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Dear Carmo,
There are three neighbouring villages claiming to be the village of India's
first Cardinal: Navelim (as you said), Dramapur and Chinchinim.
I am aware of the relatively recent paintings at Navelim main square with
Cardinal Valerian Gracias, indicating that Navelim was his village, but, in
all fairness, at the most, Navelim was Cardinal Gracias mother's village.
According to the research by Dr. Teresa Albuquerque, vide: "Church of St.
Joseph - Dramapur - Goa, Great Jubilee Year 2000, 8th October 2000",
Chinchinim has been offering on an average one of her sons to the priesthood
every year, a record unmatched by any other village of Goa, however,
Dramapur has the unique distinction of having as one of her own sons,
India's first Cardinal (Valerian Gracias).
Here is the family tree of the Gracias family:
Antonio Joaquim Gracias was born in Dramapur and baptised in the Church of
Our Lady of Hope in Chinchinim. He got married and had a son called Jose'
Gracias who was also born in Dramapur and baptised in Chinchinim.
Jose' Gracias married a girl named Carlota, who came from Sinquetim Navelim.
Soon after their marriage, the young couple Jose' and Carlota Gracias
migrated to Karachi (British India) to make a better living. They had two
children: Pauline Gracias was born in 1893 and Valeriano Gracias was born on
23 October 1900, in Karachi (British India). Jose' Gracias died in 1902,
when Valeriano was only 2 years old. The young widow Carlota Gracias had to
bring up her two little ones on her own. Valeriano joined the Interdiocesan
Seminary of Bangalore and later the Pontifical Seminary of Kandy, Ceylon. He
was ordained priest at Kandy, Ceylon, on the 3rd October 1926 and started
pastoral work in Bandra (1926-27).
So, in conclusion:
1. Navelim was at the most, the village of Cardinal valerian Gracias'
mother.
2. No doubt at all that Jose' Gracias, Cardinal Valerian Gracias' father was
born in Dramapur. The remains of the ancestral house of Cardinal Gracias are
still visible at Battevaddo, Dramapur. On these same ruins, his cousin, Mrs.
Guilhermina Gracias e Fernandes has built a new house.
3. Dramapur did not have a church in those days, so most people born in
Dramapur were baptised at Chinchinim. This is the reason why Jose' Gracias
(the Cardinal's father) was baptised in Chinchinim. This eventually led
people to believe Jose' Gracias was from Chinchinim.
I think I have managed to demonstrate that Cardinal Gracias was indeed a son
of Dramapur. Perhaps I can also accept that he was a grand-son of Sinquetim
Navelim from his mother's side.
Best wishes
Paulo Colaco Dias
London UK / Dramapur house n. 5 - Dias.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of CARMO DCRUZ
>Sent: 30 October 2006 01:46
>To: goanet@goanet.org
>Subject: [Goanet] Only 11 Bishops from Salcete since 1637 ? We Need
anInvestigation....
>
>Dear Fr. Joaquim Loyola Pereira,
>
>I am not at all surprised with this information. Infact I expected this
kind of discrepancy even though two of our
>Sashtikars really hit it big despite all the odds stacked against them:
Cardinal Valerian Gracias from Navelim
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