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I was ready to go home, and I thought that surely Dad wouldn’t spend too much time with him. But I was wrong. Dad greeted him at the door with a big hug and talked with him about his wife and son who had been in a car accident the month before. He empathized, he asked questions, he listened, and he listened some more. I kept looking at the clock, and when the man finally left, I asked, “Dad, why did you spend so much time with him? He’s just the garbage collector.” Dad then looked at me, locked the front door to the store, and said, “Son, let’s talk.”

He said, “I’m your father and I tell you lots of stuff as all fathers should, but if you remember nothing else I ever tell you, remember this…treat every human being just the way that you would want to be treated.” He said, “I know this is not the first time you’ve heard it, but I want to make sure it’s the first time you truly understand it, because if you had understood, you would never have said what you said.” We sat there and talked for another hour about the meaning and the power of the Golden Rule. Dad said, “If you live the Golden Rule everything else in life will usually work itself out, but if you don’t, your life probably will be very unhappy and without meaning.”

I recently heard someone say, “If you teach your child the Golden Rule, you will have left them an estate of incalculable value.” Truer words were never spoken.

What you just read is one of 28 short chapters in The Power of Attitude. It was titled: “Rule #1…It’s Golden.

Gulf based Goans are evincing a renewed interest in the possibility of obtaining a Portuguese passport, over half a century after the European colonial power sailed out of Mormugao port in the only war where one shot was fired. Legend has it that even that artillery shell tanked.  Anyway, the new craze was sparked in the Salcette Taluka of Goa where as many as 200 applicants line up every day in the hope that their lottery comes through. The word has spread and many an NRI from there is thinking of this option.

Gulf NRIs do not see it as an anti-Indian move. “It is only a convenience,” says Robbie D’Souza, who deals in property, “With the tough climb to get visas to the west, such a passport would come real in handy. It facilitates movement and if the papers work for you, why not.” Benny Furtado who comes from Salcette says there is no stigma attached to the effort and if people can go to Canada or Australia and that be seen as a strategic move how is this treacherous? It is the same thing. I have applied and if I get it, I will take it.”  The underlying stress and the accusatory tone comes from the fact  that Catholic Goans by virtue of their baptism papers and their birth certificates being authenticated by the church are in a better position than non-Catholics who often do not even have recorded evidence. Thus the need for a teor (the birth certificate of a person born during Portugese rule or a copy of the marriage certificate) which is mandated becomes almost impossible. Consequently, if your grandparents were born before 1961 you can be eligible (see attached list) but you can grow old trying to prove it.  However, it is bit of a muchness because the records in modern Goa are tattered, torn and out of sync. Several years are missing. They have not been maintained with any registrar. As such only the Christians have a slim chance by using baptism and marriage certificates of mostly their grandparents.

Well into the third generation from when the Portuguese ruled the territory, Goans are hard placed to exercise what some of them feel is a right to Portuguese nationality. They know their grandparents were born and bred in Goa pre-1961 but how do you prove it? Every week as many as a thousand reportedly trek to their priest in the hope of locating Grandpa and Grandma’s certificates.  The applicants who apply for copies of marriage certificates and teors issued during this particular period are directly told to call it quits and back off.  And this is only the first step because financially bruised Lisbon is no longer falling over backwards to take in newcomers from erstwhile colonies like Brazil and now Chinese Macau. With each passing day the hope fades. Like boxer Mohammed Ali said about George Foreman’s chances; slim to none.

Reaching new heights
24/Sep/2013
Susanne Reilly, Southern Gazette

Comments:
Sanjay Gonsalves will trek to the base of Mt Everest. Sanjay Gonsalves will trek to the base of Mt Everest.
AS a child, Karawara’s Sanjay Gonsalves dreamt of climbing Mt Everest.

But as the years rolled on, he lowered his sights to just catching a glimpse of Everest from Kala Patthar, near the Everest Base Camp, something he will complete next month.

“Don’t get me wrong, it’s still pretty high, and will surely be a challenge with the cold, the altitude and the air being half of what I’m used to in sunny Perth,” he said.

But it isn’t just a childhood dream Mr Gonsalves will be achieving, he will also be raising funds for the Leukaemia Foundation in honour of his late mother.

The 46-year-old has set his fundraising target at $5000 as a way of giving back the cost of support that was given by the Leukaemia Foundation to his mother during her battle with platelets disorder.

“A couple of years back, my mum lost her battle with cancer, which she fought with dignity all the way to the end,” he said.

He added it was tough seeing her struggling for breath for the last few years of her life.

“This is just one of the struggles that mum, as a cancer patient, had to endure and mum endured her challenge without whingeing and was a real battler,” he said. “So when I am trekking and feel short of breath, it will remind me of her and her grace in accepting her cross.”

He said that his mum used the Leukaemia Foundation’s transport services extensively for hospital visits and appointments.

“I though this trip would be a great way of raising awareness of the wonderful services the Leukaemia Foundation provides and raise some money to assist them provide this support to other families who need it.”

He will be completing the trek in October. Donations can be made contacting the Leukaemia Foundation on 1800 620 420 or by visiting lfwafundraising.org.au/sanjay_gonsalves.

A Mumbai priest remembered, in new Pope’s act

Mumbai : Even as traditionalists took umbrage at Pope Francis I washing the feet of two young women on Maundy Thursday, some Mumbai Catholics on Sunday recalled the pioneering spirit of late Father Hugh Fonseca.

late Father Hugh Fonseca

Among those whose feet the new Pope washed as part of the ritual prayer services of Maundy Thursday were prisoners at a detention centre in Rome, including a Serbian Muslim woman.

Welcoming the Pope’s move, Dolphy D’Souza, former president of the Bombay Catholic Sabha, reminisced on Sunday about a similar incident that took place here in late 1990s.

The Bombay Catholic Sabha is an organisation that works in the civic, political and social sectors for the all-round development of the community.

An elated D’Souza said that Pope Francis I has set the tone, and laid down an example. The gesture would go a long way in women’s empowerment within the Catholic Church.

“In the late 1990s, the late Father Hugh Fonseca, one of the few activist priests in his time, was the parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Malad,” he said. D’Souza was then chairman of the Parish Pastoral Council of the same parish.

“At the Parish Council meeting, it was decided that during the Maundy Thursday ritual, at the mass, the priest would wash the feet of 12 female domestic workers. However, some parishioners complained to the bishop about this, and Father Fonseca was told by the bishop that the said act was against Cannon Law, and directed to abandon such a move,” D’Souza reminisced.

D’Souza said that while Father Fonseca relented, in keeping with his vows of obedience to the bishop, he did not abandon the idea entirely.

“Father Fonseca washed the feet of the 12 male domestic workers at the altar, but directed me to wash the feet of the selected female house workers at the same time in the midst of the community below the altar,” D’Souza said.

Stating that Father Fonseca’s actions at the Holy Thursday ritual set an example long back, D’Souza said he was glad that the new Pope was sending out a clear message to ensure that women are given their due by today’s church.

Maundy Thursday marks the time when Jesus laid down the ritual practice of the communal meal, as a coming together of disciples. The Sunday mass is a re-enactment of that meal.

The Bible describes how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, as a mark of the humility with which those who lead must serve.

Traditionally, elderly people in a parish are called to the altar, and their feet washed during Maundy Thursday mass. – IANS

PS The Late Fr Hugh Fonseca is the brother of our member Mark Fonseca

Source : Gulf  Times

Forum celebrates Goa Day

GWA president Simon D’Silva thanked ICCR and local sponsors for making the event a reality

A host of activities marked the Goan Welfare Association’s World Goa Day celebrations recently.
Among the highlights was the performance of pop star O’luv Rodriguez.
A number of local artists also performed at the show. Other memorable performance came from Simon D’Silva and his team.
A one-act play “Jugar” with a strong message on the necessity of inculcating good values in youngsters was well received by the gathering.
Former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro, who was the chief guest, released the album “Goa”, scripted by Joe D’Costa.
While appealing to the Goans living outside their native place to stay united, Faleiro complimented the efforts of the local organisers.
He urged them to preserve the Goan traditions and customs.
Jaysingh Rane was the guest of honour and former Indian Community Benevolent Forum president Dr Mohan Thomas was a special guest.