On November 18th, our villagers along with Cansaulim Villagers Action Committee and CAC Civic and Consumer Forum and Fr Jean Cruz Fernandes our Parish Priest, Fr Maurice Colaco and Fr Marianho Silveira, Chaplain organized a candlelight procession from St Lawrence Chapel Arossim to St Thomas Church, followed by a time for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament to celebrate the life of Fr Bismarque who stood for the Truth, Justice and Environment protection and to pray for him, and that his tragic death be probed properly by the Government authorities and Goa Police.

As we reflected during the Adoration on a reading from the Book of Genesis about Creation, how God created the waters, the Earth, the birds, animals, sea creatures and then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

What God created was very good and he gave Man the stewardship over it all.

The beautiful rendition of the Hymn that was sung during the adoration of the Holy Sacrament Probhu Jezu (R-30 on Gaionacho Jhelo) was an inspiring reflection on God’s Creation.

Probhu Jezu, amchea Probhu Jezu

Suria, chondrim’ ani taram-zomo

Uzvadd fankoun porkond kortat oso

Tunch Mha-Suria, ami porzoll Tuzo

Probhu Jezu amchea Probhu Jezu

Dogor porvot tuji vorixtt vedi

Panchvi xetam, dhortorechi mati

Tujeam paiam vixall fulam-thali

Probhu Jezu amchea Probhu Jezu

It was a very emotional evening with close aides and warriors of Fr. Dias Bismarque remembering his kindness, his love, his selflessness towards the rich and the poor. Fr. Marianho our chaplain walked with us to the church, Fr. Jean our vicar blessed us with a beautiful homily on Fr. Bismarque and his love for the environment and how he fought tooth and nail to save it.

After the prayer service a few speakers recalled the work that Fr Bismarque had done for Goa and Goans. Fr Eremito Rebelo prayed that his mother and family be comforted while demanding that Justice be done. Fr Rebelo said the Goans will continue to fight to protect Goa and it’s Goenkarponn.

Judith Almeida called the gathering not to be cowed down and continue to fight and especially asked the youth to unite and take all environmental issues to the National Green tribunal just like how Fr Bismarque filed a case with NGT to protect his village and received death threats for it and may have lost his life because of the NGT case, which he will surely win as he did a deep study before filing it.

The group of Fathers warriors sang the song Fr Bismarque loved to sing always “Sarkhe vatten choll”.

Fr. Bismarque Dias hailed from Sant Estevam but belonged to all of Goa. He graduated from Dhempe College of Arts and Science Miramar and joined the Blessed Sacrament Fathers in Colaba Mumbai in 1987. He was ordained a priest in 1996 and initially worked with youth in Mumbai. He was a good volleyball spiker, a talented musician and a fearless preacher who gave his all for Goa to protect it’s ecology and fragile environment, identity, culture and heritage.

He was then posted at Mae de Deus chapel Siolim and then helped to build the Blessed Sacrament Fathers House at Alto Santa Cruz while reaching out to Goans who needed help, be it Vanxim Island Divar, Siridao, Bambolim or all over Goa. Fr Bismarque stood up to the mining lobby, the builders and starred hoteliers lobby and corrupt politicians in Goa and spoke with conviction to protect Goa for the future generations.

Fr Bismarque Dias always had big dreams and hopes for the future generations of Goa he always called himself an earth politician. His only motive was to save mother earth and save Goa for the future generations. He motivated the youth to love their land and safeguard it from the clutches of corrupt politicians and land sharks who are on the spree of destroying Goa as if there is no tomorrow.

Fr Bismarque Dias for the first time came to Cansaulim in 2010, at the height of the Regional Plan uproar and Cansaulim was coming to terms with the monstrosity of a gated complex in a interior ward of Cansaulim with a small narrow 3 and half meter road. It was Fr Bismarque Dias who was on a sabbatical break, who then grilled the elected panchas of 2010 and they spilled the beans to Fr Bismarque Dias, that money had indeed exchanged hands in lieu of the construction licence.

Over the last five years, Fr Bismarque Dias kept in touch with the Cansaulkars and showed concern when another huge starred hotel was being foisted on the villagers namely the Sheraton Hotel proposed by the Competent Automobiles New Delhi on an area of 1.10 lakh sq meters in a highly eco fragile area on Arossim beach.

He stormed into Cansaulim yet again, with his Save Tiracol musical group and sang with gusto and lit the spark of fire for yet another agitation against the proposed five starred beach resort by the Cansulkars who are indebted to this courageous and bold prophet who saw tomorrow for Goa and its people.

Fr Bismarque used to encourage everyone to read and follow the encyclical letter from our Our Holy Father, Pope Francis “LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord”. In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs”.