Knowing my outspoken nature, my dear wife who is an avid Churchgoer, quite deliberately tries to keep me in the dark about the goings on in the Church of Moira.
Nevertheless, knowing my outspoken nature, there are people who make it a point to inform me about what goes on there, knowing that I will speak out what they are afraid to do if I do agree with what they have to say, without embarrassing them. One of the highlights of every Sunday Mass in Moira is the Saptahiki. This is the time somewhere at the end of the Mass where the presiding priest makes various announcements including the events that are to take place over the following weekend. Here are this week's headlines, with my editorial comments of course. What were the headlines of this weeks Saptahiki. Well, this week on the 15th August, which all you are aware is Independence day, there is a special Gram Sabha in the Panchayat. Those Govt. and school and college officials planning on bunking the official Independence Day function would be wise to attend this Gram Sabha making sure that they signed the attendance register. Then there was an announcement that apparently some sort of retreat house is to be built somewhere by the Goa Archdiocese. The contribution from the Moira Parish has been calculated at Rs. 3.5 lakhs and each household is obliged to dole out Rs. 1000/ to make up that sum, although bigger contributions are expected from the BIG people of Moira. I thought to myself that it is the small people who usually contribute more than the big people. Of course for good reasons. Then I thought to myself, when there are so many Churches that are falling apart and need maintenance, why does a new structure have to be built? Could not some of the huge big historical structures that are in need of money for maintenance be used for the purpose? Would this not be more economical? Then there was an announcement that some sort of parish centre to conduct Catechism classes was to be built, somewhere behind the Church. I thought to myself that this is going to be such a waste. My objection is not so much against money being collected as I would not say that it is going to be misappropriated, but it is more on rational grounds. I can see so many spaces in and around the Church which if utilised properly would be fine for conducting classes if such was the need. There is the Choir - the floor high up at the back of the Church, directly opposite the Altar, which would be ideal for singing as the acoustics are wonderful. There is the hall adjacent to the priest's residence that is mostly unused. There is the Church itself. And there is the hall next to the Cemetery where occasionally snacks are served after funerals. I won't mention the Communidade hall which perhaps belongs to a different institution, but if an arrangement was made to give it out to the Church provided they had it opened out every week, then wouldn't we have another space at our disposal without having to raise outrageous sums of money to be spent on concrete, while at the same time benefiting the Communidade? If a multi-purpose hall to have badminton, table-tennis, weightlifting and such like sports activities were envisaged for this centre, I would have heartily lauded the idea. But just putting up ugly concrete eyesores when existing spaces could easily have been used, that too, without burdening people with unnecessary expenditures, is something that the brilliant people who head the Church and who prickle up like thorns, whenever someone tells them something sensible, is something to be considered. Augusto Pinto 40, Novo Portugal Moira, Bardez Goa, India E pinto...@gmail.com P 0832-2470336 M 9881126350