Saligao Serenade

by Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas

In an earlier essay (A Red-Letter Day for Saligao) I had detailed the events that took place at the time of inauguration and installation of the image of Mae de Deus in Saligao Church on 26 November 1873. This statue formerly belonged to the Mother of God Friary, located in Daugim near Old Goa.

The Daugim monastery and its church had been inaugurated on 31 October 1569. But by 1878, the friary had disappeared and the church was in a tottering condition. However, the miraculous statue of Mae de Deus was taken to Saligao on 24 November 1873. The pulpit, the main bell, and three altars were taken to Mapuca Church in 1839. One of the bells and an organ was taken to Moira Church. Another bell adorned the Church of Jua (on St. Estevam island, Ilhas). Two other bells and the reredos (altar backdrop) were dispatched to Assolna Church in Salcete. Then, what was still standing of the Friary and Church after all the years of neglect, was razed to the ground. Only the Cross remained erect, where, for three centuries, the Monastery and Church of the Mother of God once stood. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas

Many Christians dream of making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land someday. For some the dream actually becomes a reality. My school companion and friend Salvador Isidoro Mascarenhas from Mollebhatt, counts himself among those fortunate ones, when, about a year ago in April 2009, he, along with another couple from Saligao (Epifanio and Perpetua Fernandes from Tabravaddo/Bairro Alto) and twenty other Goans flew to Israel for a pilgrimage tour of the Holy Land.        

A few days before the pilgrimage, Salvador paid me a visit at the Holy Spirit Church in Margao. During the conversation I reminded him that Marie Dantas and her husband from Saligao/UK had placed a marble plaque, with the Our Father inscribed on it Konkani, in the Church of the Pater Noster (also called Church of Eleona – Mount of Olives, in Greek),  which Queen Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, built in the fourth century. Read the rest of this entry »

by Mel D’Souza

 “Baba” was a universal term of affection used in Goa to address a little boy or an adult male who was in good standing in the community. The term would also be used, somewhat grudgingly, when addressing the odd individual who was an embarrassment to his family, but whose misdeeds were not serious enough for him to be thrown out of the house. I suppose he could be called the ‘baba’ black sheep of the family.

Black sheep were few and far between, but we had one in our family. He was my granduncle and his name was Galdinho D’Souza. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas

[This piece was written by Fr Nascimento in May/June 2004. It’s possible that much has changed since then. Please do pitch in if you have any updates - Val Souza]

The famous CHOGM Road beginning at the Airport in Vasco Parish passes through the villages of Chicalim, Sancoale, Cortalim, Agassaim, Goa Velha, Siridao, Bambolim, Santa Cruz, Panjim, Alto Porvorim, Sangolda, Saligao, Calangute, Candolim and ends at Sinquerim. During my sojourn last week in Saligao, I walked along a part of this CHOGM Road, beginning at Reddeachi Xim in Mollebhatt, until the end of Pequeno Morodd (Dakhtem Morodd).

This road from Saligao passing alongside St Anne’s chapel towards Sangolda was called Estrada de Dom Pedro during our younger days. On the left hand side of Reddeachi Xim there is a muddy road leading one to ‘Aquem Zor’ and a board indicating the way to Club West End. On the right hand side is the Ximecho Khuris, followed by a shop of Diogo Fernandes and Remedios Industries. The vast fields extending up to Monte de Guirim and beyond brought old memories of the green vegetation and plenty of rice and Congueo and other vegetables that we ate when we were kids. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas

Have you ever had the opportunity to observe a beehive at close quarters, watching those industrious creatures going about their business vigorously and tirelessly? With our own busy lives these days and also the rapid spread of urbanisation, even spotting a beehive is a rarity. But when I was a young lad growing up in Saligao, things were different. The beehives on the belfry of the Saligao church were a treat to watch.

Our “gang of four” – Salvador Mascarenhas, Johnny Machado, Dominic Andrade and myself — focused our eyes on the hives, waiting for honey to fall into our mouths. Of course nothing of that sort happened. The bees swarmed around unconcerned, their rhythmic buzzing adding to the bel canto of the Saligao choir singing inside the neo-Gothic church led by our famous choir master, the late Eustaquinho D’Souza from Dakhtem Morod. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas

My friend Salvador Mascarenhas and I were now on the last leg of our walk through the vaddo (ward) of Cotula in Saligao. Close to the former house of the Gama rose family that I wrote about earlier, is the house of Dr Raimundo da Gama and Camila Mariana Tereza da Gama. Dr Raimundo da Gama had a sizable clientele in Coimbra, Portugal. Nearby is the residence of Celly and  Gil Coelho’s large mansion. He was headmaster of various English high schools in Goa. In its proximity is the house of Annie Pinto whose daughter, Sr. Mary Jane, née Rita Pinto, was twice Mother General of Holy Family of Nazareth Congregation of Sancoale, Salcete.

Behind her house is the Krist Raj Bhavan (home for male senior citizens) established in September and run by FMCK nuns. Adjacent to it lies the stately house of the world-famous ophthalmologist Dr. Cláudio Raimundo da Gama Pinto, who has to his credit an Institute of Ophthalmology named after him in Lisbon, Portugal. At his birth centenary, the Portuguese Government brought out two stamps, one light brown and green in colour of 2 reis and another black and white of 3 reis entitled Republica Portuguesa 1853-1953 Gama Pinto, Correios, Estado da India. A road was named after him in Panjim and there is also an avenue named Avenida Professor Gama Pinto in Lisbon.

In 1978, on the 31^st of August, a tribute to Dr Gama Pinto was organized by ophthalmologists from Portugal and Goa at the Saligao Institute in Arrarim. After the session the eminent ophthalmologists went to Dr Gama Pinto’s ancestral house in Cotula, and at the hands of Prof. Dr J Ribeiro da Silva from Lisbon, a commemorative tablet inscribed in Portuguese was placed therein.  Its English translation is “The Great Ophthalmologist Prof. Cláudio Caetano António Júlio Raimundo de Gama Pinto was born here on 30^th April 1853.  Where a group of eminent Ophthalmologists from Portugal have gathered to pay their homage to the great Master who so honoured Portugal as well as his birth place Goa with the extraordinary contribution to the eye surgery placing a tablet offered by the Association of Ophthalmologists of India represented by its branch in Goa to commemorate the homage”.

I have written a book on Dr Gama Pinto, published in November 2002 and titled “A Paean to an Ophthalmologist: Prof. Dr. Gama Pinto”. Dr. Cláudio da Gama Pinto was born in Saligao (Cotula) on 30^th April 1853 and died in Lisbon on 26^th July, 1945 aged 92 years.  His parents were Francisco Salvador Pinto, leader of the old Progressive Party of the Council of Bardez and the first President of the Bardez Municipality and of Camila Mariàna Tereza da Gama.

Affectionately called Salu Pinto, Dr Claudio’s father was undoubtedly the greatest single benefactor of our village of Saligao.  It was he, practically single handedly, who gave us our beautiful church, of which every son and daughter of Saligao may be justly proud.

Next to the house of Gama Pinto is the house of Vitinho Mendonça. His son Lino Mendonça lives there along with his wife. Opposite their house, across the internal road, is Lynn (Ismael) da Gama’s house, who rose to be the President of the Central Council of Goa of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, as well as the Chairman of the Confraternity (now Association) of Our Lady of Victory in Saligao Church. For several years he ran the affairs of this Association with great responsibility. Dominic Soares from Cotula married Tereza da Gama, Lynn’s sister. Dominic Soares is one of the talented footballers of Goa, and represented Vasco Club. He now resides with his family at Tabravaddo on St. Anne’s Road running from Aula to Sangolda. 

Then there is the house of Sr. Celine Coelho. She too had been the Mother General of FMCK nuns. Her brother Cyril Coelho is also a dedicated social worker. Next comes the house of Napolean Vaz, who was for a long time in charge of the Church Committee and who freely shared his knowledge about church affairs with all.

Finally, a word on Mae de Deus House for senior lady citizens in Cotula. Mr & Mrs Luis Mendonça, to comply with the last request of their dear departed youngest daughter Dr. Lila Mendonça, herself a Holy Cross nun, bequeathed their ancestral home to the Holy Cross Society. It so happened that Holy Cross Society, due to unforeseen circumstances, were unable to undertake the task of caring for the aged.  They requested the FMCK Regional Superior to consider the matter and offered her the house together with a handsome donation.  In November 1973 the Home was opened, inaugurated and blessed by an illustrious grandson of Saligao, Archbishop Eugene D’Souza. A dream had been translated into reality and three Franciscans Missionaries of Christ the King took charge of the House with 19 women on the roll. This Home came into existence due to the tireless efforts put in by the late Fr. Albert Saldanha (Arrarim), President of the Committee of the Centenary Celebrations of Saligao Church (1873-1973).

In this walk through Cotula we may have missed some prominent personalities. We ask for their forgiveness, but would appreciate if their details are inserted here by someone (via comments) to make this walk a truly memorable event for anyone else embarking on it.

by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas

As my friend Salvador Mascarenhas and I continued to walk through the vaddo (ward) of Cotula in Saligao, we found ourselves at the house of the late Sebastian Pinto. He was an Africander, a social worker, and always smiling. Opposite is Amanda Lopes e Souza’s residence—she is now in Portugal. She was a good pianist and a very amiable character. She was senior to us at Mater Dei, and we were also acquainted with her brother Jerry, and Gloria. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas

As my friend Salvador Mascarenhas and I continued walking through the Cotula ward of Saligao, we noticed the Bank of India branch, which has been serving the industrious people of Saligao since the sixties. Moving further we noticed a hair-cutting saloon. In days gone by Madulo the barber used to operate from this small house. In addition to giving his customers a haircut, Madulo, who seemed to know more than the TV news channels of today, would update anyone who cared to listen on current events and day-to-day happenings in the village and other parts of Goa. This saloon is now run by a different person, whereas Madulo’s son, who is working overseas, has his saloon in the supermarket building at Mudd’davaddi, near Marque’s private chapel of St. Jerome.

As we proceeded ahead we noticed the old Patrocinio Vaz e Irmãos bar.  Patrocinio, who was commonly known as Patru, had two brothers, João and José Vaz. Next to this bar, there used to be the Casa Tipri shop selling various household articles, but this has shifted to the locality of the new tinto (market). In its proximity there was the old tinto. In fact at that time, prior to Casa Tipri, the premises was known as Pakleachi Garage, which was later on converted into the shop run by Ornelas Souza Tipri. He was also correspondent and local reporter for The Navhind Times. Read the rest of this entry »

by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas

This essay describes my walk through the famous Cotula ward in the village of Saligao, Goa, in the month of April 2008. A document of the Saligao Communidade dated 27 March 1759 gives the names of the nine wards originally existing at that time in the village: Salmona, Arady, Sto. António, Dondo-vaddo, Mollebata, Murdavady, Cotella, Vaddlem Marada and Dacutem Marada. The other wards, with which we are familiar nowadays, had their origin much later.  

As you might have noticed, the document I specified mentions the ward “Cotella”. This was later lusitanised into Cotula. In Konkani it is written as  Kotula or Khotla. The chauri or chauddi (that is, the Communidade House of Saligao) was located at Cotula, which was the seat of the village administration. Here was the residence of the Khot, from which the name of the ward ‘Khotla’ is probably derived. According to some, however, the name is derived from Kotwal, the village patil, the forerunner of the regedor of the Portuguese era, who had his office there. The post office and later the telegraph office as well as the first Latin Portuguese school and the Lourdes Convent school were initially set up in Cotula. Read the rest of this entry »

by Mel D’Souza

The first Sunday in May is when the village of Saligao and its sons and daughters living in other parts of the world celebrate the feast of the Church of Mae de Deus (Mother of God).

Celebrations abroad usually start with Holy Mass followed by a social gathering where Saligaokars partake of good food, dancing and fellowship. Read the rest of this entry »