May 4, 2007

REQUIEM MASS FOR FR. FRANCIS ON 05.05.07.

ANNOUNCEMENT.

REQUIEM MASS FOR THE SOUL OF FR. FRANCIS XAVIER FERNANDES.

Tomorrow Saturday, 05th May 2007, at 6.30 p.m., at Holy Family Cathedral, Kuwait City, there will be an Eucharistic celebration for the soul of Fr. Francis Xavier Fernandes who died in USA in a tragic car accident on 03.05.07.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

Fw:Minguel Fernandes' coordinates

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From: "Gasper Almeida"
gasper@makharafi.net
To:
averonicaf806@hotmail.com
Subject: FW: Minguel Fernandes' coordinates
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 15:17:37 +0300

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From: cajetan pinheiro [mailto:pinheiroc@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2007 2:43 PM
To: momphons2003@yahoo.com; momphons@gmail.com
Cc: carmosan50@hotmail.com; goaworldtoday@yahoo.com
Subject: Minguel Fernandes' coordinates


If any one wishes to assist financially, the following are the coordinates:

Minguel Fernandes
Account No. 30163385015
State Bank of India
Margao Branch
Margao

Home Address:
C/o. Juanna Fernandes
House No. 940
Vanxem
Loutolim, Salcette
Goa - 403718

Presently at Al-Adan Hospital, 4th Floor, Room No. 1
Telephone: 3940600 Ext. 3801

Thank you on behalf of Minguel Fernandes.

Regards.
Cajetan Pinheiro
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DEATH OF FR. FRANCIS FERNANDES

Seen at extreme left is the late Fr. Francis Fernandes with his colleagues and other dignitaries.


DEATH OF FR. FRANCIS FERNANDES

Born on 30th January 1963, baptized in Ahmadi Church and brought up in Kuwait, Fr. Francis Fernandes before joining the Seminary in Maharastra, India, to become a priest, also worked in Kuwait for some years at the Austrian Consulate. As a young boy in Kuwait he moved with us, helped us in our Konkani movement especially for Gulab Magazine fund raising while he was doing his activities in the Church compound. Always mild and humble and also soft spoken, while working for an Austrian Consulate, he realized his vocation of priesthood and finally left his lucrative job in Kuwait and went to India and joined the Seminary there in 1987.

After finishing his priestly course in the Seminary he came to Kuwait and was ordained a priest at Holy Family Cathedral for Kuwait Diocese by the former Bishop of Kuwait Monsg. Francis Mechallef, a Maltese, on 3rd December 1995. I had the honour to highlight his ordination in the local English Press with photographs. I think this was the first such event in Kuwait and non-Catholic people residing in Kuwait found it very interesting and informative.

Yesterday, when I went to the Church for the evening Mass, my friend Albino Fernandes, the founder and initiator of Holy Family Choir who was thickly associated with Fr. Francis Fernandes in the Church activities gave me a very shocking news of the sudden and untimely death of Fr. Francis on 03.05.07 in USA, in a tragic car accident. Fr. Francis Fernandes was the member of Holy Family Choir from the time of its inception and for some years, that is, from 1980 to 1987 he was the Hon. Treasurer of this Choir. He was a very dedicated member of this Choir and always worked for its improvement and development. While in this Choir he never played dirty tricks to bring down the reputation of this Choir.

When this news reached in Kuwait, everybody was stunned with shock and disbelieve. Till a few months back Fr. Francis was serving Kuwait Church and was very popular amongst the Catholics. Hailing from Colva, Salcette, his villagers liked him very much. In the Church he was not only saying English Mass but also Konkani and thus serving the Konkani speaking community in Kuwait.

When he left Kuwait a few months back, we all were very much surprised because he left abruptly without notifying the public. Because of his sudden leaving Kuwait lot of stories started circulating amongst the Catholics but up to now nobody knows the real truth and with his death the real truth also gone to the grave. He was very straight forward priest and would not like any rubbish. He was not a sectarian nor regionalist as we see today in our Church. He was dedicated to his priestly mission because he was a genuine priest and not rose from the rank of “Sankistao”. He was genuine in his attitude towards others and never gave a false smile like a prostitute to fool others. He did not create politics in the Church affairs neither with the laymen nor with his colleagues but to my information he was discriminated by his own colleagues. It looked everything was not going well in the Church especially during the regime of former Bishop who surrendered some of his powers to a person who is not a priest.

It is a pity that many times innocent priests in our Churches are made to suffer because of the Church politics which devides the Catholics. And because of these politics, Catholics are thinning from our midst and they are thickening the non-Catholics congregations. This has to be stopped if we want good priests and strong Catholic community.

It is a pity that we lost a nice and God fearing priest who during his stay in Kuwait never took advantage of his priestly robes for deceiving the innocent Catholics in many respects. May his soul rest in peace.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

ACCIDENT VICTIM MINGUEL FERNANDES & GWS

ACCIDENT VICTIM MINGUEL FERNANDES & GWS.

Kuwait Goans Association was the second Goan Association in Kuwait. In the beginning it was called just Kuwait Goans but later on the word Association was added to it. The first Goan association in Kuwait was formed in Ahmadi by those days early Goans working at KOC Center. KGA was formed in Kuwait City jointly by Vincente D’Souza and one Mr. Armando Carvalho. V. D’Souza was a dynamic person. The activities of KGA was just to organize ball room dances for May Queen, Easter Ball and New Year Ball. Nobody knew where the profits of these dance events went. By organizing ballroom dances KGA was giving a distorted image of Goan culture in the sense KGA was giving an impression that it was the part of Goan culture. This KGA lasted actively till the invasion of Kuwait. However, before the invasion of Kuwait there was a rift between Vincente D’Souza and some members of KGA. Because of this rift V. D’Souza was isolated.

A few months before the invasion of Kuwait one Goan Francis Araujo from St. Cruz Ilhas was hanged in Kuwait for murdering two employees of Kuwait Public Transport Company, one Egyptian driver and the other a Turkish conductor. Coming from financially poor background, Araujo’s family members in Kuwait, brother Daniel, mother and sister and other family members all working in Kuwait in the domestic sector found it very difficult to hire the services of a good lawyer in Kuwait to fight the case of Francis Araujo because of their poor financial status. Having no other option they finally by beg-borrowing managed to hire a mediocre lawyer with medicore fees. I felt very bad to know this situation and I felt something to be done as a unified community to help such cases. I tried to impress upon some members of KGA to help Araujo family financially since KGA were organizing functions in the name of community and accumulating funds. But nothing worked. One of them told me “we are not supporting criminals”. If Araujo family members had to have sufficient money, they would have hired a very efficient lawyer who might have turned the situation in such a way that Francis Araujo would get maximum life sentence in which case after the invasion of Kuwait he would simply get his freedom from Iraqi invaders. But this did not happen because the lawyer they hired was not very efficient and with little money you cannot get the services of efficient lawyer.

After the execution of Francis Araujo, Vincente D’Souza approached me for forming one new Goan association but true to my nature I said I will cooperate provided this new association agrees to help the downtrodden, the needy and weaker section of Goan community in Kuwait. Even on the inaugural meeting at Hotel Sheraton in my speech I explained how essential it is to have a strong Goan association for the benefit of weaker segment of Goan community and I even cited an example of Francis Araujo’s case. According to my views this new association should organize activities and from the proceeds help the needy Goans in Kuwait. Finally after lengthy deliberations and meetings this new association was formed and it was christened as Goan Welfare Society. I along with my colleagues as founder member of this association worked hard in the initial stages to raise funds for this association with the ultimate goal of helping the needy Goans. Came the invasion of Kuwait and liberation after 7 months. We returned back to Kuwait on our previous jobs. Suddenly without notifying me and many of my colleagues GWS was revived. This was done intentionally by some of the "Chors, Bamttes" and rapists to misuse the funds of the association without any hindrance from any opposition. Incidentally none of the members enquired why many of the original founder members are away from GWS. This shows the quality of the members for fighting for the rights of others. When this is the case, how can we have upright persons in our midst to fight for justice and as such how we can attain justice in our midst? If J. Rod says Rosary “naka”, every donkey comes with a chorus saying yes, Rosary “amkam naka”. Nobody is asking why “nakam” but everyone like “ghantta boil” says yes, “amkaim naka”. This is the quality of the current members of the association and also it is the quality of Goans in Kuwait in general. For this reason we are not having in our midst upright people. Generally the attitude of our people is like this, “if comrade Napoleon says yes, it must be yes”. If in any association normally there is a proposal brought by one vindictive stalwart to suspend or punish any member, every other member without applying his reasonable and logical mind says simply “yes”. This is herd mentality running in many of our associations. For this reason Kuwait Goan associations generally not producing intellectual giants, only pigmies intellectually.

Now GWS is having in its kitty about 40 thousand Kuwaiti Dinars which means, approximately, less than one crore of Indian rupees. This amount is deposited in the personal account of three members all from the same village Curtorim which is known to produce biggest Goan rascals, one of them is Sardinha who brought in communal BJP to power in Goa for his personal benefit and polluted the entire Goan politics. For 3 years these three members were challenged by GWS and one of the members even filed a case against the three for not returning the money to GWS. During the last three years of this money row the three were called “Chors” and still people are calling them “chors”. One of them is already gone to settle down in the west while the other 2 are in Kuwait, one of them is soully in Canada. Canadian Goans shortly will have in their midst one excellent “Bamtto” and may be a magnificent “Chor” who earlier in Goa during the invasion period of Kuwait was involved in misusing the funds of Kuwait Goan Evacuees. When such Chors and Bamtes are involved in public life then what good public can expect? It is these Bamttes from GWS who were trying to prevent me from organising a movement in Goa under Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center in support of Kuwait. They are enemies of Kuwait.

Further to my earlier write-up on poor Minguel Fernandes, an accident victim in Kuwait whose both legs are amputated, need financial assistance. GWS is in excellent position to render this assistance but they are still keeping their silence. The money that is in the kitty of GWS is not the monopoly of the three persons who are holding it in their personal account. Neither this money is the monopoly of GWS. The money that is in the kitty of GWS belongs to the Goan community and it is to be utilized for the benefit of needy Goans. Assistance is coming from Sweden for the poor Minguel Fernandes, assistance is coming from few individuals and from Goan Cultural Centre-Kuwait but nothing so far coming from GWS and I don’t think anything will come either. Where are the members of GWS gone? Why are they silent? Don’t they think it is their duty to move and make others in their midst move? Where is their sense of charity gone now? Are they Christians going for regular Mass and receiving Holy Communion? Isn’t their religious obligation instructing them to do something for this poor man when they can do and in fact when they are obligated to do something? GWS is having money and for what purpose this money is, if not to utilize for the benefit of the needy? By not supporting Minguel Fernandes at this critical time GWS is committing an un-Goan act. By not helping Minguel Fernandes, GWS is committing an anti-Goan act. Goan community in general should raise its voice forcefully on this topic. Nobody should find fault with me for raising this issue so forecefully. I am not doing it for my personal benefit but for the benefit of one physically disabled Goan. At this stage I cannot say “Am I my brother’s keeper, God?”

It is my request to the entire Goan community in Kuwait, in Goa and worldwide to raise its voice against the injustice going on amidst us. Three to 4 members of GWS have not only taken GWS hostage but also the working of entire Kuwait Goan community. The priests in the Church must also raise their voice against the injustice done here. For raising this issue of poor man Minguel visa vis GWS nobody should accuse me but everyone must accuse GWS for not doing its duty towards a poor Goan. If Goans in Kuwait are real Goans then they will fight for justice. If Kuwait Goans are real sons and real daughters of their real Goan fathers then they will raise their voices against GWS for not coming to the assistance of poor accident victim Minguel Fernandes.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.

Reply to Urminda.

Hello Urminda,

Please, by return mail, identify my mistake and where did I err.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.


Re: TIATRO: HO BAZAR KITEAK CHOLTA

Dear Sir ref with your abv subj news.

Mr. Anthony Veronica Fernendes as I know that your pen is more sharp mightier then the sword. But whatever you are publishing before that please see check it once again for correction that what you are writing. You have done one slight mistakes {ref. msg dtd 27Apr2007 – april2007 (19)} Mr. Manuel is from Cortalim and Mr. Xavier is from St. cruz (kalafura). Ami zannat tuzem pen ekdom darevont asa mhunn. [x]Bab Manuel anik Bab Xavier Net nokllot mhunn tanka tuka zaim toxem boroun chonneachem zaddar chodoi naka.
Mog assume diUrminda.
urminda d'costa dcu66@hotmail.com
Posted by KRANTI at 12:31 AM 0 comments Links to this post

Re: "TIATRO "KITEAK HO BAZAR CHOLTA"":
JoeGoaUk has left a new comment on your post "TIATRO "KITEAK HO BAZAR CHOLTA"":Some more photoshttp://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=207794080&size=ohttp://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=207794086&size=ohttp://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=207794087&size=o
Posted by KRANTI at 12:21 AM 0 comments Links to this post
May 3, 2007

Re: TIATRO: HO BAZAR KITEAK CHOLTA

Dear Sir ref with your abv subj news.

Mr. Anthony Veronica Fernendes as I know that your pen is more sharp mightier then the sword. But whatever you are publishing before that please see check it once again for correction that what you are writing. You have done one slight mistakes {ref. msg dtd 27Apr2007 – april2007 (19)} Mr. Manuel is from Cortalim and Mr. Xavier is from St. cruz (kalafura). Ami zannat tuzem pen ekdom darevont asa mhunn. [x]Bab Manuel anik Bab Xavier Net nokllot mhunn tanka tuka zaim toxem boroun chonneachem zaddar chodoi naka.


Mog assume di

Urminda.
urminda d'costa dcu66@hotmail.com

Re: "TIATRO "KITEAK HO BAZAR CHOLTA"":

JoeGoaUk has left a new comment on your post "TIATRO "KITEAK HO BAZAR CHOLTA"":

Some more photos

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=207794080&size=o

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=207794086&size=o

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=207794087&size=o