A Classmate Destined for Sainthood

By Norman Da Costa

I have known Luis Saldanha for many years. Despite excelling academically as evidenced by his hold on first place in any class he was down to earth. He was no saint in class. He got up to pranks, but not as bad or as often as some of us (no names mentioned). Consequently, he missed out on periodic visits to the principal’s office occupied over the years by Father Comerford, Father Mckay and Neves Pereira. The rest of us did so on a regular basis to be whacked where the sun never shines. Fr. Comerford was by far the worst of the three as his whacks stung. Luis’s interaction with the head honchos were limited to receiving some award or other – and there were numerous. 

Apart from excelling in class, Luis also happened to be a superb half back for our school’s field hockey team that in 1963 advanced to the final of the Nairobi schools’ competition only to lose to Duke of Gloucester. He was a thinking man’s player looking to exploit the opposition with defence-splitting passes and timely tackles. 

After graduating from Dr. Ribeiro Goan School in 1963 Luis was one of the few classmates who kept in touch on a regular basis after returning from Rome. He would come down to the Daily Nation offices at least once or twice a month along with Edward Moniz. My Daily Nation workmate and classmate, Polly Fernandes, would join us for coffee and samosas across the street at Keby’s, a well-known Nairobi eatery. The plates were always wiped clean as Polly made sure there was nothing left behind. May Polly rest in eternal peace. 

Even though we parted ways in 1976 when Delfine and I, also a classmate of Luis’s, immigrated to Canada, Luis was a phone length away. I know that he also rings several other classmates and friends. We can always expect a call from him on our birthdays and on our wedding anniversary. 

In an excellent in-depth piece on Luis by Daniela Oliviera of Contact Chaplaincy in London she mentioned that he wanted to become a priest at the age of 12 and that was something he never revealed to us.

But our entire class, the school and every Goan and Kenyan is proud of what Luis has accomplished as a person who is legally blind. But this is typical of the Luis we know. Nothing will stop him from achieving the goals he sets his sights on. He says his impaired eyesight has not robbed him of his vision to serve and we believe him.

Fr. Luis become the first Catholic priest to acquire a degree in scriptures from the Biblical Institute and the Hebrew Institute of Jerusalem. He was a chaplain at Kenya University and later appointed Secretary and Procurator of the archdiocese of Nairobi.  He has a string of other achievements all this with a failing eyesight. But that’s Luis. No hurdle is too high to climb.