---------------------------------------------------------- What's On In Goa: * Oct 11: Konkani translation of Satre book, Alliance Francaise * Oct 11: Friday Balcao, Mapusa. Mental health, suicides 4pm * Oct 12: History Reading (Farar Far by Dr Pratima Kamat, Fundacao 5pm * Oct 12: Goa Orchestra performs at the Kala (Corelli, Bach) * Oct 13: Goa leg of National Karting Championships, Verna * Oct 14: Colva Fama * Oct 15: Magic in town... Illusion India show, Panjim then Vasco * Oct 16-17: Ornithology workshop, Bondla southernbirdwing.com * Oct 16-27: Vipasana meditation, Alto Porvorim * Oct 24: Antonio Pereira Puraskar (Award) ceremony, Porvorim ----------------------------------------------------------
Hello Aloysius, and Goans everywhere, I thank Aloysius of broaching this topic of the real "Church". As a matter of fact, I was contemplating on saying something similar on the topic of the 'Church' until Aloysius did the job. However, I would like to say my bit anyway, and I do hope that my views are not taken as imposing. First of, let me say that I am no more a Sunday morning Christian. I have outgrown this routine a long time ago, perhaps, this is attributed to the fact that I was a sailor boy for far too long. Also, I have had the experience of visiting places of the world where Sunday Services are conducted more fruitfully with more of people's interaction, unlike the full time rituals and stereo type sermonising that we have, where people come, be one in the congregation, follow the rituals and vanish to the sanctuary of their own households to do what they have to do, without having said a single word to the fellow participant (read nil interaction). We take it that the "peace" that we pass on to each other at the relevant time during the Holy Mass will bridge the gap and take care of everything. Each of us have, perhaps, attended Holy Masses in hundreds and thousands. And we have gone through the 'Elevation' of the Host and the Chalice. And the word that go with the Elevation of the Chalice end up in " DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME" The question is "DO WHAT???" I once asked a person who was arguing with me on religious topic if he could tell me the meaning of "DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME" . I din't get a satisfactory answer. Leaving aside what we were told as children about wine becoming blood etc, I feel that Jesus was exorting his disciples in his last toast to take his example and not to be afraid to shed blood and even die like him for the TRUTH and to uphold MORAL VALUES, and not just wanting the posterity to remember that he had once raised a toast on his last supper. (read Elbow-Exercise) If the Church that Jesus founded had remembered correctly, today, we would'nt have been ruled by cheats, self-centered egotists and vain leaders and criminals. We would have had the backbone to protest the injustices and not suffer the indignities like the sacrificial lambs, always whining and failing to take corrective actions.. It is laudable what the Jesuits in Pune are doing. Using the House of the Lord for people's interraction with each other. SUNDAY, I believe, has been kept for just the thing, so that the community can meet, interract and find some benefit of being a community, where community members try to solve each other's problems, help each other. Take turn to keep company of the community's sick in hospitals and donate blood when necessary (a crying need today). I have seen that if a member of one particular family is struck down with serious illness and requires prolonged hospitalisation, the respective family is totally devastated. All the community members( read neighbours and friends) will do is to visit the bedside of the sick for a few minutes and vanish.(read obligation done with) Sad to say that I don't see the catholic community as a closely nit community anymore but a widely dispersed community inspite of all our Sunday services and prayer meets. We are there in the Church in terrific numbers for services , for weddings, for parties but we are not there as a community for taking up for each other in the face of adversities. What is worse is that we are always improving on our own piety and trying to be holier by the day and closer to God, but forgetting that our neighbour may be needing our help. I have gone on record for saying that I will start attending the Sunday Mass if the Church services are more of community interaction which will strengthen the severed bonds of the catholic community rather than be just the fulltime routine rituals and lip service, which I consider a hypocrisy and a total waste of time. As Aloysius has rightly pointed out that Jesus prefered to preach in the open from the mountains. As I have said earlier, these are my views and mine alone and I mean no offence to the Church or to any one individual of the catholic community as such. Cheers Floriano > Hullo Goans everywhere > > While talking about "Churches" we are all referring to the structures -- > buildings -- what we all (particularly the clergy and hierarchy) tend to > overlook is that the CHURCH DOES NOT MEAN THESE BUILDINGS -- but the > people who profess this wonderful set of beliefs -- namely our FAITH and > those who follow this faith. > > It is particularly because our clergy and hierarchy tend to place more > importance on buildings and materials things that they have given scant > respect to lay people -- I personally know very good CHRISTIANS who are > no longer CATHOLICs because of some treatment meted out to them by priests > or nuns. > > While I do not advocate the destruction or MODERNISATION of our old church > buildings, which were beautifully built and are of very high architectural > value, I think all future considerations should be for the benefit of the > "CHURCH" i.e the laity -- I would prefer to see large halls built which > are used once a week for Sunday Mass and other religious services, but are > used throughout the week for the benefit of the people of the parish -- > which, as per Bishop Ferdie Fonseca, includes all people (Hindus, Catholics, > Muslims, Parsis, Sikhs, etc) who reside within the geographical boundaries > of that Parish. > > It seems such a shame that our church buildings are put to so little use. > The Jesuits have an ashram in the middle of Pune City > -- a large hall in which they have the Blessed Sacrament and say Mass -- > but during the rest of the day a bamboo chick is rolled down screening the > altar -- and the room is used as a reading room and for discussions by all > who would like to avail of this facility -- consequently Hindus from the > surrounding area come and discuss all types of subjects with each other and > with the Jesuits -- this will definitely contribute to much better > integration of the population and reduce inter-communal tension -- in fact > our Mohalla Committees in Bombay after 1992-93 have done exactly this -- > but in most cases our church buildings have not been offered for this > inter-communal dialogue. > > I would therefore strongly suggest that we (hierarchy, clergy, religious and > laity) plan to MODERNISE the CHURCH (which would include everybody) -- and > not the buildings. I am sure we would achieve much more benefit from this > sort of modernisation instead of just modernising buildings. > > We should remember that the major lessons that Jesus himself taught us were > in the open -- e.g. Sermon on the Mount -- where he spoke in the > greatest CHURCH of all -- God's own creation!! > > Cheers > > Aloysius D'Souza > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Basilio G Monteiro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2002 9:04 PM > Subject: Re: [Goanet] Protecting Our Heritage - St.Andrew's Church,Vasco. > > > > The current exchange of e-mails referring to "protecting our heritage..." > prompts me offer following general comments. > > > > Church buildings and building of worship are special. They at once > represent the history, art, achitecture and the spirit of the woshiping > community. > > > > The places of worship must represent the highest ideals expressed in its > architecture and aesthetics. A house of worship stands as an inviting > witness to elevate ourselves from the mundane and move us towards the > transcendental. It is the ideal that must be encapsulated in the > architecture and the art of the place of worship. > > > > Our churhces in Goa stand as a testament to the past, where the present is > lived, and teh future is shaped. The churhces cannot be merely functional > stractures, but along with teh functional dimension must represent the > noblest spirit we aspire for. Church art and architecture muct accomplish > this lofty goal. Otherwise the house of worship will be just another > concrete structure devoid of its trancendental value. > > > > Time necessitates adjustments and accomodations to meet the demands of the > worshiping community. By and large, the renovations of our churches have > been largely carried out by individuals who have no understanding of > architectural value and have minimal sense of good aesthetics. > > > > Good architecture that is elegant, inspiring and inviting and also that > serves as public art, is not dependent on unlimited funds; it is the > function of aesthetic creativity. > > > > A house of worship must necessarily introduce us to God - not a Catholic, > HIndu or Muslim God, but the God of Universe, and elevate the human > community and the human spirit regardless of ones faith tradition. > > > > Houses of worship in a busy town or a placid village are constant > reminders that we must turn to God amidst the affairs of our life. Good > church architecture has served and must continue to serve this singularly > important function. > > > > Good architecture is the result of teh understanding of teh spirit and the > aspirations fo the worshiping community recognizing the past and at the > same time leading people towards the ideal. A house of worship is a > structure that invites the bystander to human ingenuity and then turn him or > her to gaze in the awe a buiding that embodies the best and highest of the > human spirit. > > > > Basilio Monteiro > > > > "Daniel D'Souza" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > >The St. Andrew's church Vasco is perhaps the same (structurally) as > > >Aloysius D'Souza had seen it in the early sixties. No major changes to > the > > >structure have been undertaken for last several decades. But, it does > > >receive a periodic coat of white wash before the feast of its Patron > Saint. > > >Last year, the BJP Govt. undertook the illumination of the church and > this > > >has further enhanced the beauty of the church by night. > > > > > >However, plans are now afoot to refurbish the church interiors as well as > > >to undertake a few structural changes so as to accommodate more people > for > > >the church service. These modifications are limited to the sides, and the > > >necessary structural changes will be done on the either wing so as to > > >accommodate further around 400 people or so. The facade will be left > > >untouched so as to maintain its centuries old architectural design and > rich > > >esthetic beauty. The parishioners and 'Gaunkars' are all united on this > > >matter and will not compromise whatsoever. The project is presently under > > >active consideration and awaiting final approval from all concerned, > since > > >the cost of renovation/modifications runs into nearly 60 lakhs plus > > >(estimates). Once complete, the church will have a new look on the inside > > >with modern facilities for sound/lights/benches/fans etc making attending > > >lengthy church services a pleasant experience. > > > > > >The St. Andrew's church caters to a large catholic population from in and > > >around the Port City and during the Sunday morning Service the church > > >overflows with people. For Christmas, New Year, Good Friday & Easter the > > >service is held in the open air where too the congregation is so large > that > > >it spills outside the church compound. In the meantime the expansion of > > >the cemetery is also underway to meet the growing demands of those called > > >to their final rest. The Church cemetery also caters to the surrounding > > >parishes of Our Lady of Candelaria Church Baina, Our Lady of Desterro > > >Church, Desterro, and the St. Francis Church at the Harbour which are not > > >equipped with cemetery. > > > > > >Daniel F. de Souza > > >Vasco da Gama. > > > >__________________________________________________________________________ > > > > > >At 06:29 PM 10/6/02 +0530, you wrote: > > >>Goans Everywhere, > > >> > > >>I personally feel that St Andrew's Church Vasco should not be > > >>MODERNISED" -- by all means clean it up and maintain it in proper > > >>condition -- When I lived in Vasco (1963-65) the biggest problem that > > >>parishioners faced was that the pews were always dusty because of the > > >>proximity of the main road and, of course, no one who cleaned / dusted > these > > >>pews regularly -- Also the outside of the church needed a fresh coat > of > > >>plaster and painting / white-washing. I hope the Parishioners of Vasco > will > > >>definitely put their feet down and stop this lovely old church being > > >>"MODERNISED" -- > > >> > > >>Hope we do not repeat what was done to Salvation Church, Dadar -- > which > > >>modern structure reminds me a "TANDOOR" -- very large one. > > >> > > >>Cheers > > >> > > >>Aloysius D'Souza > > > ======================================================================== > To view GoaNet's archives http://groups.yahoo.com/group/goa-net > ======================================================================== > For (un)subscribing or for help, contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Don't want so many e-mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead! > ======================================================================== To view GoaNet's archives http://groups.yahoo.com/group/goa-net ======================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Don't want so many e-mails? 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