Hey Rico, You've found out all the old stories eh...good to recollect! & I do believe in miracles! I didnt remember the name but I definitely remember Dad telling this one about the child being kept to beg outside the Mapusa Church thereby fulfilling a vow that his mother made.
Annette From: [email protected] Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2010 02:00:49 +0530 Subject: [SALIGAONET] The Vow (Raymond Fernandes, ex-Saligao) To: [email protected] THE VOW by Raymond Fernandes [email protected] 95 years young .... birthday boy Raymond Fernandes at the Oakland Park Bridge Club, Plantation, Florida. I celebrated my 95th birthday recently on 16th February 2008. Perhaps my long life is due in part to my genes. My grandfather Augustine lived till the age of 94, my uncle Blaze lived to the age of 98 and my sister Armine to the age of 96. My sister Lena in Hyderabad also lived till the age of 96. But apart from my genes, there is also something else, which makes me feel that I will make it to a century. This is a curious incident from the past, which I would like to share with you. I was baptized at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hyderabad and named Raimondo Eulogio Milagres Fernandes. In Portuguese, the word 'milagres' means miracle and though I always wondered why I had been given that name, I only came to know the real reason at the age of 21. When I was studying in college in Bombay, my aunts Augusta and Ruby told me the story. We were 12 children born to my mother Rose. However, until I was born, no other male child born to my parents had survived. In those days my father had a pharmacy and it was thought at the time that girls could not run a pharmacy. Hence my parents were very keen to have a son. When my mother became pregnant again, she was in Goa, supervising the building of our house. There is a church in Mapuca, not far from the main Mapuca market, where Our Lady of Miracles (Milagres Saibinn) is worshipped with great devotion. My mother therefore made a vow, whilst fervently asking that she be given a male child who would live to a 100 years of age. In return, she would give the child the name Milagres, dress him in rags for 5 years and make him beg for alms outside the church, giving the money so obtained to the poor. It seems that such vows were not uncommon in those days. Anyway, her prayers were answered and I was born. As part of her vow, my godparents too were chosen from amongst some Catholic beggars. When my aunts told me this story, I then vaguely recollected being dressed in a long robe (similar to that worn by sadhus) and standing outside the church asking for alms. I also remember crying occasionally because I was never allowed to keep the money but instead had to give it away to the poor. Even though I had a quadruple bypass a few years back, luckily I still keep fit and am also quite active. Since I was 89 years old at the time of my operation, my recovery was termed as a miracle. All I can say is that, like my mother who had a deep and abiding faith, I too believe that miracles still take place in this day and age. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Raymond Fernandes is originally from Saligao, Goa. He spent several years in Hyderabad and Bombay, working as a pharmacist and then later, as a medical representative. Having retired in 1987, he now lives with his wife Rose in Plantation, Florida, USA. They have four children, Yvette, Hilaire, Joan and John, all married and well settled. http://goasudharop.org/docs/ebook/Rem_vow_4.htm Frederick Noronha :: +91-9822122436 :: +91-832-2409490 -- This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en Please post regularly to keep the e-village active! -- This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en Please post regularly to keep the e-village active!
