A South Goa Parish, a celebration and an unusual Aldona connect!

Melvyn Misquita
May 2, 2023 

My family and I travelled from Porvorim to Dramapur-Salcete, a distance of about 40 kms, on the morning of May 1, 2023, to visit the St Joseph’s Parish for the 50th sacerdotal anniversary celebration of one of its illustrious sons, Fr Alfredo Monteiro.

Now, I have never been to the Dramapur Church and I have never met Fr Alfred. But Tasi and her family had spoken highly of him as a dynamic young Chaplain who united, connected and established close bonds within the community associated with the St Joaquim Chapel at Borda in Margao from the mid 1980s to the early 1990s. 

I was told that Fr Alfred introduced a number of activities, initiatives and projects (prominent among them included the cemetery and community complex in Sonsoddo-Margao) for the betterment and welfare of the Catholic community in Borda.

Perhaps, a true test of his popularity was when Fr Alfred was subsequently transferred to Mandrem-Pernem. A large number of grateful parishioners in Borda decided to give Fr Alfred a befitting send-off by accompanying him in seven buses from the Borda Chapel in Salcete to Mandrem in Pernem taluka, a considerable distance of about 60 kms.

Fr Alfred eventually proceeded to the USA to continue his priestly ministry, but he never forgot the people of Borda. And they never forgot him.

It was, but natural, that when he decided to celebrated his 50th sacerdotal anniversary celebration at Dramapur, several former and present parishioners from Borda were invited to celebrate this milestone of their beloved former chaplain. And many, including my wife, wanted to be there, just to let him know that he was liked, admired and respected.

For me, it was a visit to a new parish and the opportunity to meet this exemplary priest for the first time. I was also hoping to meet the parish priest and other priests who would concelebrate at the Holy Mass. After all, I have always liked meeting up with priests and have known several priests ever since I was an altar boy at the Aldona Church in the 1980s.

The arrangements at the specially erected pandal outside the Dramapur Church were well organised and the celebration was very meaningful. It was evident that the parish priest Fr Agnelo Pinheiro and his team of parishioners worked long and hard to plan, prepare and present this celebration and they deserve our fullest appreciation.

I was particularly pleased to find a number of priests joining in the celebrations of Fr Alfredo at the Holy Mass. Among them were six priests who shared a special connection with me. These six priests had served at the Aldona Church at some point in time! 

While three of them – Fr Jose Roque Gonsalves, Fr Sertorio Rodrigues and Fr Amandio Valadares – had served as parish priests, three other priests – Fr Walter de Sa, Fr Cristino Fernandes and Fr Alfred Vaz – had served as assistant parish priests while they were young in their priestly ministry. 

I was delighted to meet these six priests after so many years. Like most families in Aldona, my family too had been very closely associated with the Aldona Church, serving the parish in various capacities. Much of my time would be spent in the Aldona Church, either as an altar boy or as a parish youth member. I have had fond memories of several priests who have served at the Aldona Church from the 1980s.

I managed to click photos of five of these six priests at the Dramapur Church. I missed clicking a photo of Fr Walter after the service and I have uploaded a file photo of Fr Walter in my photo collage of these six priests. 

Besides these six priests who once served at the Aldona Parish, I was also happy to meet up with Fr Loiola Pereira, Fr Eufemiano Miranda, Fr Agnelo Pinheiro and Fr Steve Rodrigues at the celebrations in Dramapur. Fr Steve, another illustrious son from Dramapur, was recently elected as provincial of the Franciscan Capuchin Province of Goa and I was pleased to personally wish him on his new responsibility.

At the end, I did get to visit the Dramapur Church and wish Fr Alfred on his 50th sacerdotal anniversary. But for me, the Aldona connect – meeting up with six priests who devoted a part of their priestly ministry in the Aldona Church – will also remain a cherished memory of my visit to a Parish in Salcete for the first time to partake in the celebration of the 50th sacerdotal anniversary of a priest I got to know for the first time.

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