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Held at The Parish Of the Sacred Heart, Battersea
Held at The Parish Of the Sacred Heart, Battersea
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Links:
Links:
Mass Card (Click here to view/download PDF)
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Dr Ribeiro Goan School
Dr Ribeiro Goan School
Alumni & Faculty Remembrance Mass (November 3, 2019)
Alumni & Faculty Remembrance Mass (November 3, 2019)
The afternoon Remembrance Mass and the reception took place at the beautiful Salesian Church of the Sacred Heart in Battersea London. Fr. Tony celebrated the Mass, ably assisted by two well known servers from the DRGS School, namely Boni Pinto and Edwin Paes.
The day was indeed a poignant reminder and a beautiful tribute to deceased family members, friends, colleagues and teachers who contributed so much to our lives and who continue in spirit, to be our inspiration and a vital part of our vibrant Dr. Ribeiro Goan School (DRGS) society.
As a symbol of remembrance and in advance of the Mass, votive candles were provided at the rear of the church together with tribute cards and a tribute book. On the Altar, placed on a stand draped in a radiant purple cloth and complemented by a dazzling floral arrangement, was a framed list of names symbolising our deceased DRGS alumni and staff beautifully prepared by Rita Fernandes. The tribute cards which formed part of the offertory were available at the Reception for those present to reflect, remember and exchange joyful memories and sentiments with family and friends present.
As always, the sparkle, enthusiasm, spirituality and generosity of those attending, illuminated what would otherwise be a dark and grey afternoon. Over 100 people responded to the organisers and many travelled long distances (including Fr Tony) to the venue despite challenging stormy autumnal conditions.
The wonderful voices of the Choir supported by a trio of musicians introduced the ceremony with a rendition of 'How Great Thou art'. The first reading was from the book of Wisdom (11:22 – 12:2) delivered by Dr Cajetan Moniz. The second reading from the (Letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians) was read by Marjorie Fernandes and the touching Bidding prayers by Alvira Almeida. Offertory gifts were taken to the altar by Melania and Ollie D’Souza, followed by Felix Fernandes and Jeff Fialho with the Church collection and the wicker basket holding the many tribute and Memorial cards.
The spiritual guidance from Fr Tony and the Homily explored the deeper meaning of remembrance as well as the spiritual preparation necessary for the migration of our immortal souls. The gospel reading (Luke 19:1 – 10) described how salvation was brought to the house of Zacchaeus when he sacrificed decorum and prestige and scaled a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Zacchaeus a wealthy tax collector, short in stature and deemed a sinner must have reminded a few of the more mischievous minded amongst us how we too scaled dizzying heights to pick the forbidden fruit from the guava trees - albeit for a more earthly reason.
The lighting of the votive candles following the homily was a pivotal point in the ceremony symbolising our prayers and memories for the souls of our loved ones, as well as helping us reflect on the transiency and fragility of our own mortal lives.
The wonderful choir provided the finale to the ceremony with a rendition of ‘Hail Queen of Heaven' written by Father John Lingard (1771–1851). The hymn venerated our trust in Mary in lighting the way to Christ whilst helping us choose good over evil.
At the reception following the Mass, time seemed to fly so quickly and there was an air of celebration and friendship. One looked around for the comfort of familiar faces but, it was just as easy to introduce oneself to newer and less familiar faces and trade experiences and memories of those idyllic school days.
The light evening repast originally planned turned out (not unexpectedly) to be a feast. Thank you to the volunteers (credits below) who on the day instinctively worked together and effortlessly served the food and drinks, managed the logistics, the administration and left the venue in a spotless condition.
Finally, a stanza from a poem written by Anthony Dowdson:
Speak of me as you have always done.
Remember the good times, laughter, and fun.
Share the happy memories we've made.
Do not let them wither or fade.
Our sincere thanks to :
Our sincere thanks to :
The Organisers : Vivienne D'Silva, Chris Moniz and Jeff Fialho
Fr. Tony our spiritual director, and the Mass Servers and Eucharistic Ministers: Boni and Edwin
The Choir: including Gerry, Ava, Ophelia, Bunny, Edward, Julia and Lambert
The Musicians: Anita (Keyboard), Leo (drums) Phillip (guitar)
The Photographers: Afra, Eddie and Bunny.
Our thanks to Ava, Gerry, Rita, Afra, Olga and Thelma and the many others
whose attendance, generosity and assistance made the day a memorable one.
And a special thanks to Julian Fernandes for this presentation and for his assistance in preparing for the day
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