Goan Clergy Pays Rich Tributes to ‘Singing Bishop’

By Melvyn Misquita –

Priests from across Goa and India have paid rich tributes to late Bishop Emeritus Valerian D’Souza (86) of Goan origin, who passed away in Pune late Tuesday night and was laid to rest at the St Patrick’s Cathedral, Pune, on Thursday.

“It is sad that the “Singing Bishop” has passed out from this world. He will now be singing God’s praises for eternity,” said Fr Nelson Sequeira, professor at Rachol Seminary, Goa.

“He was a humble and unassuming person. I once remember being with a group of priests at some occasion while the bishops were chatting among themselves. We priests were feeling out of place amidst a gathering of bishops. Bishop Vally, as he was affectionately called, left the bishops’ group and came to us and made us comfortable,” recalled Fr Sequeira.

Fr Kyriel D’Souza, a senior member of the Pilar Fathers, said: “Bishop Vally loved his priests and went out to reach out to them in their needs. He was very understanding to the needs of his priests.”

“He was very simple in his lifestyle and anyone could approach him freely. He was more charismatic than hierarchical. He preached retreats all over the world and was a powerful communicator. He played the guitar and sang lovely songs. He had a very pleasant voice.”

A senior Salesian priest, Fr Loddy Pires, presently at the Don Bosco Shrine in Panaji, said he knew Bishop D’Souza very well and they were good friends.

“I have served in Pune diocese for quite sometime, as rector of Don Bosco, Lonavla, rector of Don Bosco Youth Centre, Koregaon Park and as provincial of undivided Mumbai province. Bishop Vally helped us with our technical centre at the Pinguli Mission Centre in Kudal (Maharashtra).”

“He offered that we take up Oros (Maharashtra), which today is a big school and he also offered us the mission of Ahmednagar, which is today a fertile and live mission. He offered us land at Chinchwad to develop it into a training centre for school dropouts. He entrusted us Salesians with the Catechetics of the diocese,” said Fr Pires.

Describing him as a gentleman at heart, Fr Pires added: “Once a week was his day with the Lord. No meeting people. Loved to joke on good company and of course sing. He was called the ‘Singing Bishop’ with a guitar on his hand.”

“He loved the company of priests and always welcomed them to talk to him on any matter. We Goans should be proud of such a dynamic Bishop,” added Fr Pires.

Fr Tony Fernandes, a member of the Pilar Fathers and Vice-Postulator of the Cause of Venerable Agnelo de Souza, said he had met him only once when he was appointed at Agnel Ashram in Pune.

“He was already bishop emeritus at the time. He left an impact on me. A true man of God,” he added.

Fr Denzil Fernandes, a Jesuit and director of the Indian Social Institute in New Delhi, recalled Bishop D’Souza as a cheerful shepherd and pastor of the people of the Diocese of Poona.

“His smile was contagious and having been blessed with a deep voice he never hesitated to sing and play the guitar at gatherings of priests and religious. His legacy as a spiritual leader will be remembered for years to come,” said Fr Fernandes.

Panjim Parish Priest Fr Walter de Sa said he had benefited from the reflections of Bishop D’Souza.

“During my five-day guided retreat in 1992, the preacher, late Fr Henry Kieffer, SAC, recommended me to use audio cassettes of retreat talks by Bishop D’Sousa for my meditation. Though I knew him not personally, his reflections helped me to make a fruitful retreat. I had only heard that he was a great retreat preacher. May he enjoy eternal happiness,” said Fr de Sa.

Director of Porvorim-based Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr Fr Apollo Cardozo remembered his association with Bishop D’Souza when he was parish priest of St Xavier Church in Kolhapur from 1992 to 1996.

“Bishop D’Souza was a simple person, down to earth and he loved the poor. Besides his pastoral visit to the parish, he would drop in for a day or two at Kolhapur when he was to visit Sawantwadi-Maharashtra or Porvorim-Goa. If it was a weekend, he would ask me to accompany him to Rukhdi, a mass centre in Kolhapur.”

“The Catholics at Rukhdi are poor people, displaced ones from a dam. He would celebrate the Eucharist in Konkani for the villagers in a makeshift chapel consisting of a cow dung floor, with alabaster roof sheets and a simple altar of wood, prepared by the villagers. He would then mix with the simple people. Yes, he was a good person. I still have lot of good memories about him,” said Fr Cardozo.

Courtesy: The Goan