Saligao Feast of Mae de Deus – Toronto
Satkar Banquet Hall, Mississauga, Ontario
3rd May 2009

Text of Homily by: Father Raymond J. de Souza
From Generation to Generation We Call Her Blessed

On this first Sunday of May, the month that the Catholic people all over the world dedicate with special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, listen again to the words of Mary’s Magnificat:

From this day all generations will call me blessed,
For the Almighty has done great things for me
And holy is His name.

On this Saligao feast of Mae de Deus, we give thanks to the Almighty for the great things He has done for generations of Goans, from my father’s village of Saligao and from the other villages, for those still in our homeland and those dispersed all over the globe. We see in the history of our people that Mary’s prophecy has come true – all generations have called her blessed. From generation to generation we Goans have called her blessed. I think of my grandmothers and my godmother, my own father and mother, my uncles and aunts, praying the Rosary alone in the church or together at home in the family – these generations have called her blessed. I think of my own visit to Saligao in December 2006 and offering the Sunday Mass in the Saligao church, dedicated precisely to the Mother of God. Think of how many thousands of Masses, how many hundreds of thousands of Rosaries, how many millions of prayers have gone up from that place seeking the powerful intercession of the Mother of God!

From generation to generation we have called her blessed, and we do so today in Mississauga, in this our new homeland of Canada, to which the Lord has appointed that we should bring our faith – our faith in Him the Risen Jesus, in His Blessed Mother, and in His Church, which unites us with those we have left behind in Goa and others places on our journey here, and those with whom we live now in Canada.

The chasuble I wear today is a Marian one, made by my own mother for the occasion of the first vows of my sister – who is a religious sister in the congregation of the Sisters of Life. It has the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe on it, to whom the Sisters of Life have special devotion. I thought I would wear it today as a concrete sign of the Marian devotion of our people – even if my mother is from Assagao! The Virgin of Guadalupe is of course of central importance to the faith and culture of the Mexican people – many of whom are turning to her in these difficult days of the influenza pandemic in their country.

The same Mother of God is honoured in every Catholic country and culture in a particular way. Just as a mother provides the domestic culture that gives every family its own proper character, so too the Mother of God shapes each Catholic nation and people. For this she is called blessed under many different titles among many diverse peoples, including on this day, Mae de Deus of Saligao.

The Mother of God shapes different peoples and different cultures but with the same foundation – Jesus Christ her Son. The culture of Goa is known for its good food and good times, and we shall share that today. It is known for the fruitful exchange of the ancient Indian civilization with the culture of the Portuguese explorers, further influenced by the British presence in the rest of India. Yet for us Catholic Goans, all of these diverse elements are animated and brought into harmony by our faith in Jesus Christ and our loyalty and fidelity to His Church. Without that, what would we be passing on from generation to generation? A culture is not a matter of handing on some recipes or favourite pastimes; a culture without its faith is like a body without a heart. It is a dead culture.

In 1991 the late Pope John Paul II, who himself came from a people deeply marked by their trust in the Mother of God, wrote the following:

“Man is understood in a more complete way when he is situated within the sphere of culture through his language, history, and the position he takes towards the fundamental events of life, such as birth, love, work and death. At the heart of every culture lies the attitude man takes to the greatest mystery: the mystery of God. Different cultures are basically different ways of facing the question of the meaning of personal existence. When this question is eliminated, the culture and moral life of nations are corrupted.” (Centesimus Annus, #24)

What, as Goans, is our attitude to the mystery of God? We have come to a country marked by great freedom and material abundance, but which is deeply corrupted because it has neglected, or even rejected, its Christian heritage. The great Canadian martyrs who brought the faith to this land would be ashamed to see how many now live as if God does not exist. What would Saint Francis Xavier say today about the Goans, after he brought the faith to our fathers so long ago? Would he give thanks to God for our fidelity or would he reprove us? It’s true that from generation to generation we have remained faithful under the protection of the Mother of God, but the task must be accomplished anew in every generation.

It is especially important for us Goans to remain faithful in this country. To be faithful Catholics is our act of gratitude for all that Canada has given us. Those who came from European stock built a marvellous country, but many of those same Europeans have abandoned the faith that sustained their ancestors. In this city of Toronto, and across the land, it now belongs to others – Hispanics, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Chinese and Indians from Goa and Kerala and elsewhere to restore to all Canadians the heritage they have lost. This is already happening as we find more and more Goan priests in Canada. This month alone there will be two Goans raised in this country who will be ordained – a priest in Ottawa and a deacon in Toronto. These priests, like me, came from devout Goan families who kept the faith strong after having arrived here. This is not a matter of vanity for us, but a recognition that God’s Providence brought here for a reason, and not just to be successful. If Goans in Canada achieve great success in education, in commerce, in science, in journalism or in any number of fields but lose our faith, then we will have sold our soul for a mess of pottage. If we think that being at home in Canada means adopting the secularized ways of many Canadians, then we have betrayed our heritage, sold out our culture, and have nothing enduring to contribute to this country.

The Gospel today speaks to us about Jesus the Good Shepherd, the One who brings all the sheep together into one flock. As witnesses to the Risen Jesus, present in His Church, we can help bring back the lost sheep to that flock. We are a people who received the faith from missionaries, and now we find ourselves missionaries in different lands.

We are in Mississauga a long way from the Mae de Deus church in Saligao. But we proclaim here, in this new generation, that Mary indeed is blessed, and ask her to keep us, in Canada, in Goa, and in all parts in between, close to her Son, the Lord Jesus. Amen.

 TEGSA’S TWO-FOLD Sold Out EVENT

DECLUTTERING – SOMEBODY’S TRASH – IS SOMEONE ELSE’S TREASURE !!

A PORTUGUESE SHOW - by (OAC) OLDER ADULT CENTRE

Friday 1ST May, 2009 at Commander Hall

By Muriel Lucas

TEGSA hosted a mixed Event… ”Downsizing your Home” by the “Decluttering Seminar”
and
“Upgrading Your Life!” By a Portuguese Show. (OAC) Older Adult Centre.

The day’s event started, as always, with Grace before Meals, recited by Ms. Juliet Matkar. Dinner was served consisting of Biryani, Nan, and Rice Pudding for dessert followed by tea & coffee.

After dinner, Emcee, Joaquim Menezes, introduced Patricia John, to conduct the Decluttering Seminar, who outlined in detail 10 educational tips for an Organized Move! By using a “Room to Room” organizing Strategy. i.e. see below:

Quote:
“Start making a plan, which will help, make your move go smoother Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

“Have your packing supplies ready (boxes, bubble wrap/packing paper, heavy duty garbage bags, packing tape and a thick black marker)”

“Purge your “stuff” before you move.”

“Start purging the basement & garage first”.

“Ask your children & grandchildren what they want before you give it away.”

“Call Charities* ahead so that you can plan your purging days around their pick up dates!”

“Do space planning for your new home.”

“Remove important papers & valuables prior to the move. Have a trusted family member or friend hold onto them until you are moved in.”

‘Breathe and take it one day at a time!” – Unquote.

Patricia handed out lots of brochures and information consisting of a List of Professionals, one could use, i.e. from Home Stager to a Realtor, Donations, Garbage Pick Up, and a Moving Company. At the end of the Seminar, she was given a round of applause, and was thanked by Joaquim for doing an excellent presentation.

Concluding Facts

Procrastination?– The # 1 habitual behaviour that some acquire, the world over!! Declutter Forever” is unrealistic, which is why the “Declutter for Now” techniques work even if it must be repeated periodically!...Yes NOW..”Never Leave for tomorrow what YOU can do today!

WORK SIMPLER & SANER- Do Not SWEAT the small stuff..go easy on yourself – Do not make it a STRESSFUL CHORE…enjoy the day -put on your favourite music or sing as you go along. With boxes at your feet and a dust rag at your waistband, start off by cleaning out each room and getting rid of things that don’t belong. Create a “Haven of Peace” right in your own home and or backyard by attacking the “Hotspots” which tend to sneak up on us & overtake our homes, like parasites and which adds to our hurried lifestyles and overloaded schedules and we create a RECIPE for some serious clutter issues!

Last but not least, think about the joys of giving to others, it helps you shed layers and heaps of confusion., and it does not matter what size house,apartment or condo you have, you might feel you just never have room to store all that stuff again! Hence, creating a “Haven of Peace” right into you home, keeping only the bare necessities, is something you will be content with – treasures of a different kind!
So Happy Decluttering folks – LET IT GO!

Joaquim then introduced the fun-loving Portuguese group, which consisted of some charming & outstanding Portuguese women volunteers, who reside at St. Christopher House in downtown, West End of Toronto.

They represent the “H A T S” project, which spells out, HEALTH, ACTION, THEATRE by SENIORS.
They presented an Action Theatre presentation called “Fear Lives with Me”, organized by Isabela Bolidex.
and, which was co-ordinated by Lucia Ramos.

The show was culturally sensitive, funny at some point, and had a far-ranging impact participatory education, to raise awareness about different issues facing seniors in their daily lives. Each participant played out their part to perfection, exuding selfishness, sadness, stress and joy, which hits most seniors in today’s day and age!. It also promoted a positive problem solving forum by the actors and spectators, who had an equal participation, through a facilitated discussion, and interaction, brought on after the show by the energetic and bubbly Ms. Lucia Ramos, who stole the show with her wit and energy! She intermingled with the crowd with a question and answer period….some questions and answers were hilarious from some TEGSA seniors that enthused the Actors’ ego!

Their Goal and Mission to create this show, was to educate audiences and raise awareness of the social and complex health issues that are faced by Seniors today and to empower seniors to strengthen their own lives by being active and involved in their community. Also to implement a learning strategy and ways of sharing information within a multicultural community. And last, to convey and promote the use of other multicultural communities, by being recognized that this show has enhanced and enriched their lives by increasing their health awareness, critical thinking & mainly decreasing isolation, and helping women in crisis regain their self-worth and dignity! And families to come together in unity by caring and sharing.

In conclusion, as one reflects on the highlights of this show, it was pretty much educational, in that, this dynamic group of Portuguese women, made their choices in their circle of support, by bringing on and using the tools that were handed them, and sharing them with excitement and enthusiasm and showed a strong commitment in all aspects of their level and care and planning to bring about this phenomenal show.!.

Needless to say, they got a rousing applause from all present, and Joaquim thanked them for a wonderful performance!

So, until the next time, HATS OFF to one and all and a special thanks to the Loyal H-A-T-S, for their ready participation and “Making a World of Difference” in people’s lives.

TEGSA Seniors went home with a lot of “food for thought”, mingled with a lasting gift of Legacy from this fun-filled day!!

*Clothes for Children in Africa can be sent to
Canadian Food for Children Warehouse
1258 Lakeshore Road East
Mississauga
telephone: 905-274-9239.

The warehouse is open from 7:00 am to 12 noon,
Monday to Friday.
Information Courtesy of Blanche Monteiro;
Dr. and Mrs. Simone established Canadian Food for Children (CFFC) in 1985 after almost 10 years of divesting themselves of most of their assets and donating heavily to charitable ventures. Mother Teresa encouraged them to collect and distribute food to those in need, since many foods are simply not available in missionary areas.
The Simones then began contacting companies to donate non-perishables that cannot be sold in Canada due to minor errors in packaging or labeling, for example. Individuals, schools and churches donate money and grocery items. From humble beginnings, CFFC now ships more than five million kilograms of food and other necessities per year to children in some 30 countries worldwide for distribution by local missionaries. The charity has thousands of volunteers across Canada, but no paid staff.

Don Bosco’s Madonna Gets New Look!
Sent by: Roque Cardoso
Excerpt from DON Bosco’s Madonna – January 2009 Issue

If Don Bosco’s Madonna sports a new look after 71 long years we owe it to this 21 year-old graduate from the Sophia Polytechnic (Art & Design) Mumbai. She is Giamaria Fernandes of Dosti Acres, Antop Hill Wadala. Don Bosco’s Madonna thanks her for her hard work and her creative insight that brings out the character of the magazine as a publication of the Shrine of Don Bosco’s Madonna. After spending time with test drawings she came up with the cover you hold in your hands.

‘Gia’ as she is familiarly called has been awarded the Kalpaka Trophy for the best creative performance for the year 2007-2008 and a merit certificate for the best exhibit in experimental typography.

Thank you for your hard work and for generously offering us your I creative talent to freshen up this popular magazine that blesses each I home it enters. May Our Lady copiously bless you with success and creativity in the years to come.

Peace through Music -Songs Around the World
Playing For Change


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Africa Movie Academy Awards 2009:
Kenya’s film “From A Whisper” takes top award
Excerpts from article by: Azuh Amatus  | Friday, April 10, 2009
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/showtime/2009/apr/10/showtime

See also: http://www.nollywood.net/

The Nigerian motion picture industry, better known as Nollywood suffered a devastating blow at the just concluded fifth edition of the yearly Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), which held at Yenogoa, Bayelsa State, South-South, Nigeria.

Even with a constellation of Nollywood stars and filmmakers, the industry only struggled to win just eight and half awards at the grand gathering that was anchored by the trio of Julius Agwu, Kate Henshaw- Nuttal and Kofi Bucknor. Unlike the past four editions, where Nollywood actors and filmmakers had always carted home all the major awards, Kenyan, South African and Egyptian actors and filmmakers took the shine off them this year.

From A Whisper, a Kenyan film that vividly x-rays the 1997 terrorist attack at the US embassy in Nairobi, was the star of the glamorous night. It proudly walked away with five major and keenly contested trophies, in the following categories: Best Editing, Soundtrack, Screenplay, Directing and Picture. Coming of Age, another film from Barack Obama’s fatherland, also won in the Best Short Documentary category, thus bringing their total hauls to six that historic night.

Trailing Kenya that eventful night was South Africa, which won three awards in the categories of: Most Promising Actor and Actress as well as Best Film in African Language, with a thought-provoking movie entitled: Gugu and Andile.

Kenya- Descendant of Lord Delamere Convicted Of Shooting Poacher
May 8, 2009, 2:33 am
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/5551691

Note: See excerpt from Book “Kenya Pioneers” on Lord Delamere & First Goan Pioneer

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The heir to Kenya's most famous white settler family was convicted Thursday of shooting a black poacher on his estate in a case highlighting the east African nation's delicate colonial legacy.

The High Court acquitted Tom Cholmondeley -- a descendant of Lord Delamere who came to Kenya from Britain a century ago -- of murder but found him guilty of manslaughter in the 2006 death of Robert Njoya on the family's 55,000-acre ranch.

"My hope is that this ruling will act to warn errant white farmers that there is rule of law in this country," said Benjamin Mungania, a human rights activist in the Naivasha area where Cholmondeley and his family come from.

Justice Muga Apondi said sentencing would be given at a later day, meaning Cholmondeley's dream of walking free on Thursday after three years in jail was dashed. He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The long-running trial has touched on deep sensibilities over race and ownership inequities in the east African country.

Some called it a case "between the haves and have-nots."

The judge said he was sympathetic to Cholmondeley's argument of self-defense in the confrontation with Njoya after finding him pursuing wildlife with dogs on the family's property near Lake Naivasha in Kenya's Great Rift Valley. "The survival principle is very basic to human beings," Apondi said, concluding that Cholmondeley had no "malice aforethought" but did pull the trigger.

(Additional reporting by Andrew Cawthorne and Helen Nyambura; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Jack Kimball)

Excerpt from “The Kenya Pioneers” by Errol Trzebinski (1985) pages 27-28

According to the observations of the British Commissioner for Uganda in 1899, Sir Harry Johnston, Lord Delamere ended up with almost £14,000 from ivory himself. Johnston was a painter and naturalist as well as an administrator and from Uganda in 1900 wrote, “The fact is Lord Delamere who secured £14,000 on ivory in the Baringo District by shooting elephants with a maxim-gun, was exceedingly annoyed on returning to his old hunting ground, to find that I had created Baringo Game Reserve which was intended to preserve elephants from Lake Baringo to Lake Rudolf until such time as we were able to establish a station to control so—called sportsmen.”

Delamere and Atkinson had travelled a thousand miles on the safari from Lugh to Lake Baringo, lying in the Rift Valley and separating Abyssinia from British East Africa. After camping the first night at Baringo, they were confronted in the morning by a runner bearing a letter. It read, ‘Sir, Please take note that you are now on British soil. Any act of aggression on your part will be sternly resisted.’ It was signed ‘J. Martin’. The sender was illiterate and one of the most unlikely candidates that the British East African Administration ever employed for he knew only how to sign his name. His cousin, a Goan named da Silva, had written the message. He was employed as Martin’s clerk. Also, ironically enough, James Martin, as he usually signed himself, was in the thick of illicit ivory trading whilst acting as Her Majesty’s Collector of the Baringo District of Uganda. That too was illegal. No member of the Administration was allowed to own land or indulge in any form of trading for personal gain. He organised a network of supplies in the Baringo territory and in the six years which he spent there it is estimated that he pocketed between £12 and 15,000 through his deals. Sir Harry Johnston and Sir Frederick Jackson put a stop to it after they caught him red-handed when he was somewhat naively using his shamba boy’s hut as an ivory store When questioned, the gardener obligingly took the officials straight to it. The only way to stop the corruption was to transfer James Martin away from the Baringo District to the Ssese Islands where no such temptation existed. Prosecution would have embarrassed everyone.

Hussain-D’Silva Town Gives Way To Squatter Settlements
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=175632
Monday, May 04, 2009 | By Sabeen Jamil | Karachi

Kanwar Khalid Younas, a resident of Hussain-D’Silva Town, (Karachi) is mourning the loss of his neighbourhood. He has been living there for over 30 years, but today, he is forced to consider leaving it.

“It has lost all the glory it had,” he said. The Hussain-D’Silva Constructing Company gave Karachi its entire pavement and road network in 1947 along with a host of memorable buildings, such as the first government barracks near the Sindh High Court in 1946, a majority of houses on Martin Road in 1946, the Hussain-D’Silva Apartments near Gandhi Garden, Hussain-D’Silva Park, apartments in Clifton and the residence of the Indian High Commissioner in Clifton.

But the company is most famous for building Hussain-D’Silva Town in the early 50s, one of the first well-planned neighbourhoods in post-partition Karachi. With almost 450 houses situated by the hills in North Nazimabad, Hussain-D’Silva Town was a dream come true for the emerging educated middle class, who could afford a bungalow through easy installments paid to the House Building Finance Corporation (HBFC).

Together, partners Ashfaq R. Hussain and Jerome L. D’Silva strove to personally draw people — mostly Muslims and Goan Christians among their own social circle — towards it by arranging for loans. Far away from the city centre, the area in question was previously undeveloped, but Hussain and D’Silva sought to change it all with their cottage-style houses, wide roads, parks, quality sewerage system, schools, and places of worship for both Muslims and Goan Christians. “Goan Christians and foreign nationals made up for 50 per cent of the population,” said Younas, who has been living in the town since 1965. “They added to the beauty of the colony, especially at religious festivals.”

Younas remembers the Xavier sisters in particular, who would play the guitar at home every evening and march along the streets on Christmas Eve with their fellow Christians, singing carols. Other long-time residents have equally fond memories of Hussain-D’Silva Town. “We used to have our evening tea by the hills every now and then,” said Naz Khalid, who lived in the town at a time when its commercial value was equivalent to that of any upscale locality in Karachi today.

This sense of contentment, however, came to an end in the early 70s when people from all over the country came to Karachi in search for a living. The change brought with it squatter settlements cropping up alongside Hussain-D’Silva Town which, according to Younas, is the fault of the successive authorities. “They failed to provide people with accommodation,” he said, “slamming the administration of the time. Because of this, squatter settlements grew all over Karachi in general, and by this town in particular.”

Other residents of Hussain-D’Silva Town agreed with Younas’s assessment, adding that the influx of people has increased the crime rate and a steady deterioration in the housing and sanitation conditions. “They (people) come and live in squatter settlements, cut down trees, encroach on water and sewerage lines, and harass women,” lamented Younas. A majority of the people who once lived in the town have left as a result, and, according to Younas, the remaining few are also about to pack their bags for good. “The commercial value of housing in Hussain-D’Silva Town has been reduced to half of what it is in the adjacent areas,” confirmed an estate agent.

Younas is filled with regret to see how the town has degenerated from the widely praised project Hussain and D’Silva worked so hard on. “It used to be progressive and had an international outlook, but because of lack of planning by the city’s authorities, it has lost all its glory,” he said.