Contact Newsletter

It is our pleasure, once again, to present the 4th edition of Contact, a newsletter of and about the DRGS Alumni. It seems that the passing years only serve to cement the associations of friendship and bonding that were forged in our early childhood years. Our memories have not faded. Rather, they’ve somehow strengthened, as is evidenced by the growing attendances at our global reunions. October 26, 2014, saw a hugely successful UK Reunion chaired by Alvira Almeida. This year, September 10-13, 2015, Toronto, Canada, hopes to once again recapture that irrepressible spirit of camaraderie that undoubtedly flows in our veins. And, on January 26th, 2016, the DRGS Alumni, Goa Chapter, will be hosting its 2nd DRGS Memorial Mass.

In January of this year we were presented with a momentous event. Our beloved Alma Mater was renamed to include Dr. Ribeiro whose moniker had been removed in 1965 following Kenya’s independence. Now, after 50 years, the school once again assumes the name of its founding benefactor and is subsequently registered as Dr. Ribeiro Parklands School. It was indeed a proud occasion for the surviving members of the Ribeiro family. In this edition you will be hearing from Dr. Ribeiro’s grandson, Dr. Olaf Ribeiro, who was in attendance at this historic ceremony.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our contributors, Dr. Olaf Ribeiro and Muriel Lucas (nee Rebello) who have filled our Nostalgia section. Afra Fernandes’ section on gardening has now become a regular feature and much anticipated by all the green-thumbs out there. And, in keeping with the season, we end with a blessing from Fr. Ayres Fernandes...Read all about it!

Also in this edition you will find information on the upcoming Toronto, Canada, reunion and the Goa Memorial Mass. The Toronto committee and the Goa committee are both pleased to extend an invitation to the global alumni to attend both events. The committees guarantee both to be memorable reunions.

In an attempt to connect with the many alumni who have slipped out of our reach, we appeal to you for involvement and assistance. If you have knowledge of these missing friends/alumni please do not hesitate to contact us by sending an email to : dr.ribeiro.goan.school@gmail.com

In closing, we take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and blessed Easter.

Back to Table of Contents

New buildings for the primary school and for the disabled had changed the familiar grounds that I used to run around in with my friends. Yes, much had changed in the 50 years since I last visited the school. The school was now multi-racial. The principal of the high school Steven Luceno and the primary school Principal Mureu Fingers were very pleased to give me a tour of the school and showed me the classrooms where I studied. It was hard to imagine that I had studied in classrooms that now appeared so cold and austere. Many of the classrooms and laboratories desperately need to be updated. The principal showed great enthusiasm for the future of the school and explained his vision of future expansion of the 5school to include a new library and classrooms. Thanks to donations from ex-students many of the goals set by the principal will eventually be met. During the re-naming of the school a very large donation was made by Rene’ de Sousa at the request of his mother – one of the daughters of Dr. Rosendo Ribeiro. It was a donation left as part of her legacy to the school.

Although it came as a big disappointment to me that the name of the school was changed to Parklands School after independence, the school will always be remembered by me as the Dr. Ribeiro Goan School and now finally it is being rightfully re-named in honor of the founder of the school. Our sincere thanks to members of the board and Zahir Malik for the petition initiated in 2002 to rename the school and their persistence in rightfully re-establishing the Ribeiro name for posterity. Unfortunately, my mother died last year at the age of 97 before she could see the school renamed.

Over the years I have attended reunions of ex-students of the school in Toronto and in Goa. Chapters also exist in the UK and elsewhere. It speaks volumes to the lasting impression that this school has had on its students. Ex-students now span the globe!

It will always be a source of pride to me to know that so many students that graduated from this school went on to become very well-known in their chosen careers and have made outstanding contributions to improving the welfare of mankind. It speaks to the excellent education we all received.

Martin Luther King Jr. stated that “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education”. I am proud to see that the Dr. Ribeiro Goan School achieved these goals many years before Martin Luther King Jr. made a good education his vision for all Americans!       The Purpose of Education

For photos of Olaf's visit  click here

To read more about the Parkland's School Renaming Ceremony or to make a donation to the Dr. Ribeiro Parklands School Renovation Project, please visit: School Renaming Ceremony ,  Giving Back ,  Alumni Give Back Initiatives  and Giving Back

Dr. Olaf Ribeiro is the grandson of our founder, Dr Rosendo Ribeiro. Olaf, a plant pathologist has over30 years experience in diagnosing plant health problems both, in the U.S and overseas. He is nationally and internationally recognized for saving historic and ancient trees by improving their health.

He is the former owner of Ribeiro Plant Lab, Inc. an Agr/Horticultural/ Arboricultural Consulting & Plant Disease Diagnostic Company based on Bainbridge Island, WA, owner of Ribeiro Tree Evaluations, Inc. and now owner of Ribeiro Consultants.

Olaf was Awarded the Helmuth Cup in recognition as Environmentalist of the Year 2014 by the Association of Bainbridge Communities.

Olaf is the author and co-author of two plant pathology textbooks that are presently used in more than 80 countries. He has been involved in improving the health of mature trees throughout the U.S. 6and overseas since 1985. Olaf has published over 50 scientific papers in refereed international journals and has also published several popular articles on plant diseases.

He has been an invited speaker at several National & International meetings and conferences and has presented seminars and workshops to arborists on tree health in the US and in the UK.

He has helped renovate the Juanita Woodlands in Kirkland, and with the help of volunteers planted 3,000 trees in the woodlands toward a goal of planting 10,000 trees.

Over the past few years he has distributed more than 2,000 trees to Bainbridge Islanders and helped volunteers plant 500 trees in local communities

His work saving trees has earned widespread praise, and has been acknowledged on the NBC Today Show, in the Wall Street Journal and on Seattle’s Channel 5 Evening Magazine.

Ribeiro's awards include Honorary Citizenship in 1972 by the Mayor of Morgantown, West Virginia; certificate for outstanding volunteerism by Washington Governor Booth Gardner in 1988; an education award by the International Society of Arboriculture; and an award by the Consul General of Japan for saving cherry trees.

He is also featured in the book “In Praise of Island Stewards,” and is presently the president of the Murden Cove Preservation Association.

In December 2014 a tree was planted in his honor in Mombasa, Kenya.

Olaf Ribeiro's Bio

Back to Table of Contents

Mr. Michael Britto – Ex- School teacher of the Dr. Ribeiro Goan High School, celebrated his 90th Birthday with a small group of ex-students, who were able to make the trip to Niagara Falls, where he presently resides. This was an impromptu celebration, which included his daughter Anthea, and her family. He was very excited and touched to see them and was in his element, when he saw his grandchildren present!

He was greeted with a Joyful rendition of `Happy Birthday` and a Cake! After a scrumptious spread, they sang the Goan folk songs, i.e Mandos, and some English all time favourites. Mr. Britto made an emotional speech of thanks and wistfully said “he wished Alice was here to witness this celebration, but he knows she is looking down with great admiration!”

The singing continued, after which, as he always says, no celebration is complete without the famous Goan rendition of “BELSAUM TUJER” ETC.....

He then concluded by thanking everyone for coming and making this special milestone celebration, one to remember. Everyone enjoyed the occasion, as much as he did.

I would like to add my own Congratulations to Mr. Britto, herewith:

  “Your 90th Birthday is a very special occasion. It is a chance to honour you for all you’ve done and everything you stand for, a chance to celebrate 90 years of living with your own remarkable style.”

So congratulations on reaching this important milestone – The world is a much brighter place because you are in it.  ” God bless, Good health and much happiness”.

I asked Mr. Britto to send me his Bio, and he was very happy to do so. From what I gathered, he has a thirst for learning many skills, and I was amazed to know how much he has accomplished in his lifetime. He is a great inspiration to us all. He has this amazing focus, this commitment, when he gets onto something, he manages to pursue it and completes his goal. I applaud him for that!

Mr. Britto continues to live an active life in Niagara Falls, and is dedicated to his church, his community, and does a lot of volunteer work, and is surrounded by love and respect from the people around him!

As you can tell, he has a loving family who interacts with him with a lot of TLC.!! His life has been 9very challenging, exciting, unpredictable, adventurous, and very gratifying. He speaks very lovingly about his wife Alice and has many fond stories to relate about her! Needless to say, I enjoyed them very much!

Mr. Britto sent me his Bio and I have interacted with him these past 3 weeks. I thanked him for his patience and kind co-operation and I am proud to submit his autobiography below. I  thank you for affording me the opportunity of interacting with Mr. Britto on his autobiography.

Click here for Michael Britto's Bio

Muriel Lucas (nee Rebello), resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband Patrick. They have three beautiful daughters. Muriel has served the Goan community in several capacities. She was founder member of the 55Plus Goan Association. She served as Social Secretary at the 5th DRGS Reunion in Toronto. She is a member of the Goan Archives and has done numerous write-ups for the 55PGA, TEGSA and Goan Archives over the years.

Back to Table of Contents

Although I enjoy gardening I must admit I look forward to September and the Harvest mainly because all the hard graft of the spring and summer is nearing its end. And hard graft it is!! From March to September it's virtually non-stop starting with the preparation of the soil, enriching, liming, weeding, trenching for potatoes, etc. Then potting up the seeds that have been ordered (seems like hundreds of little pots). Getting these planted up. Caring for the plants by staking, netting, bug-baiting (as I don't use chemicals I brush off bugs and aphids with a toothbrush!). Of course the watering of my little gems, water hoses being banned at the allotment, its endless trips with the trusted watering cans which can take up to two hours. Finally enjoying the fruits of my labour - Harvesting!!...Phew!!!!

So I look forward to September for 2 reasons. First and most important I'm off on my hols for a well-earned rest, and second a brief respite from the gardening. A chance to ditch the wellies, repair the fingernails, iron out the sun wrinkles and basically glam up a tad!!!!

Having recharged my batteries now is the time, before winter proper sets in, to deal with all the stuff that's been on the back burner during the growing season. I apologize, but I really have to talk dirty now!

Composting.....I compost all my raw kitchen and garden waste: potato peelings, tea bags, coffee dregs, dead flowers, lawn cuttings etc. My aim is to transform all this waste into rich compost which I use to condition my soil or to use as mulch around my fruit trees. Unfortunately, just throwing the waste into the bins will only produce a sludgy muck which you can use but not effectively. The trick is to layer the kitchen and garden waste with cardboard, shredded paper and/or straw and initially the bins are turned at least once every 4 weeks. The heat from the bins and the millions of worms is a sure sign that all is well with the composting. Stick to this rule and the whole process from garden waste to beautiful black gold should take 6 months to 1 year (or less if the heap is small).

With the autumn leaf drop I rake up the leaves from my garden and allotment and place them in bin liners with a good drink of water. Pierce holes in the bags with a garden fork, tie them up and leave for 2 years. This produces leaf-mold which again produces a good soil conditioner/mulch and a great way to use up all those leaves covering the lawn. As leaf-mold can be acidic I use it to mulch my blueberry plants that thrive on acid (ericaceous) soil.

Between September and March horse manure is delivered to the allotment. Huge mounds of smelly steaming horse crap, straw, seeds and all manner of undigested foods. You'd think I'd run a mile from this stuff...no not I! Love it, love it, love it! On delivery days you'll see me carting barrow loads to my bins like a woman possessed! Like the kitchen waste, the manure needs occasional turning but does not need layering. Six months down the line and, as if by magic, this smelly mess turns into 14rich sweet smelling crumbly friable stuff...pure black gold! A soil enhancement for a healthy garden! The down-side? Composting manure is not for the faint-hearted. I have been reliably informed that manure odours tender to linger! A sure way of having a seat to myself on public transport!

I know it’s all very boring and quite drawn out but composting is such a vital part of allotment life for healthy produce and a happy shamba-keeper!!!!

Afra Fernandes nee DeMello, DRGS class of 64, lives and maintains her shamba in London, England.

Back to Table of Contents

Visiting the Holy Land a few years ago and walking where Jesus walked was for me a wonderful preparation for the Easter season. To visit the places mentioned in the gospels was a highlight but nothing compared to being in the place where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. Beautiful churches have been built to mark the spot where these events took place and today people stand in queues, sometimes for hours, to visit these sacred sites where Jesus lived, walked and gave his life. The natural setting of the garden of Gethsemane with its hundred - maybe even thousand year old olive trees was a sombre reminder of the Lord’s struggle as he faced his death on our behalf.

Of particular significance was the area known as the Garden Tomb overlooking a mountain which has the appearance of a skull, in keeping with what the Bible said of Him being crucified at the place of the Skull. The natural beauty of the trees and flowers added to the reflective atmosphere of the garden and the tomb carved in the rock resembled so much the garden scene described in the gospels as the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Walking through the garden one could see groups from all over the world remembering Christ’s death in worship, reflection, prayer and sharing of Communion.

More important than knowing the exact place where it all happened was to know for certain that Jesus died and that after His resurrection He met people in a beautiful way at their point of need. There was Mary, standing outside the tomb weeping. We see her overcome with grief and hopelessness. She knew that Jesus had been crucified but now she faces the reality that His body has disappeared. She came to spend time at the tomb but looking in she finds it empty. Her only thought was that someone had taken Him away. Life seemed so hopeless to her. Then Jesus meets her in her pain and grief. Thinking that He was the gardener who asked the reason for her tears, she shared her concern. It was only when Jesus took her name that she recognized Him. What a moment of hope and joy! Jesus is still the same and wants to meet us as well in our moments of grieving, discouragement pain or hopelessness during this Easter season. He calls us by name and says: “you are precious in my eyes and honoured in my sight, and ...I love you."    Isaiah 43:4

Maybe our need during this Easter season is more often like that of Thomas who struggled with doubts about the truth of Christ’s resurrection. He boldly stated his position when he said he would not believe unless he saw Jesus hands, felt the wounds from the nails and put his hand in his side.  Jesus appears to Thomas and meets him at his point of need and says, “See the wounds and place your hand in my side” and then in tenderness encourages him to believe. There were no words of admonishment and scolding just encouragement to believe. Maybe we find ourselves facing doubts 17in some area of our life today. The risen Lord comes to us and lovingly encourages us to believe in Him and to trust Him with every detail of our daily life.

On our journey during this Easter season we may also find ourselves identifying with Peter who probably experienced the greatest failure of his life when he denied Jesus three times. We read how Peter wept bitterly after he realized what he had done. One can only imagine the pain of defeat experienced by Peter. But the story does not end there. Jesus seeks him out on the shores of the Sea of Tiberius where Peter was fishing. After pulling the fishing boat ashore with their catch of fish, Jesus singles out Peter and asks him three times if he loves Him and with each response assigns him to the task of caring for His sheep. Not only was it a moment of forgiveness and acceptance of Peter but it was also an affirmation of his call to service. Maybe Peter felt everything was all over because of his denials but Jesus calls him back to continue his tasks as a disciple. What a gesture overflowing with love and forgiveness. Peter’s need was great but Jesus met him just where he was. Jesus is always the same. When we find ourselves in the face of failure, of having disappointed others and especially Jesus, then He reaches out to us with forgiveness and offers us another chance. Like Peter there is new hope to begin again with the assurance of God’s love and forgiveness.

Why did Jesus single out each of these three people? Each had a special need and Jesus touched them at their particular point of need. He had the right answer for each. For Mary the answer was hope that her relationship with Jesus was not ended, for Thomas it was evidence that he needed to believe and for Peter forgiveness was followed by a call to service. Today Jesus offers to meet us at our point of need as well. We too may be struggling with grief, doubt or failure. Or maybe our needs are entirely different but still He speaks into our life with the words from Phil.4:19:  "And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

The risen Lord waits to be invited:

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me."      (Revelations 3:20)

And when we invite Him in, He has a wonderful plan for our life.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."        (Jeremiah 29:11-13.)

Just as Christ the risen Lord looked for Mary, Thomas and Peter to touch them at their point of need so also He looks for us during this Easter season to meet our needs as well.

I take this opportunity to wish you and your families A Joy-filled Easter. May the Risen Lord bless you all now and forever!

Fr. Ayres Fernandes (Class of 67) is the current Secretary of Conference of Catholic Bishops of India 18(CCBI) Commission for Liturgy based in Banglore, India. He is the son of Roque C. M. and Cassiana, both deceased, and brother of Christie (Class of '63), Melba (Class of 64) and Yolanda Fernandes formerly from Nairobi and worked as a missionary in the Delhi Archdiocese. He has vast experience in pastoral field and in the field of liturgy on the diocesan and regional levels since 1990. He is a member of the National Liturgical Commission for the translation of new texts for the Roman Missal and other Rituals.  He holds a Masters in Sociology and a Doctorate in Sacred Liturgy. In 1999 Fr Ayres prepared the liturgy for the Papal Visit as the chief coordinator for the closing of the synod ‘Ecclesia in Asia’. On Jan 2013 he celebrated the first DRGS Alumni Memorial Mass at the Basilica de Bom Jesus in Old Goa. He is currently scheduled to celebrate the next Memorial Masses in Goa in Jan 2016.

Back to Table of Contents