Fr Nazareth Fernandes, the Superior General of the Society of Pilar, along with the Jubiliarians
PANAJI
A Thanksgiving Eucharist was celebrated to mark the Sacerdotal Golden and Silver Jubilee of 14 priests belonging to the Society of Pilar at the Mission Seminary Chapel in Pilar on April 23.
Fr Alarico Carvalho, who completed 50 years of service as a priest, hails from Orlim and was ordained by late Archbishop Raul Gonsalves along with his brother Fr Augusto Carvalho and other 12 diocesan priests in the Holy Spirit Church, Margao.
Fr Carvalho is currently based in Delhi and has been involved in the education and uplift of the poor and marginalised.
Fr Martin D’Souza, Fr Floriano Rodrigues, Fr Ronald D’Souza, Fr Edmund Mascarenhas, Fr Eleuterio Antao, Fr Ivon D’Almeida, Fr Nelson Furtado, Fr Agnelo A. Bhoya, Fr Paulo Fernandes, Fr Rock Furtado, Fr Brian R. Fernandes, Fr Joaquim Mascarenhas and Fr Patrick Luis are celebrating their Silver Jubilee. These priests have served in different parts of India and abroad in the field of education, health and social work.
The Society of Pilar, founded in Pilar in 1887 and reorganised in 1939, serves in Goa and various parts of India from the Andaman Islands to Himachal Pradesh and from Gujarat to Meghalaya in 112 places.
It has 69 schools in various languages, mainly in the rural and poor areas, besides hostels and social work institutions. The members of the Society of Pilar have been pioneers in education in parts of Dadra Nagar Haveli, Andaman & Nicobar and Punjab.