Varca church road named after Fr Freddy

Team Herald

MARGAO: The road leading from Varca church junction to Laxette was on Saturday officially named as Fr Freddy J da Costa road after the illustrious son village who hailed from Laxette. Parish Priest Fr Candido Fernandes blessed the plaque and local MLA and former chief minister Churchill Alemao unveiled it.

Initially, the road leading from Laxette was to be named after Fr Freddy on July 20, which is his birthday. However, due to some problem the same was postponed and held on Saturday. The Varca Gram Sabha on July 29 resolved to name the Church junction after Fr Freddy.

Recalling Fr Freddy as his teacher, Fr Candido said he was a strict disciplinarian who wanted discipline in every walk of life and urged people to lead a disciplined life without resorting to any dishonesty or lies.

He said Fr Freddy was one rare person who not only dreamt large but also strove to realize his dreams and pointed out that the Shrine of the Miraculous Cross at Bambolim was one of his gifts to Goans.

President of Tiatr Academy of Goa Agostinho Temudo while stating that it was right to honour people for their great work by naming roads after them hoped that at least a culvert if not a road will be named after him.

Chairman of 125th Anniversary of Tiatr Celebration Tomazinho Cardoso congratulated the people of Varca for naming the road after the illustrious son of the village who gave the world famous Gulab magazine for Goans.

“Fr Freddy has done immense service to Konkani and particularly Konkani in Roman script and it is right to immortalize them by having such functions,” he said.

Aleamo recalled that Fr Freddy and he were classmates and complimented Fr Freddy’s brothers Fausto and Fabian for keeping Gulab going even now and also recalled that Fr Freddy offered the printing press set up by him to the Bishop for use for the Diocese.

The programme was organized by Fr Freddy J da Costa Memorial Trust along with Tiatr Academy of Goa and the 125th Anniversary of Tiatr Celebration Committee. Earlier, another road in the village of Seraulim was named after another multifaceted personality Felicio Cardoso.

Felicio Cardoso was a well known Konkani writer, playwright and even lyricist. Both Felicio and Fr Freddy died together in an accident on May 17, 2004 outside the State of Goa.