THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS HIGH
  SCHOOLS AND THEIR FOUNDERS – PART 3 (Final)

 

Edwin’s daughter, Sybil D’Souza, did
her basic education in Panchgini. She returned to Goa
in 1941 and continued her studies in SHHS, Parra. 

 

She taught at Botelho’s from 1954
to 1960. She fondly recalls the following teachers who taught in the SHJHS,
Anjuna during her time: Ms. Ivy Fernandes from Gaumvaddi (late Manuel Xavier’s
daughter;) Ms. Zita Dias from Mazalvaddo (late Dr. João Dias’ daughter) - she
taught from 1954 to 1975; Ms. Agnes Vales from Vagator; Ms. Angela de Souza
from Igreja vaddo (late Aureliano’s daughter;) late Ms. Jessie D’Souza from
Voilo Vaddo (late Diogo Antonio’s daughter) – she taught from 1958 to 1994; she
started off her teaching career with a monthly salary of Rs.30; Ms. Rose
Mendonsa from Mazalvaddo; Ms. Noemia de Souza from Chinvar (Dr. Willie de 
Souza’s
sister – now Sr. Noemia of Nirmala Niketan) and Mr. Saldanha from Assagao. 

 

She left Goa for Bombay in June 1960. She
could not attend her father’s funeral in November 1960 because we were still
under Portuguese rule; it was not easy those days to travel from Bombay to Goa.

 

Sybil continues to live in Mumbai.
She is 87 years old (Born: May 10, 1923), and is in good health, just like her
first cousin, Phyllis, who is 86 years old (Born April 17, 1924). 

 

Edwin’s son, Bernard de Souza, is
in Germany.
He was born on May 17, 1942. He studied at St. Britto’s, Mapusa. He was tall
and thin and always had his hair closely cropped like a crew-cut. He resembled
Gandhi, in his appearance and built; he also wore circular-framed spectacles
like Gandhi; hence, he was nicknamed ‘Gandhi’ at school and in the village.
When the movie ‘Gandhi’ was made, I immediately thought of Bernard; he would
have suited Gandhi’s role better than Ben Kingsley! 

 

Edwin’s wife, Lucia or Lucy, was
very supportive of her son’s migration to Portugal. Bernard was hesitant to
leave because there was nobody to look after his mother, who was quite old and 
frail.


 

But his mother was so nice and
considerate that she point blank told him not to worry about her at all. She
said her days were numbered and she would pass away any time, but if he missed
the opportunity to immigrate to Portugal,
he could face an uncertain future. He followed his mother’s wishes and left for
Portugal in 1966, from where
he later migrated to Germany.

 

Lucy lived in the first bedroom
at the front right of the house. She was a pious person. It was obvious from
several large statues, over one and a half feet high, which were distinctly 
arranged
in her room, that the whole family was God-fearing. To my knowledge the statues
of the following saints were in her room:

 

St.
Rita’s - it was the only statue which was enclosed in a glass dome

St.
Philomena’s - she was not de-canonized then

Sacred Heart of Jesus  

St. Anthony’s

Plus many small statues

 

Besides the main oratorio or
olotor, the prayer room walls had large pictures mounted on them, about a meter
high, of Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sacred Heart of Mary and St. Teresa. 

 

In the Sixties and Seventies, whenever
a theft was committed or people lost their valuables, they rushed to Lucy’s
room to tie St. Anthony’s statue. They kept him tied until the culprit(s)
was/were caught or lost items were found. 

 

Similarly, we also used a
‘manual’ (prayer book) to catch thieves/wrong doers. The process was simple. A
key was placed in the middle of the manual and the manual tied with a strong
string. Two persons held the ends of the key on their finger tips. A prayer was
recited and names were taken. Surprisingly, whenever a culprit’s name was
taken, the manual would turn or rotate. The name was repeated at least three
times to confirm the fact. Well, those were the days of faith!

 

After Edwin passed away and
Bernard left for abroad, we would visit Lucy sometimes and listen to her sweet
talk attentively. She was soft-spoken; she spoke very good English. 

 

She lived on a simple diet: For
breakfast she had one raw egg and a cup of tea/coffee. For lunch she had a bowl
of soup and a little white rice. For dinner, she ate one “poyi” (local bran
bread) with a glass of milk. She was the last member of Jacob’s family to live
in the house, which was converted into ‘Bougainvillea Hotel - Grandpa’s Inn’ in 
1988. She died in ‘Mother Heaven’ Old Age Home in
Calangute.

 

In 1931, Fr. Felipe Neri Mendonça,
an outstanding educationist and a strict disciplinarian, took over as the
Principal of St. Joseph’s High School, Arpora. It was the only school which did
not come under Diocesan Society of Education at the time but it was
subsequently handed over to the Society.

 

Pre-liberation, Catholic
Institutions were universally governed by ‘Concordat’ – An agreement between
the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state on religious matters.


 

This often included both
recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country – in
our case it was Goa, India Portuguesa. There were no Societies
then but schools were known as ‘Bishop’s Schools’.

 

Post Liberation, village
parochial schools were closed down and each parish was asked to establish a new
school in the village. 

 

The Holy See had appointed Dom
Francisco da Piedade Rebello as the Apostolic Administrator of Goa. 

 

Since under the Indian Law,
societies could be formed, Fr. Mendonça approached Dom Francisco and expressed
his desire to form a society to run schools, but his idea was turned down. 

 

The Archdiocese of Goa appointed
Fr. Mendonça as the Diocesan Inspector of Schools. With this feather in his
cap, he affiliated three more schools to St.
  Joseph’s High School and formed a cluster of four schools.


 

Those schools were: Sacred Heart
of Jesus High School (SHJHS), Anjuna; St. Francis Xavier’s High School (SFXHS),
Siolim, and St. Thomas
 High School – Boys (STHS
– Boys,) Aldona. 

 

In 1954, SHJHS, Anjuna, was taken
over by Fr. Felipe Neri Mendonça, a powerful personality then. 

 

He assigned Fr. Peter Fernandes
from Bhatti, Anjuna, as the first Director of the school. One Robert D’Souza
was posted as the Director of SFXHS, Siolim.

 

Students from SHJHS, Anjuna and
SFXHS, Siolim, who wished to continue to study beyond the 4th Std.
shifted to St. Joseph’s
High School, Arpora, where they completed their Matriculation. The process of
changing Primary school to the Secondary in Arpora was known as ‘Feeder
Program’.

 

Of course, students had to
stealthily cross Goa’s borders and answer their final exams of S.S.C.
Examination Poona or Bombay Board in Maharashtra, as Goa
did not have an S.S.C. Examination Board then. Fr. Lyons got St.
 Joseph’s High School recognized by the University of Bombay
in 1897, and the school sent its first batch of students for Matriculation
Examination in 1900.

 

In 1964, the Sacred Heart of
Jesus High School, Anjuna, was registered under St. Joseph’s
Educational Society, Arpora, Goa.

 

Fr. Olgo Rodrigues took over as
the Director of the school from Fr. Peter Fernandes in the early Sixties. He
passed away in January 1968. He was one of the most appreciated priests in
Anjuna. No wonder, people from all walks of life attended his funeral; it was
the best attended funeral at that time.

 

Classes in SHJHS, Anjuna, were gradually increased to the 5th Std.
followed by the 6th and the 7th Std. 

 

In June 1968, late Fr. Olgo was
succeeded by Fr. Alipio Mascarenhas. He served the school for eleven years and
thus became the longest serving Principal of the school.

 

It was Fr. Alipio’s ambition to
take the school forward. Therefore, when he took charge of the school, his
first priority was to have a new school building, as the house in which the
school was accommodated was in a very bad shape, and to upgrade the classes
from Std. VIII to Std XI – the old SSCE. 

 

The 8th Std. was
introduced in 1971 followed by the 9th Std. in 1972.

 

When Fr. Alipio took over as the
Principal of the school, they were paying Rs.200 to Mr. Arthur/Ms. Wicky as
rent of the premises of Botelho’s House. This was when tourists began to arrive
in Anjuna and they paid much more for houses like the school premises.

 

Obviously, discontent was
expressed by the owners of the house but the school management could not pay
them more than what they did. Moreover, the premises were not worth a hike in
the rent.

 

The school management wanted to
get out of Botelho’s house and move to a new place but they were not in a
position to do so. 

 

The Chapel did not have a
suitable plot. So, Fr. Alipio began the search for a suitable plot to set up
school premises.

 

Fr. Alipio met with Rui Monteiro,
who was quite an influential person then, as he worked as an ‘empregado’
(officer) in the Administração das Comunidades de Bardez, and was a member of
the Confraria, and discussed the matter with him. They in turn approached Ms.
Zita Dias who was on the staff of the school. 

 

Zita immediately mentioned about
the search of a plot to her brother, Benigno A.E. Dias, known to all as
‘Benny’, who generously consented to donate a big plot to the flourishing
institution at Tembi for the construction of a new school building. This was
sometime in 1974.

 

It was the far vision of Fr.
Alipio Mascarenhas, which set the ball rolling in 1975. 

 

At first, they wanted to build
new premises of the school behind Botelho’s house but the place was not
sufficient. Moreover, the parties concerned did not agree to the proposal.

 

The next problem was to raise
finances. 

 

Although Fr. Alipio visited every
house to collect aid/donation for the new school premises, the response was not
very encouraging. 

 

Therefore, Fr. Alipio wrote to
the Holy See asking him for help to build the new premises of the school. 

 

God heard our prayers and the
Holy See came to our aid by sending Pound Sterling 12,000, which was a big
amount in those days. The public also put in their efforts and the villagers
and well-wishers whole-heartedly joined and contributed to make the project a
success.

 

The foundation stone was laid. It
was blessed by the Patriarch, Raul Gonsalves on November 27, 1976.

 

The following writing is
inscribed on a slab on the front wall of the school:   

 

This plot of land is
donated

To the Sacred Heart
of Jesus

High School, Anjuna

By Mr. & Mrs.
Benigno A.E. Dias

In loving memory of
his late father

Dr. João Mariano
Prudencio Dias

27/11/1976

 

As a token of appreciation, a
yearly mass is offered for the soul of late Dr. João M.P. Dias. Recently, names
of Mr. and Mrs. Benigno A.E. Dias have also been added to the standing
instructions of yearly mass.

 


Full foundation of the school was
laid but only four classrooms were initially built at the back of the present 
building.
Primary classes were transferred from Botelho’s house to these classrooms in
the fol1owing year.

 

Later, as the construction of the
building progressed, students were required to walk the distance between
Botelho’s house and new premises at Tembi to attend classes in both premises. 
The
ground floor was completed first and then the top floor.

 

The school was conducting classes
only up to Std. VIII. So, Fr. Alipio’s next priority was to bring it up to the
SSCE, which he did. The first batch for the Board Exam was sent up in the 
academic
year 1974-75.

 

Classes of the 8th, 9th
and 10th Standards were held in two rooms, with partitions, in Bruno
Lobo’s house, across the street, adjacent to Tukaram’s posro or shop, around 75
meters away from Botelho’s house.

 

To get the recognition of the SSCE
Board, it was necessary to have a laboratory, library and sports equipment,
which were introduced in time before the first SSCE batch was dispatched. The
laboratory was donated by Kenneth Nunes. 

 

During Fr. Alipio’s tenure, the
posts of Headmaster and clerk were created, which was a novelty in those days. 

 

Fr. Alipio was succeeded by Fr.
Francis D’Mello followed by Fr. Luciano Fernandes.

 

It was left to Fr. Diogo
Fernandes to give the finishing touches to the building, which has 14 large
rooms, a spacious office, a well-equipped laboratory and a big multi-purpose
hall to suit all functions for all occasions. 

 

Fr. Diogo has also to his credit
the planning and completing of the commercial complex opposite Our Lady of Good
Health Chapel, which is now bringing in a regular income for the
Confraria.   

 

For the benefit of students, a
library with around 4,000 books was introduced to build up their knowledge; a
water cooler was added to satiate everyone’s thirst on the premises; new
toilets were installed in addition to the old ones, and a compound wall was 
raised
to keep everyone within bounds of the new premises. 

 

Unlike before, the school had the
capacity to sustain total attendance in the morning itself. The inconvenience
borne by the teachers and students to come in the morning and evenings finally
paid off with the above construction work.

 

In 1983, the management of St.
Joseph’s High School, Arpora and of the Sacred Heart of Jesus High School,
Anjuna, was transferred from St. Joseph’s Educational Society, Arpora, Goa, to
the Diocesan Society of Education, Panaji, Goa, under Rule 74.7 of G.I.A. Code
– Ref. Notice No.SJESGA/82-83/21 dated 21/3/1983.

 

At the Golden Jubilee of the
school in 1985 – actually, it should have been its Diamond Jubilee - as a 
memento
of the golden day, a spacious and well-ventilated office was built for the
school. Initially, the office was at the back of the building.

 

Formal inauguration of the new school
premises was not held, as they could not afford to spend money on an inaugural
function. However, celebration of 25 years or a Silver Jubilee of Sacred Heart
of Jesus High School Building was held in 1999. 

 

Computer classes were introduced
in the school in the mid-Nineties. 

 

In thanksgiving to the Almighty, a
statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Patron of the school, was erected at
the entrance of the school around the same time. This initiative was taken by
Fr. Urban Menezes. 

 

The statue was generously
sponsored by Franco D’Souza from Voilo Vaddo in memory of his sister, Ms.
Jessie D’Souza, who passed away after serving the school for 36 years. She also
served as a Headmistress of the school.

 

Fr. Cyril Mascarenhas (S.F.X.)
took charge of the school in 1997. He came with extensive experience in the
academic field spanning over a quarter of a century, which enabled him to infuse
new life in the school.

 



Sacred
Heart of Jesus High School is a co-educational Institute managed by the
Diocesan Society of Education, Panaji. This society is a religion-based
minority institution registered under the Societies Registration Order dated
August 29, 1962 in the office of Sub-Registrar, Panaji, under Registration
No.107 and under the Societies Registration Act, 1960 under No. 466. 

 

The
Sacred Heart of Jesus High School, Anjuna, is one of the oldest institutions in
this region of India,
which was founded by late Alphonsus Ligouri D’Souza. 

 

Actually,
had proper records been maintained, today it would have been the second oldest 
English School
in Goa – 1910 or earlier-2010, after St.
  Joseph’s High School, Arpora! 

 

The
school has been imparting an all-round training to the students of both genders
by developing their moral values and intellectual and physical qualities.

 

The
school has been recognized by the Secondary School Certificate Examination 
(SSCE)
Poona Board from 1973 and subsequently by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher
Secondary Education, Porvorim, and the Directorate of Education, Panaji, Goa. 
It prepares students for the examination of the 10th
Std. of the above-mentioned Board.

 

The
following is the list of Principals who served the Sacred Heart of Jesus High 
School
in Mazalvaddo and Tembi, Anjuna, from the Fifties to the present:

 

Fr. Peter
Fernandes (RIP - died in Canada)

Fr. Olgo
Rodrigues (RIP)

Fr.
Alipio Mascarenhas (RIP)

Fr.
Francis D’Mello

Fr.
Luciano Fernandes

Fr. Urban
Menezes

Fr. Diogo
Fernandes

Fr. Cyril
Mascarenhas

Fr. Pio
Furtado

Fr. Nixon
D’Silva

Fr.
Pascoal Fernandes

 

Fr.
Thomas Gonsalves is the current principal of the school. He is the only parish
priest to take over the post of Principal of the School. All previous priests
were assigned as chaplains to Saud Saibinninchem Kopel or Our Lady of Good
Health Chapel and given additional responsibility of school principal.

 

The old
education system was very good and effective; it was value-based. Most Goans
who migrated to East Africa and worked in the Railways and took up jobs on the 
cruise
lines or merchant ships had only basic education, which then was the 4th
Standard; very few did their matriculation or the 7th/8th
Std.

 

Those who
belonged to the latter category went on to occupy high positions like Managers,
Directors, General Managers, etc. of firms in British colonies; some even
became Principals and Headmasters of schools.

 

When Afrikanders
returned to Goa for good, they received
handsome pension. Since it was a British pension, a wife continued to receive
half of her spouse’s pension after his death. I remember most Afrikanders in
the Sixties laughed their way to the bank every time the Pound Sterling exchange
rate soared!

 

Today,
the Sacred Heart of Jesus High School with English as its medium of instruction
is firmly established in its own fine building and has three hundred and ninety
eight (398) students enrolled in the current academic year 2010-2011.

 

Photo

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FjmZKL37BBQuW9R0PH7S_Q?feat=directlink

 

Hats off
to the late Jacob C. D’Souza and his sons, late Walter D’Souza and late 
Alphonsus
Ligouri D’Souza, who initiated the idea of educating people in the village and
simultaneously carried it to Parra and Mapusa and thus created ‘the Sacred
Heart of Jesus High School Triangle!’

 

All three
of them had a dream, a vision to educate the masses for a better future, and
educate they did, not only Anjunkars but people from the adjoining villages as
well.

 

This
article is a tribute to late Jacob and his family, especially to his sons late 
Walter
and late Ligouri, who created schools, and to late Edwin D’Souza who managed
the Anjuna school as a Headmaster from the late Thirties to the Fifties.

 

I take
this opportunity to congratulate the management, staff and past and present
students of Sacred Heart of Jesus High School, Anjuna on the first Centenary of
the School! Cheers!

 

ENDS

 

Moi-mogan,

 

Domnic
Fernandes

Anjuna, Goa

Mob:
9420979201



                                          

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