Anjuna experienced a unique evening today (March 27, 2011) when Dr.
Manuel Francisco de Albuquerque's life size statue was unveiled in the
village for the first time. It is one of its kind, as it is made of
fiber glass. The statue has been prepared by Mr. Rampuri of Solapur. It
was a proud moment to all of us!
The statue of Dr. Manuel was unveiled by Dr. V.N. Jindal, Dean of Goa
Medical College. The inauguration was attended by close family members,
friends and a select crowd.
Mr. Shyam J. Kamat of Anjuna, a Chartered Accountant, and a close friend
of Mrs. Ruth and her late husband, Dr. Joseph Albuquerque, spoke on
behalf of Mrs. Ruth:
'I have the great privilege and pride of addressing all of you on behalf
of my friend Mrs. Ruth Albuquerque.
“The steps of a good man are ordained by the Lord.” These words from the
Bible exemplify the life and experiences of the great man we are
gathered here to honor today, more than half a century after his
departing to the heavenly abode, and also on the eve of the birthday of
his deceased son, Dr. Joseph, popularly known to all as Dr. Joe.
The magnitude of the work and personality of Dr. Manuel Francisco de
Albuquerque, MD, can only be understood if we accept the premise that he
was divinely directed and protected, and yes, he did use all these gifts
that the Lord had blessed him with, for the cause of humanity and giving.
Let me start by giving you only a thumb-nail of the gigantic and
illustrious career and humanitarian work of Dr. Manuel, his generosity
and statesmanship, his popularity and qualities of leadership.
Born in 1869 (the same year Ven. Fr. Agnelo was born,) Dr. Manuel
Francisco de Albuquerque, after graduating from the Grant Medical
College, Bombay, obtained medical degrees from Edinburgh and London,
then Dublin and his MD from Brussels.
In 1898, he proceeded to East Africa and established himself at
Zanzibar. His talents and services were wholly used for the cause of
humanity there.
In 1903, this young doctor at that time, saved thousands of lives by his
early detection of bubonic plague and by his tireless efforts to combat
the disease. For this singular achievement, Dr. Manuel was recognized by
the first of many well-deserved accolades. He was presented with “The
order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar of the Third level.”
His Highness, Sayyid Ali Bin Hamoud, whose personal physician Dr. Manuel
was, conferred on Dr. Manuel the impressive title of “Order of
Hamoudieh, Second level.”
Later, the subsequent Sultan Sayyid Sir Khalifa Bin Harab, for the
outstanding services rendered by Dr. Manuel, as personal physician of
the Sultan and also for the services to the country, presented him with
a Golden Sword.
This magnificent sword has been donated by Ruth and her late husband,
Dr. Joe, to the Xavier Center of Historical Research at Alto Porvorim.
In 1913, Dr. Manuel was appointed Vice-Consul for Portugal in Zanzibar
and during the critical period of World War I, he acted as the Consul
for Portugal and also for Italy for some time. The Government of
Tanganyika conferred on him the title of “Knight of the Order of Christ.”
Dr. Manuel’s services were not restricted to the Portuguese Colonies of
Zanzibar and Pemba alone. He served the Goan communities in East Africa
as well. He left his mark on these Goan communities there. He was the
founder and first President of the famous Goan Institute in 1904.
In 1946, after nearly 50 years in the service of the people of Zanzibar,
this aging physician felt a pull on his heartstrings to be back in his
beloved village of Anjuna. He left Africa in 1946, bringing with him
several valuable mementos.
The house was built as a replica of the Sultan’s palace. As a special
recognition he was allowed to construct his house on the exact lines of
the palace of the Sultan. This in itself should speak volumes for the
love, affection and respect he enjoyed in Zanzibar.
Dr. Manuel left for his heavenly abode on April 8, 1956.
His son and my friend, Dr. Joe, was himself an alumnus of the Grant
Medical College, Bombay. He became ENT specialist and later on a
specialist in Child and Women diseases. He set up practice as a general
physician at his home in Anjuna and as well as in Mapusa.
Mrs. Ruth and Dr. Joe tied the nuptial knot in 1957. Mrs. Ruth embodies
in herself, all what we expect to see in a grandniece of Fr. Agnelo, the
all revered Ven. Fr. Agnelo in Goa. It was only a matter of serendipity
that Dr. Joe found in her a charming, caring and loving wife and a
companion, a worthy chatelaine for this fairy-tale castle.
Mrs. Ruth is an emblem in herself of the piety, grace and compassion
that we very rarely find. God divined her to be worthy of being a
daughter-in-law of this great legendary physician. All this serene and
beautiful surrounding, the gardens, the house and the ambiance all
permeate the splendor and kindness of what Mrs. Ruth herself is.
I am fascinated and awestruck as well at how Mrs. Ruth conceptualized
and also executed meticulously with energy and zeal this fitting
memorial to Dr. Manuel Francisco de Albuquerque. She came to be his
daughter-in-law after he left for his heavenly abode. So, although in
worldly sense, they did not interact with each other as father and
daughter-in-law, we find in Mrs. Ruth a worthy daughter-in-law for this
great man. The same heritage.
Today, when everyone is trying to grab land, she and Dr. Joe have
donated this dream palace to a social cause. She has fulfilled her dream
of completing this task of a memorial to Dr. Manuel Francisco de
Albuquerque. This expresses her love and gratitude for this great man
who gave so much of himself to the cause of humanity.
Although her dream project took a little time to complete due to her
indifferent health, we all appreciate this memorial as her tribute to
this great son of the soil.
We all congratulate her and wish ‘God bless her.’
I will take your leave with a couplet from a famous poet, which a close
friend of Mrs. Ruth mentioned in her greetings to her:
“The lives of great men all remind us
That we, too, can make our lives sublime
And depart leaving behind us
Foot prints on the sand of time.”'
At the end of the unveiling ceremony, the crowd was treated to drinks
and dinner buffet at the restaurant of the recently opened ‘SPAZIO
Leisure Resort,’ opposition Albuquerque mansion.
The legend of Dr. Manuel Francisco de Albuquerque continues! We are
proud of our son!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52243088@N00/5564252025/
Moi-mogan,
Domnic Fernandes
Anjuna, Goa
Mob: 09420979201
