Dances, fireworks usher in new year
Traditional dances, parties, mid-night Church services and dazzling firework displays marked the celebrations which were joined in by thousands of tourists to usher in the New Year. The coastal belt was resounding with music till the wee hours of the day as parties were organised on the beach front by hotels and individuals to ring in the New Year. Archbishop Patriarch Raul Gonsalves together with Auxiliary Bishop Filipe Neri Ferrao wishes everyone a pleasant and promising New Year 2004. Meanwhile, Governor Kidar Nath Sahani and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar have also extended warm greetings to the people of Goa on the occasion of the New Year. Confusion continues to reign along the northern coastal belt as police stations struggle to cope with the huge inflow of tourists and revelers. The Calangute and Candolim roads appeared to be beyond the scope of the law even as the rich and famous sped by in their Mercedes Benz cars competing with the jeeps driven by their not-so-well-to-do countrymen. Domestic and foreign tourists were seen speeding by on two-wheelers seemingly unmindful of the danger they were causing to themselves and to other motorists.

Gomant Vishwa Sammelan
	The Gomant Vishwa Sammelan got off to a fine start on January 3 with the rendition of welcome song on Goa’s unique identity of communal harmony. Governor Kidar Nath Pandey delivered a speech in Hindi. There were about 378 delegates, mostly 78 Mumbai and New Delhi and around 28 NRIs and representatives of various websites or Groups in the UK, USA, Bahrain, Kuwait and Muscat. It must be admitted that there is wide gap between the NRIs perception of Goa and the ground realities in Goa.
The entire Kala Academy was tastefully decorated. But despite the enthusiasm and the last minute publicity in almost every nook and corner, the function did not register the response it ought to evoke. (godfrey gonsalves gonsalvesgodfreyji@yahoo.co.in) Also check at http://goacom.com/goanow/gomant/gomant.htm

NRIs can enroll names in voter list
Thousands of seafarers and other non-resident Indians can heave a sight of relief as the Election Commission of India has ruled that they are eligible to enroll their names in the electoral list and cast their vote in the elections. In a brief communiqué sent by the ECI Secretary, SK Kaura, to the Chief Electoral Office, Goa, the Election Commission clarified that NRIs are eligible for enrolment in the electoral list as per sub-section (IA) of Section 20 of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1950.

Goan-Born Is Karachi Archbishop
Pope John Paul II has appointed Bishop Evarist Pinto, auxiliary bishop of Karachi-Pakistan, as Metropolitan Archbishop of the Karachi archdiocese. Hailing from Olaulim-Pomburpa, he was brought up at his mother's place in Corjuem-Aldona and studied at the St Thomas Boys School at Aldona.

Catamaran service resumes
The Catamaran service between Goa and Mumbai commenced after about six year with 35 passengers arriving here on December 28 evening on a vessel of Samudra Link Ferry Shipping and Cruise Services Pvt Ltd. The vessel departed for Mumbai at 11 am after the inaugural ceremony at the jetty of the Navigation Department. Of the 35 who arrived yesterday, 10 were foreigners, who visited the State for the first time. Mohammed Isaac Kamkar was the captain on board. Till January 2004 end the service will be available from Mumbai at 9 am every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while from Goa at 9 am every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The travel time is expected to be reduced to eight hours.

Goanetters met in Panjim
At around noon on December 27, a group of GoaNetters assembled informally at the Kala Academy, to exchange opinions or to put a face to a name, and some of them later dropped anchor at Quarter Deck for lunch. Eddie Fernandes (Goan Voice, UK), Marlon and Aldila Menezes, Vivian D’Souza, Basilio Monteiro, Fred Noronha, Jose Lourenco (Amazing Goa Cards), Miguel Braganza (Editor, Mapusa Plus), Joel D’Souza, Godfrey Gonsalves, Denzil Nazareth, Marina and Tony Correia Afonso, Dr Santosh Helekar (Chimbelcho), Heta Pandit, Mrs Goswami, etc were among those seen together.

Fr. Charles Faleiro - A Tribute
Oliver Seixas
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
There he lay on the hospital bed, emaciated with two types of cancers, a mere shadow of the running, active, enthusiastic minister of the church that he was just 4 months ago. Beloved of the Mississauga parish that he last served, a celebration of mass was organized yesterday in the Trillium Hospital ward prayer room to commemorate the golden jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood.
13 Portuguese and Portuguese speaking priests concelebrated and paid homage in the Portuguese language to his service to the Lord and it was a hour that seemed like a tranformation of happiness for Fr Charles and angelic peace for the 20 other lay people that had come to celebrate with him. Lying on his bed with nutrition and pain-killers dripping into his arms, he seemed somehow transported into another place, a place in Goa perhaps or somewhere in happier times in Karachi or Port Perry or Mississauga where he served at different parishes. His voice was firm, his gaze was steady and he replied to the prayers and spoke with warmth and fullness to the people who held his hands and wished him.
Fr Carlos (Charles) Faleiro was born in Margao about 78 odd years ago and was trained for the priesthood like others of his time at the famous Rachol Seminary at Raia. On becoming a priest he was transferred by the Padroado (the Portuguese See that controlled religious matters in Goa) to Karachi.
In 1972 he came to Canada and served at various Portuguese speaking parishes.
I did not know him well but once many years ago, he invited my wife and I to his Toronto parish house for lunch and served us with a delicious Goan meal that included a mackeral curry that could have been made right in Goa.
I thought his cook had made it, but later learnt that he was a good cook and probably made the curry himself.
He was an active minister. Climbing over curbside snowbanks when at his age he should have taken the longer road route. Retirement at 75 seemed an unrelishing prospect to him and the Bishop gladly extended his term. Lately, he was the chaplain for the Knights of Columbus in a Mississauga parish in adittion to his other various duties.
We wish Fr Charles a painless journey to the place of happiness the Lord has reserved for all who carry the faith and may joyful memories sustain him during the travel.