DEATH OF PASCOAL MONTEIRO 2nd of May 2002 will go down in the history of Kuwait Goans as one of the most sorrowful days because on this date a great son of Goa from Calangute Porbavaddo Bardez Goa died in Kuwait. He is none other than Pascoal Monteiro an employee of Kuwait National Petroleum Company. Born in Africa and as a small boy along with his other two brothers Lumen, Emanuel and sister Lucy he was brought to Goa by his pious and very disciplined parents. After finishing his Primeirograu at Escola Primaria Calangute in 1962 he joined St. Joseph�s High School Arpora along with his brother Lumen. For 8 years from 1962 till I finished my SSC Pascoal was not only my colleague in class but also a very good and faithful friend. Always together occupying the same bench for so many years along with his brother Lumen, Pascoal was a genius in class, always a top ranking student. His aspiration was always to get top rank in class and to achieve highest peak in life. To obtain 100% marks in Maths was nothing for him, to score 75 to 80% in English was very easy for him. At home he was an English speaking lad. In general knowledge he was exceptionally talented. Even Fr. Mendonca the then great principal of the school used to admire him. One of the senior teachers Mr. Rafael once told that Pascoal belongs to a class of students Arpora School had in the past that is the class of genius. Fr. Peter the then vice principal once said that students like Pascoal are rarity nowadays. Inspite of having too much of load on his head for achieving top marks he was very helpful and cooperative in class to other students especially to those who were weak in studies. In order to avoid punishment corporal and other types, he used to take home copy books of weaker students and do their home work. Even in class during spare time he was engaged in helping weaker students and that included me too. I was one of the beneficiaries of his help in studies. Many times due to excessive sports activities I used to face difficulties in studies but it was Pascoal and sometimes his brother Lumen who used to come to my rescue and feed me and make me study. If it was not for Pascoal assistance I may not even complete my SSC. His nature was such that he would deny privileges and opportunities for himself and dole them to others who are more deserving. A very selfless person, without material greed for personal benefits. After finishing his SSC he joined Polytechnic Panjim from where he did his Mechanical Engineering and in 1975 he came to Kuwait and since then till his death he worked in Kuwait. During his last so many years he was very dedicated on his job. In the beginning he was not very active in Kuwait but later on he started taking active part in many of the Goan activities. He was a great lover of Goa and Konkani. He preferred his homeland to any other places. He had all the wealth to settle in Canada like many of his friends and colleagues did but he preferred his beloved Goa. He once told me �there is no better place than your own� and added further �if you have enough money than why you should leave for some other places? As it is I have come to Kuwait for the sake of money and my next and last destination is my home place in Goa�. Whenever any worthwhile activity is organized for the good cause of Goa and Konkani he would willingly patronize. He had great wish for the good of Goa and Goans. No doubt he was not very aggressive in taking up social causes but he would voluntarily first to back you up to move ahead. Lately he was very much involved in Church affairs especially at Ahmadi Church where he was heading the Legion of Mary movement. Recently for the Jubilee Celebration at Ahmadi he was very active. He was a very good public speaker and his specialty lies in speaking at the spur of the moment in many of the topics. This was his inborn specialty even from the school days. A very soft spoken man with pleasing manners success in life never intoxicated him with empty worldly pride. About a month before his death, his wife and 2 young school going children were brought to Kuwait, so also his youngest brother Emmanuel from USA and his second brother Lumen who is the current Bishop at Agartala in India. They came to Kuwait after it was known that he would not survive as he was suffering from Lungs Cancer. When I met him in Hospital 15 days before his death and before he goes into coma, he spoke to me thus �Anthony see, there is nothing left now for me, there is nothing to fear and panicky, I am ready for the last, I am ready to face the Lord. This is the reality and I am ready to face this reality�. To speak thus one has to have spiritual grace and one has to be very bold and by nature Pascoal was very bold from the time I know him at Arpora. His body was flown to Goa yesterday, there was a huge crowd at the mortuary of Hospital Sabah to pay last homage to Pascoal, among them were two priests, Kuwaitis, other Arabs, Goans, Mangaloreans and other Indians. This shows how metropolitan he was. Before coming to Kuwait, he told me �Anthony, see, you and me we have seen hard life due to our poor background. Let us now go to Kuwait and do something financially (I also came to Kuwait the same year and same month he came) and depart from Kuwait and rest in Goa peacefully�. Yes, my friend Pascoal! You and me we both came to Kuwait but you departed earlier than me not to take rest in Goa but you departed from Kuwait to take eternal rest. You still had lot of life and ambitions to do something for the cause of society and especially for the downtrodden as you used to do in Kuwait very silently in a true Christian principle. You showed great urge to help the suffering Goan Maids in Kuwait and you have even gifted one Air Ticket for one destitute Goan Maid sheltering at Indian Embassy�s Safe House. The money for this ticket was collected from your circle and given to Fr. Gabriel who did the job thru Konkani Heritage Kuwait. I have nothing to add more but to ponder over the destiny of many of us who struggle and struggle in Kuwait and finally never survive to enjoy the fruits of our struggle and hard work. God alone knows the secret of our life. We know the date of our birth but not the date of our death. His wife has accompanied the body while children left earlier, so too his brothers Bishop Lumen and Emmanuel. They were from the beginning a very well knit family, closely associated with each other. His sorrowful wife and children may have everything in life but surely they will miss Pascoal who was not only the bread winner but a great guiding factor. His shadow only would have been enough if he was alive for guiding his family. May God guide his family in right direction and May God give them grace and courage to bear this colossal loss. His loss will also be felt in the Church affairs especially at Ahmadi and in Goan activities for the good cause of Goa and Konkani. As a lover of Goa and Konkani I put my head down in respect for Pascoal and for his help in the promotion of Konkani. May His Soul Rest in Peace. A. Veronica Fernandes, Kuwait. _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? 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