“Lord, I believe.” (John 9:38)
 

This was the motto that shaped and sustained Fr Reginald Gracias, SDB — not merely a verse, but the quiet posture of his heart. Born on 10 March 1953, and called to his eternal rest on 10 June 2019, Fr Reggie lived his Salesian priesthood with simplicity, suffering, steadfastness, and a joy that carried the scent of his native sea.

Early Life and Family Roots

Fr Reggie was born in Uttan, a coastal Koli Catholic village, the youngest of eight children of Juze and Lujmari Gracias. When he was only a year old, his father died, leaving his mother to raise the entire family through sheer grit and faith. Her courage, prayer, and resilience marked Reggie for life.

He grew up playing on the shoreline, watching fishing boats return, and absorbing the warmth of village life. He studied at St Joseph’s School, Uttan, where he served as an altar server and choir member, discovering early the beauty of worship and community.

During these years, the Indian Church was awakening to new life: the 1964 Eucharistic Congress in Mumbai and the reforms of Vatican II brought Mass into local languages, and young Reggie stepped into a Church more accessible and alive.

The First Salesian Spark

A providential moment arrived when Fr Eliseo Bianchi visited Uttan seeking vocations. Encouraged by Fr John Rumau, Reggie went to Don Bosco, Lonavla, joining peers from the region such as Fr Francis Kharja, Fr Diego Nunes, and Fr Bonnie Borges.

Though he completed his Standard X and returned home for a time, the Salesian seed had been planted.

Reggie the Sportsman: Leadership Born in Play

Back in Uttan, Reggie threw himself into youth development through sports. He was:

• a skilled cricketer,

• a talented footballer,

• a deft volleyball player,

• and a natural coach and organizer.

He trained local boys, built teams, and organized tournaments that uplifted community morale. His enthusiasm led to the hugely popular “Boat Crew Tournaments”, where fishing teams competed at dawn — a blend of friendly rivalry and character formation.

Sport was his first classroom: discipline, teamwork, and hope were the curriculum.

Reggie the Social Worker

His social commitment deepened when he founded the Fishermen’s Youth Organization in Uttan. Working closely with Dr Lawrence Thakkar, a community leader, he helped young people secure:

• scholarships,

• government benefits,

• education opportunities,

• employment avenues.

His influence in the Koli community was practical, empowering, and deeply appreciated.

A Promising Career, Yet a Deeper Call

Reggie’s secular journey was impressive:

• ITI diploma,

• training as a chemical engineer at Bhagubhai Polytechnic,

• employment with ONGC,

• a financially comfortable family situation.

But something greater tugged at his heart. He reconnected with Fr Diego Nunes at Lonavla, expressing his renewed call. His family had been looking for a bride for him, but they gave their blessing when he chose Christ instead.

On 24 May 1988, he made his first profession, and on 20 December 1998, he was ordained a Salesian priest.

Salesian Formation and Ministry

His formation included:

• Aspirantate at Lonavla (1967–1972)

• Pre‑Novitiate in Lonavla (1986–1987)

• Novitiate at Nashik (1987–1988)

• Philosophy at Divya Daan, Nashik

• Four years of practical training across Kurla, Sulcorna, Matunga, and Savedi

• Theology at Kristu Jyoti College, Bengaluru

Theology Years: Joy, Study, and Pain Transformed At KJC, Bengaluru, Reggie earned admiration for:

• his hard work and commitment,

• his love for Scripture,

• his involvement in community prayer,

• his enthusiasm for games and fraternity,

• and his habit of asking thoughtful, bold questions.

Yet these were also years of suffering. After a major surgery to remove his hip ball socket, he learned to walk again, often on crutches. He endured multiple operations at St Philomena Hospital.

Still, his zest for life never faded. He loved gatherings, films, music, and companionship. His leadership surfaced in simple ways, like coordinating prayer routines at retreats.

Priestly Ministry: Savedi and Beyond

Following ordination, he served as Assistant Parish Priest at Savedi, with Fr Thomas D’Costa and Fr James Tuscano. He was remembered for his:

• humility,

• gentle speech,

• approachability,

• sense of humour,

• and deep compassion.

He accompanied parishioners, uplifted youth, and brought warmth to community life. Even the affectionate teasing among confreres revealed his grounded humanity — “Reggie Baba,” “Uttan Mendpal,” and “Good Shepherd” all captured his roots and his heart.

A Life Marked by Suffering and Empathy

Fr Reggie’s life was interwoven with pain — surgeries, disabilities, limitations, and chronic challenges. Yet his suffering became a school of tenderness. As Fr Godfrey D’Souza said in his funeral homily:
“He seemed to have struck a deal with the Lord — I will be your suffering servant.”

Because he suffered, he knew how to accompany the suffering. Because he limped, he knew how to walk with those who struggled.

A Priest of Belief and Belonging

Fr Reggie belonged wholeheartedly:

• to his Koli family, who taught him prayer and perseverance,

• to the Salesian congregation, whose charism he embodied with simplicity,

• to the poor and young, whom he mentored with sincerity,

• to parish communities, whom he served with kindness,

• and to his motto, “Lord, I believe,” which shaped his every choice.

He carried the shoreline in his heart — the honesty of the sea, the humility of a fisherman, the strength of a survivor, and the quiet trust of one who knows who calls him.

A Shepherd from Uttan

We remember Fr Reggie as:

• a priest who brought cheer to simplicity,

• a sportsman turned spiritual mentor,

• a social worker turned shepherd,

• a man whose suffering broadened his pastoral heart,

• a companion whose faith steadied others,

• a Salesian whose presence was gentle and sincere.

Committal and Legacy

As we commend him to God, we celebrate the boy who learned to pray at his mother’s side, the youth who organized tournaments on sandy shores, the engineer who sacrificed security for vocation, and the priest who made suffering a channel of grace.

His legacy is one of:

• belief that does not waver,

• compassion that does not exhaust,

• service that does not count the cost,

• and roots that remain proudly, beautifully Uttan.

Lord, I believe.
May the Lord now receive him into eternal rest.
May Fr Reggie, fisherman’s son and fisher of souls, intercede for us.

He was, as his students said, “a man of hope, a man of dreams, a man of God, a brother to all.”
Fr Dominic Savio Fernandes, SDB, born 7 April 1957 in Mumbai and called to God on 8 October 2017, lived Don Bosco’s charism with enthusiasm, imagination, discipline, music, and a love for children that never dimmed. For him, classrooms were cathedrals of hope, playgrounds were workshops of joy, and schools were places where every child’s dream deserved space to grow.

A Name Chosen by Heaven

His naming has passed into family lore. His father, Joseph, attending Mass while Mother Rosy rested at home, suddenly saw a vision of St Dominic Savio serving at the altar. Rushing home, he learned that Rosy had gone into labour. When the baby arrived, he remembered the vision and understood its meaning: his son would be named Dominic Savio. That story became a prophecy. Frail in childhood yet strong in mind, young Dominic found resilience in boarding life and clarity in vocation camps. The whisper became a yes: he would be a priest. He was ordained a Salesian priest on 29 December 1990, setting out to live a priesthood of presence, joy, and service to the young.

Apostolate Before Classrooms: The Margins First

Before he ever became headmaster, Fr Dominic served where Don Bosco would have sent him: Open Schools, Night Schools, Residential Schools, Prisons, Remand Homes, Street children apostolate. Those early years shaped his pastoral heart. He learned that the young needed not only learning but companionship, structure, and love that does not condescend. Only in 1999, after years of hands‑on service, did the Society ask him to obtain a B.Ed., recognising what he already was — an educator of tremendous promise.

The Headmaster Who Made Institutions Human

As headmaster, Fr Dominic walked into every school with the same priorities:
make children feel safe, make teachers feel trusted, make learning feel alive. He served as: Headmaster, Don Bosco High School, Oros, Headmaster, Don Bosco Farm High School, Sulcorna, Headmaster, Don Bosco High School, Panjim, Headmaster, Pope John XXIII High School, Quepem. Wherever he arrived, energy arrived with him. His doors were always open — to students’ wild ideas, to teachers’ innovations, to parents’ fears. He believed: “Happy people plan actions, not results.”

And so, he planned: a playground with natural lawn, a full‑fledged Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL), a modern Audio‑Visual Hall, an E‑Library to create readers, digital learning, projectors, laptops, and interactive sessions, CCE implemented thoughtfully and creatively, exhibitions, competitions, and hands‑on events that made learning spectacular. He was a visionary, but never merely on paper. He moved projects, raised resources, solved problems, and carried hope like a badge. He served as an executive member of the Goa Headmasters’ Association, and in 2015, the Government of Goa honoured him with the State Award for Best Teacher (Headmaster category). Yet he accepted the award with characteristic humility: “The honour belongs to the children.”

The Salesian Heart: Music, Magic, Mercy

Students remember: the study hall monitor who solved every problem, the teacher who made English joyful and confidence possible, the pastor who taught faith with gentleness, the coach who taught courage through play, Ex‑students said he was: “perfect in the study hall, angelic in the prayer hall, inspiring in the classroom, energetic on the field, and guiding in life.”

Family remembers: the uncle whose stories drew entire neighbourhoods, the magician who thrilled children, the singer whose voice carried strength and joy, the laughter that could be heard “miles away”. At night in boarding, he became a storyteller of suspense and delight. On the ground, he trained footballers and athletes, often staying late despite exhaustion. On feast days, he became an actor, a guitarist, a friend. Joy was his gift. Music was his second language.
And mercy — quiet, steady mercy — was the grammar of his priesthood.

Vision in Action: Paradigm Shifts, Not Paper Plans

He was never satisfied with ideas alone. He: upgraded labs, ensured online learning access, installed multimedia systems, promoted teacher development, encouraged reading, motivated colleagues to “think different”, led schools into self‑sustaining, debt‑free growth. He quoted often: “Focus determines reality.” His focus was always the same: the child in front of him. He lived his vows with transparency: few clothes, simple eating habits, humble lifestyle, enormous zeal, a smile under every circumstance. Chastity, poverty, and obedience were not ideals for him; they were habits of breath.

“Run, Jump, but Do Not Sin”: Lived Loudly, joyfully. He lived Don Bosco’s motto vibrantly. He was everywhere: on playgrounds, in parish lanes, at catechism rallies, on his Bullet bike, riding across Goa to help parishes, shopping for boarders, ensuring no child went without food, checking the Fathers’ table so it never outran the children’s. His administration was fatherhood in practice. Budgeting became care. Rules became guidance.
Systems became communities. A confrere said, “He did not leave a single stone unturned to make every orphan child’s dream come true.”

2015 Award: The State Recognises What Students Already Knew

The State Teacher’s Award (Headmaster category) acknowledged: his versatility, his dynamic leadership, his creativity, his humour, his wholehearted love for students. Yet he remained the same simple servant of the young — joyful, approachable, optimistic.

The Final Night: A Confrere’s Testimony

A friend recalls: “We attended a seminar together, had dinner the night before, and by morning… he was gone.” Shock rippled through the province.

Tributes called him: “A Priest for All Seasons.” A Family’s Benediction

His sister Fatima wrote: “He learned to die unto himself. He lived for God and God alone. Death had no sting.” A doctor who treated him added: “He was always enthusiastic, always with children in mind. He cared little for his own health. He is surely in heaven praying for us.” The educational fraternity of Goa echoed the same loss: “A great personality has gone before us.”

What He Leaves Behind

A tribute summarised him in seven lines: gifted Salesian, talented sportsman, brilliant teacher, artistic and creative educator, wise arbitrator, capable administrator, powerful promoter of vocations, above all, a man of God. Each line brings back the image of him: strumming a guitar, laughing loudly, running across the field, mentoring teachers, comforting children, and filling schools with possibility.

Commendation

Lord Jesus, receive Your priest Dominic Savio — storyteller, teacher, sportsman, mentor, headmaster, missionary, who made schools sing, made playgrounds pray, and made hearts rise with hope. Grant that his vision of joyful education, his love for the young, and his Salesian laughter
continue in those who follow his path. Requiescat in pace.

 Fr Lawrence D’Souza, SDB — born 5 October 1946, professed 24 May 1967, ordained 20 December 1975, and called to eternity on 12 December 2023 — leaves behind both. His life was a tapestry of laughter, missionary courage, pastoral availability, and Salesian enthusiasm lived at full voltage. He served 56 years as a Salesian and 48 years as a priest, and till his final breath, he was doing what he loved most: hearing confessions, meeting people, and serving the Church.

Early Life: Faith in the Furnace of Hardship

Born in Mumbai into a resilient East Indian family, Lawrence grew up in circumstances that formed his inner strength. His father, physically challenged, lived at Cheshire Home; his mother raised five children with courage and simplicity. Hardship softened neither his humour nor his generosity — it sharpened them. At Don Bosco High School, Matunga, the spark of vocation was lit during a V Standard retreat in 1958. Encouraged by Br Castellino and Fr Hubert D’Rosario and strengthened by his mother’s simple assurance — “Do whatever God wants you to do” — he went to Tirupattur, beginning a Salesian journey that would carry him across India and beyond.

Formation and Ordination: A Heart Steeped in Salesian DNA

His formation years were marked by energy, mischief, talent, and prayer:

• Novitiate: Yercaud (1966–1967), First Profession: 24 May 1967, Philosophy: Yercaud, Practical Training: St Bede’s, Madras; Dominic Savio Boys’ Home, Andheri, Theology: Kristu Jyoti College, Bangalore (1972–1976), Final Vows: 19 March 1973, Ordination: 20 December 1975 by Simon Cardinal Pimenta.

• From the start, he was known for his powerful voice, magnetic personality, and unrestrained enthusiasm — gifts he offered entirely to the mission.

A Priest for the People: Energetic, Approachable, Compassionate

Fr Lawrence had an extraordinary ability to connect with people:

• He spoke fluently in Marathi, Hindi, and Konkani.

• He celebrated Mass with intensity and preached with passion.

• His confessional lines were consistently long — a sign of trust.

• His voice carried authority; his smile carried warmth.

• He was a people’s priest, happiest when surrounded by parishioners, blessing families, listening to the poor, or cracking jokes that filled a room with laughter.

Even in illness, he radiated cheer and strength. He lived with a wide-open heart.

Dynamic, Demanding, Joyful: The Lawrence Signature

He could be demanding — not because he was rigid, but because he saw potential everywhere. He pushed communities to rise above mediocrity, and they loved him for it. Behind the firmness was contagious joy: laughter that echoed across corridors, humour woven into conversations, witty remarks that lifted spirits, teasing that built friendship. Where Fr Lawrence lived, morale never stayed low.

Builder, Organizer, Visionary

• His leadership combined charisma with practicality:

• He pioneered the Sirsi mission.

• Managed school, workshop, and parish with ease.

• Negotiated the ITI affiliation at Pinguli.

• Oversaw construction projects with a builder’s instinct.

• Anim­ated parishes with programs, catechesis, and youth outreach.

• He did not just manage institutions — he energized them.

Man of Prayer and Spiritual Guide

Beneath his booming laughter was a deep well of prayer: the Rosary always in hand, retreats preached with fire and clarity, guidance offered with wisdom, faith anchored in the Providence of God, a simple motto that he repeated often: “Trust Him. But to trust Him is the hardest thing of all.”

Families remember him blessing homes after the rosary. Confreres recall how he prayed for intentions with sincerity. People found in him not just a priest, but a spiritual companion.

Tributes: What Others Saw in Him

• Fr Savio Silveira, Provincial: “His last day was his Salesian life in miniature — a day spent serving the Lord and His people.”

• Fr Bernardino De Almeida: “He was the man for the peripheries — passionate about the poor, always ready for the remote missions.”

• Fr L Pires: “Fearless, humorous, practical, deeply pastoral — a friend whose simplicity inspired many.”

• Family Tribute: “A pillar of strength. Joyful, generous, always lifting up the underprivileged.”

These tributes reveal what all experienced: a priest who gave everything and kept nothing for himself.

Legacy: What He Leaves Behind

Fr Lawrence leaves a legacy of: missionary courage, joyful priesthood, pastoral zeal, dynamic leadership, Salesian warmth, trust in divine providence. He lived Don Bosco’s motto not as a slogan but as identity: “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle.” “Give me souls; take away the rest.” His sudden passing was a shock. His life was a flame that did not dim until the very end. As one confrere wrote: “We will continue the conversation in the Salesian Garden of heaven.”

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for Fr Lawrence — a priest who laughed loudly, loved deeply, and served tirelessly. May his memory inspire us to live with courage, cheerfulness, and loving kindness.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.