[saligaonet] A tribute to Mr. Cassiano C. da Lima

[Nascimen]

A Tribute To The Late Mr Cassiano Cristovao Da Lima(1926-2004).          As I stepped in the age-old house of revered late Post-mistress of Saligao, Ana Arsenia da Lima in Mollebhatt , Saligao, to pay a condolence visit to the family members on the demise of Mr.Cassiano C. da Lima, I noticed a lone  bicycle his  un-separable companion standing mute. It stood in the portico, in silence, mourning the death of its master of more then three decades.     Mr. C.C. da Lima as he called himself, was born on 22-6-1926, had his education of Segundo Grau at local school and was well versed in Konkani, English and Portuguese. Since young,  I admired his neat handwriting, his love for paintings and decorative art, his ability to read and converse plus his sense of dedication to work. Besides, he was a fund of knowledge on the village of Saligao and followed the day to day events of the world. During my young days at the Salve of Mae de Deus( Novena) in May( sometimes in April) his   artistic card-board fixed on the band-stand would read “ Salve the Tabravaddo-Mollebhatt”. This advertisement gave a sense of pride for the ‘ bairristas’ every by-gone years. Those were the days…    In his late teens he worked  first in Lucknow and then in Kolkota and finally in Mumbai in the Standard Battery  Company as attested by Carma da Lima whom she affectionately called ‘ irmao’. In 1969 he returned to Saligao and began doing odd jobs like carpentry and put his hand to any trade. He excelled in making wooden crosses, decorating the tombs  at the cemetery and was much sought for conducting rosaries and singing the litanies at crosses and in residences in the village. He was a Sacristan of St. Anne’s Chapel, for a long time and kept everything in order which earned him a nickname ‘ Boro  Sankistanv’ from clergy and faithful. At the time of the Commemoration of 150th Anniversary of the Foundation of St. Anne’s Chapel, Saligao( 1843-1973), the author of these lines was a beneficiary  of his vast information of   traditional happenings,  along with others, to write the history of various wards especially Tabravaddo-Mollebhatt. He was a traditionalist and accepted no nonsense. One day  seeing the fast changes in the behaviour of our people he sadly remarked” Amcheam bhurgeancho fuddar kitem, Padre Nascimento…? He did  worry a lot about the future  of the present generation and their siblings, but I calmed him saying”  Cassiano, every cloud has a silver lining” Though of short stature, his ready smile and appealing manners , qualities of heart and mind made an impression on  the youngsters of the ward. He did visit his friends and shared his erudition among his ward people. During the month of October he led the ward people in saying the rosary daily at the Mollebhatt cross and ended the devotion with the now almost forgotten “ Dev bori rat amkam somestank Dev dium, asul’leank kurpa-bolaiki, melleleank sorga raz, di Saiba!”.  During the second week of May for years he led the novena at the ‘Corderincho Khuris’, Mollebhatt, which culminated in the celebration of the feast , praying for the living and dead members of the ward, raising of the toast and distribution of  eats and light drinks.  He was married to Mrs Pascoela M. da Lima who expired a few years back and had 2 daughters Mafalda and  Valerie and 2 sons Hector and Antonio Jose. He died in Bosio Hospital,Candolim and was buried  at 17 hours in  Saligao on 20-06-’04.  ( to be continued)                     Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas,  Vasco da Gama,  Goa, dt.29th May,2004.                                                                                                                                                                  .