WORLD
MISSION SUNDAY
Today is World Mission
Sunday. Here is my faint recollection of how it was celebrated, when I was very
young, by the fathers, brothers, teachers, students who volunteered with their
efforts and also by the people from Guirim and surrounding areas who patronised
the occasion with their active support and participation in one way or another.
This article was first written and published for circulation via Goanet Reader,
a part of the Goanet to give a voice to the diversity of the Goan experience, in
cyberspace on Sunday 22 October 2006.
MISSION SUNDAY AT MONTE
(circa 1957)
by Tony Felix Fernandes
From the first day of the academic year, the thin
blue book, otherwise known
as the school calendar,
played an important part. It became a integral part of school and outlined
events for the entire year. It was like a central figure among other thicker books
of different subjects. It was of course none other than the school calendar.
It had its own distinct
outside appearance - school’s name at the top, its shield
along with the timeless
and memorable caption ‘AD ARDUA’ just under it.
It could be easily
identified along with the students name, class and division
at the bottom.
Felicio often glanced
through the pages in order to see what significant events
and holidays lay ahead
that were mentioned in the calendar. One of the important
dates mentioned therein
was Mission Sunday - the second last Sunday in the
month of October. Young
Felicio looked forward to this day from the beginning
of the academic year
that started on June 6th. He had learned that it was a day
dedicated to the
Catholic Missions all over the world.
There was quite an
activity going on at the school prior to this eventful day at
Monte, in preparation
for Mission Sunday. Manystudents volunteered, taking part
and organizing the
occasion, with the help of Teachers, Fathers and Brothers.
The day began with a
special Mass. The fun-filled event followed immediately
after lunch.
Felicio was a day
scholar. He lived just down the hill and across the fields.
Soon after lunch he
joined other boys who also climbed up the hill to finally witness
what they had so far
been earnestly hoping to experience. As Felicio approached the Cross up the
winding slope that led to the Chapel, he was amazed to find that the place was
already bustling with activity. He could hear the different mingling of sounds –
music and the usual din of a bustling fair. Was he late? Did he miss something?
Felicio’s legs ached as
he anxiously raced up the steep slope. He had tried to takea short cut through the
cashew trees on the northern side of the hill and he found out to his dismay that
it had been a difficult walk, as his classmates had warned him.
As he finally made it to
the chapel courtyard, he wished he could rest on one of the red-cemented benches
under the giant nunerca tree. But to his surprise that particulararea was
occupied by a group of boys who were quite engrossed in singing. One the boys
was strumming on the guitar. That must be the impromptu school beat group,
he thought! Luckily the
music seemed to have soothed his aching knees and throbbing chest. All the boys
were dressed in their Sunday best. Felicio had donned his slightly loose blue
shirt and favourite black trousers that he hoped would fit him well by Christmas!
‘Vaddtea angar’ all over again.
He was astonished to see
so many different stalls set up all around the perimeter of the courtyard of the
chapel. There were also game booths set
up along the corridor leading to the junior dormitory. After an initial survey of the grounds and
looking over at all the booths, he decided that he should try his luck at some
of the games like ‘feed the tiger’, ‘test your nerves’, ‘wheel of fortune’,
‘light the candles’, ‘drop the coin in the tub’, ‘find the treasure’, ‘shoot
into the net’ and other games of skill.
He was happy to see some
of his classmates having taken charge of some booths, while others were
helping around various other tasks. He hoped that the following year they would let him
participate in helping out too.
Felicio had been looking
forward to this Sunday. He had been told by one of the
Fathers what Mission
Sunday was all about during the previous week at the ‘Religion’ period. He had
gone home that day and told his mother about this forthcoming event to be held
at the school. His mother had given him some money to spend on that occasion.
It wasn’t much of a sum in cash, but now the time had come to use it successfully
and have some fun at the same time. It seemed that a daunting task lay before
him for the time being in handling money wisely. He had to somehow effectively
manage to use that little money equally at all the games of his choice, giving
preference to and trying his hand at some of the games that interested him the
most. It wouldn’t matter if he did not win a prize. At the same time he thought
that winning wouldn’t matter at all since it was all for a good cause - he
remembered what Father had said during the ‘Religion’ instruction period - that
the money would be going towards the Missions and the poor of the world.
Luck was on his side on
Mission Sunday, and he had won at a couple of game tables. One of them was
lighting all the candles with a single match stick that nearly singed his thumb
and forefinger. He did not succeed at first. So he moved away, cupping his right
hand fingers with his left. He wanted to put his fingers to his ears as his grandmother
had told him so on several occasions in the past, but he shied away from doing
that, thinking that he would make a public laughing stock of himself. Instead,
he intently watched other boys and instantly understood that the trick was to actually
start with the right hand and carefully transfer the burnt-out end with the
left hand. And he had succeeded. But
some boy behind him said: Not allowed! Not allowed! That had been a favourite
phrase of students those days. He had not looked back to see who he was, lest
he lost his concentration. It was perhaps his class mate Anthony who always
joked around, or perhaps had run out of money already! Later he thought that he
should try his hand at feeding the tiger. At first he was very anxious to try
this game, but as there were so many big boys gathered around the area, Felicio
thought that he would make a tragic fool of himself, and so he changed his mind
and walked away. He noticed that the tiger’s mouth was too small for its body
size and he was too far away!
He wandered about in the
environs for a while, talking to some of his classmates and watching others try
the various games of skill. Then as he casually turned around he saw a
Volkswagen Beetle suddenly pull up near the Cross. It was the second time that he
had seen this car at Monte. He paced slowly around it in awesome wonder and was
reluctant to take his eyes away from the automobile. Unlike the trucks that
hauled fire-wood up the slope, the engine of this car was running whisper
quiet. No wonder he had not heard it pull up.
Later he decided to give
a listen to the school musicians who were playing and singing on the south-west
corner of the fair-grounds. He noticed that it was led by a student who played
the guitar. He was a boarder. His parents were in East Africa. Felicio had watched
him practice in the same place during the afternoon recess several times before
and had admired at his skill. He was in a higher class. He sang‘Three coins in
the fountain’, followed by a song that went something like: “Have faith, hope, and
charity... that's the way to live successfully." Other boys were singing alongtoo and clapping
hands keeping up the tempo and the singer’s enthusiasm. They had chosen the
right songs, Felicio thought, as it seemed that ‘the three Coins’ referred to
the few coins he had still left in his pocket - as he constantly reached into his
pocket to make sure they he did not lose them; and ‘faith and hope’ he thoughtimplied
that he must have faith in himself and hope to win at least some of the gamesof
skill, while ‘charity’ suggested that he should not worry if his efforts went
the otherway!
Just then he noticed
that a group of boys had gathered near the balustrade surrounding the Cross.
From that cluster came music that sounded like a radio broadcast. He was curious
to see what it was. Fellow students had circled another ex-student visiting Monte
that day, showing off an amazingly tiny radio that fitted so well into his
breast pocket. Felicio would later come to know that it was one of our world’s
great invention. It was called ‘the pocket transistor radio’ that he had seen
at Monte for the first time.
It seemed the afternoon
had passed away so quickly. Felicio had thoroughly enjoyed himself. The pocket
radio and the Volkswagen Beetle had made his day.
From the top of the plateau and standing there at
the white balustrade surrounding the Cross he could see the vast stretch and
expanse of the Arabian Sea, the hills of Saliga and Sinquerim to the south, and
Baga and Anjuna towards the north. Time had usually stood still at this very
spot many times before, especially during afternoon recess when he had admired
this spectacular scenery. But it had definitely not on this day. The sun was seemingly all set and ready to
plunge gradually into the horizon for a night’s repose.
Suddenly, Felicio
realized that he had ahead of him a long way to walk home before dark. But not
until he had tried his hand at ‘feed the tiger’. So, without further ado
he proceeded straight to
the booth. That was Felicio’s final personal mission.
He had almost forgotten
to get his courage back to check that one out. He felt for the last remnants of
small change he had left in his hip pocket. He would certainly not leave without
feeding and taming the tiger. Let the big boys laugh if they wanted to, should
he fail in his endeavour to throw the ball through the tiger’s mouth. And he
had dared and won – he had fed the tigerwith the last ball. It had been a great
and enjoyable day.
It was called the
Mission Sunday. Ad Ardua. True to the cause.
And I know this story is true. Felicio is my middle name.
Tony Fernandes (a.k.a. Felicio)
Class of 1964
St. Anthony’s High
School, Monte de Guirim, Goa
Tony Fernandes टोनी
फेर्नान्देस
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