Just heard from a neighbour in Pequeno Morod that the church now proposes to use steel and asbestos for the restoration! - surely the committee should be calling on heritage experts to preserve and conserve the church? It would be a tragedy for the church to be 'modernised' rather than preserved in the nature of its appeal... we have recently seen the entrance of a rather strange blue light on the steeple as part of the illumination. My prayers are for this wonderful piece of our Goan heritage to be preserved and conserved in the manner that it was built.
Yours Helene On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 12:25 AM, Albert Da Cruz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dear Fred, > > Thanks for the great work you and your team are doing to keep us, in all > parts of the world, in touch with happenings in our dear > village of Saligao. > > For 35 years since our migration to Western Australia, the Friends of > Saligao, have celebrated the Mass of Thanksgiving on the First > Sunday of May. Each year at the Celebratory Luncheon we have a sharing of > food, friendship and fellowship and a collection of funds for > the aged, or youth or women in need. > > Friends of Saligao is a group of people who are sons, daughters, sons- law > and daughters in law, grandsons, and granddaughters of Saligao together > with their friends and relations from diverse background from villages in > Goa, Mangalore, *East India, Mumbai , other cities in India, Karachi, > former British East Africa* > *and Portuguese Africa. * > > For us the memory of our iconic Church, and the Statue of Mae de Deus has > been a source of great faith and zeal in maintaining our > faith and keeping our families together, in these distant lands. There are > also other memories of the School days, and the carefree days spent on the > hills during the > caju season, the mango season, and the plucking the wild canta and zablam > from the hills above the fountain. > Also enjoying the smell of the earth at the first monsoon rains, the > emerald green of the paddy fields and dawn chorus of the birds each morning > puctuated by > the Church Bells. > > Each year we have collected funds to support the aged through the Homes > for the Aged, or providing scholarships for needy students at Lourdes > Convent. > In particular the funds for the needy children at school was to be > dispersed to those who were talented and from disadvantaged background > without any impediment of > caste, creed or community. We also gave to the Church in Saligao all the > collection from the Celebratory Mass after allocating a small proportion to > the local church. > > Alas in one year sums of money given to the Church to benefit needy women > who were single, aged but engaged in activities to help their families or > the communities > were not given to the indidividuals for the purpose indicated. To date we > have no idea who profitted from this gift of money. It is particularly > significant that this money in cash was presented to the then Vicar & > Curate in the presence of another priest from the UK and representatives of > the Parish council, the youth, and many other distinguished people from > the Parish in the Church Hall. In all fairness it must be recorded that not > only a *receipt was issued* but a public acknowledgment was made in the Church > Bulletin. > > We have recently provided funds for extentions to the Homes for the Aged > in Saliagao. > > If the Church housing the Statue of Mae De Deus is in a state of disrepair > then I am sure there will be many who would be pleased to make a modest > contribution to > the restoration of the Church to its pristine glory. > > Please send us the appeal and I will circulate it among our friends and > well wishers to organise some fundraising activity. However, we would like > to know that the funds > will be used in the *most cost effective way to provide lasting and > credible restoration*. I am sure that the good services of Dr. Wilfred can > be counted upon to assist to attract other sources of Funding from Goan > instrumentalities that profit from the uniqueness of the only Gothic Church > in Goa > > Warm regards to all at home and abroad. > > Take care and God Bless. > > Albert Da Cruz > Class of 1948 > PATRON > Friends of Saligao > Perth > Western Australia.. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Saligao 403511 website http://saligao.goa-india.org > Saligaonet mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.goacom.org/mailman/listinfo/saligaonet > >
_______________________________________________ Saligao 403511 website http://saligao.goa-india.org Saligaonet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goacom.org/mailman/listinfo/saligaonet
