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THE SALIGAO UNION, BOMBAY—IV( CONTINUATION). The Union has proved a boon on occasions when any cause on behalf of our dear village of Saligao has had to be promoted. In 1969 and even earlier it began to be felt that the continued maintenance of the Church in Saligao had to be ensured. Availability of funds from the Comunidade for that purpose was becoming an uncertain proposition. There were straws in the wind to indicate that the old order was changing faster than expected and there was even talk that the old Comunidade building in Cotula, Saligao might be converted into a ‘dharamasala’. In view of the prevailing situation our people decided to collect funds. There was a drive in this behalf in Bombay under the aegis of the Saligao Union for a Church Maintenance Fund and there was a similar Fund being already built up in Saligao. In Bombay donations were collected by door-to-door visits and some members sacrificed much of their leisure to devote themselves to this task; the names of A.J.Souza Lewis and Fernando Lobo are to be particularly mentioned in this connection. The Church Maintenance Fund, Bombay, being separately managed from the Union, remits monies to Saligao to help defray a part of the expenses of the Church establishment there and to meet some maintenance expenses of the Church building. The Union again joined hands with the people of Saligao in connection with the Centenary celebrations of our Church in 1973. As the celebrations would involve a great deal of expenditure, the Union staged early in 1973 a Konkani drama in Bombay in aid of the Centenary Celebration Fund which netted a substantial sum. Part of this sum was invested in a book entitled " Saligao—Focus on a Picturesque Goan Village" commonly called the History of Saligao, and the proceeds of this book were earmarked for the Centenary expenses and projects. The onerous task of writing this book was undertaken by two members of the Union as a part of the Union effort in the cause of the centenary celebrations. For these two authors, namely , the late Prof. J. Patrocinio de Souza and Alfred D' Cruz, it was a labour of love but the product that ensued from their hands was meritorious work indeed in the field of Goan history with an accent on Saligao, its church and people. The book came to be selected for the Library of Congress and other important research libraries in the U.S.A. It might be recalled here that this book also draws attention to a few Saligaocars who attained international or all-India fame. There are several others who made a mark in the medical and other professions in Government and in the Church, in education and social work, in music and sports and other spears. There is an intimate link between Saligao, Saligaocars and the Saligao Union. The union without Saligao and its children would be like an oyster without the pearl. The account of the Union’s contribution towards the centenary celebration would not be complete if mention were not made of the Konkani concert directed by Oslando de Souza and staged on the Church grounds in May 1973.There were intensive rehearsals in Bombay followed up in Saligao before the final performance. The exquisite rendering of folk song and dance as well as the able direction of the mass choir by Oslando won encomiums from one and all and the concert was a great success…….to be continued. By Mr. Alfred J. D’Souza. Compiled by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas. |
