepping Stones
Highlights: Crowning of the MAY QUEEN 2005.
YGC BAHRAIN MAY QUEEN BALL
Date: 05-05-05 Organized by: Young Goans Club, Bahrain
Venue: Palace Inn Hotel Highlights: The YGC May Queen Contest
ANNUAL MAY QUEEN BALL
Date: 05-05-05 Organized by Goan Welfare Associate(GWA), Qatar
Venue: The Diplomatic Club. Highlights: Crowning of the May Queen.
UPCOMING EVENT IN GOA:
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