TEAM HERALD
CURCHOREM: Tension prevailed at Curchorem Church on Sunday morning after the parishioners confronted Episcopal Vicar South Goa Fr Lucio Dias demanding reinstatement of Fr James Torres e Silva as parish priest of Guardian Angel Church, Curchorem.
According to reports, it all began after Fr Dias during Sunday Mass at Guardian Angel Church, Curchorem, announced that hardly 200-300 parishioners attended the meeting on September 9 and protested against the resignation of Fr James.
Sources said soon after the announcement, the parishioners gathered outside the church and met Fr Dias when he came out to bless the vehicles. The parishioners sought to know why he made the announcement in the church, claiming that only 200-300 parishioners had gathered to demand reinstatement of the parish priest when nearly 1,000 parishioners had attended.
When asked to rectify his announcement, Fr Dias refused to do so. The parishioners did not allow Fr Dias to leave the church premises for almost over three hours and sought Archbishop’s intervention to sort out the issue.
Curchorem PI Siddhant Shirodkar rushed to the site and brought the situation under control. He requested the parishioners to maintain sanctity of the place.
PI Shirodkar also asked the parishioners to send their demands/grievances to him so that he can forward it to the administration and the superiors for an amicable solution.
Later, the parishioners allowed Fr Dias to leave the church, demanding to convey their demand to the Archbishop to reinstate Fr James immediately and dissolve the committee within two days.
When contacted, Fr Dias stated that he read the announcement in the church which was given to him by the Archbishop. “I did not go to verify the facts,” said Fr Dias.
When asked why the Fabrica committee was not dissolved yet which the parishioners are demanding for the last three years, Fr Dias said: “It is the prerogative of the Archbishop to appoint and dissolve the Fabrica committee. We simply cannot dissolve the committee because parishioners are demanding,” stated Fr Dias.
Later speaking to Herald, a parishioner said if one goes by the announcement made in the church, it looks like that the authorities are not ready to listen to the request of the parishioners.
