St. Lawrence Parish of Belle Through the Century - V

By Dr. Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Adapted from: The Brief History of St. Lawrence Parish, Belle(in Konkani) by Boniface Barboza
Bellevision Media Network

5. Further Progress of the Belle Parish

 

Moodubelle, 01 December 2010: By this time Belle parish had made considerable progress especially in the field of education. First the high school and later the Junior College enabled the students to acquire education in Belle itself at least till the PUC. Those who wanted to continue higher college education could proceed either to Shirva or Udupi.  With the passage of time Belle witnessed further progress in the field of education and other respects. This phase also witnessed the establishment of the English medium school in Belle.

 

Fr. Harold Menezes arrived at Belle as the seventh parish priest on 21 May 1983. Having experience in various fields, Fr. Menezes has  been known as a priest of devotion and discipline. He was able to win over the minds of the parishioners and helped in the spiritual and material growth of the parish.

 

 

Following the transfer of Fr. Alexander Lobo as the headmaster of the Rosario High School, Mangalore, there was a need of a principal to manage St. Lawrence Composite PU College and  Fr. Marian Pinto occupied that position. During the tenure of Fr. Harold Menezes as the Correspondent and Fr. Marina Pinto as the principal, the Silver Jubilee of the establishment of St. Lawrence High School was celebrated with great enthusiasm. On this occasion, the foundation stone for the new building for the Junior College was blessed by the Vicar General of the Mangalore Diocese, Rev. Fr. Alexander D’Souza. The Platinum Jubilee of the foundation of the Belle parish was also celebrated in a grand manner.

 

Fr. Harold Menezes repaired the parochial house, constructed new bell tower and used the tower to support the water tank so that the high school-PU College complex could get drinking water. He also celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of the Church Aided Higher Primary School and in its memory constructed a new auditorium.  It was during the tenure of Fr. Harold Menezes that the quarterly parish journal ‘Suvaad’ was published which has gradually grown in quality and size.

 

Giving importance to religious and spiritual studies, Fr.  Harold Menezes attempted to promote liturgical services in a more meaningful way.  He also tried to infuse new life in the parish associations, especially the Catholic Youth Movement (CYM) of the parish. The youth of that time had won a number of prizes in the parish, inter-parish and inter-varado level competitions.
During the tenure of Fr. Harold Menezes as the parish priest, Fr. Gerald Pinto, Fr. Victor Gerald D’Souza, Fr. Ronald Serao and Fr. Ronald D’Souza had rendered their service in the Belle parish as assistant parish priests. On 2 June 1990, Fr. Harold Menezs was transferred to Derebail parish.

 

Fr. Harold Menezes was born on 16 December 1931 at Puttur and was ordained a priest on 1 March 1958. He served as assistant parish priest at Derebail from 1958 to 1959 and in Milagres Church, Mangalore from 1959 to 1962. He was appointed as Chaplain at Nidapally from 1962 to 1966. He served as parish priest of Bajal from 1966 to 1975, Mogarnad from 1975 to 1983, Belle from 1983 to 1990 and Derebail from 1990 to 1995. Later he acted as Chaplain at Rosa Mystica from 1995 to 1997, parish priest of Pamboor between 1997 and 2003 and Chaplain at Kotekar from 2003 to 2008 and retired from active pastoral service in 2008. Presently he is residing in Senior priests Home at St. Antony’s Ashram, Jeppu, Mangalore.

 

Following the transfer of Fr. Harold Menezes, Fr. John Joseph Saldanha came to Belle as the eighth parish priest on 1 June 1990. Always smiling, amiable and down to earth, Fr. Saldanha endeared to the people of Belle. He was chiefly responsible for opening the branch of the Syndicate Bank near St. Lawrence Composite PU College. He also built a hall  on the first floor of the PU College.

 

 

During the tenure of Fr. J.J. Saldanha as the parish priest he was assisted by Fr. Peter Paul Saldanha, Fr. Assisi Rebello and Fr. Alban D’Silva. Fr. Lewis Cutinho who taught as a lecturer in the Junior College also had assisted in the pastoral work of the parish. After serving for seven years, Fr. John Joseph Saldanha was transferred to Kinnigoli as Vicarvaar on 21 May 1997.

 

Fr. John Joseph Saldanha was born on 19 September 1927 at Kemmannu. He was ordained a priest on 16 November 1954. He served as assistant parish priest at Agrar from 1955 to 1959, Bantwal from 1959 to 1962.  He was parish priest at a number of places: Kokkada: 1962-1969, Belve: 1969-1974, Cassia: 1974-1981, Bajpe: 1981-1990, Belle: 1990-1997, Kinnigoli: 1997-2003. After retirement from active pastoral service, Fr. Saldanha was at the Vianney Home from 2003 to 2005 and later served as the Spiritual Minister at the Milagres Church, Mangalore from 2005 to 2009. Fr. J.J. Saldanha expired on 8 July 2009.

 

On 22 May 1997, Fr. Charles Lewis took charge as the ninth parish priest of Belle. It was during his tenure that the multi-purpose parish hall was constructed near the church. Realising the need of the time, Fr. Charles Lewis started St. Lawrence English Medium School. As the pastoral house had become too old, Fr. Charles Lewis demolished the old structure and constructed a new one at its place.

 

 

Fr. Charles Lewis worked hard to build the parish community from the grass-root. He introduced the concept of the Small Christian Community (SCC) at the ward level. He upgraded the small chapel at Kuntalnagar into a church so that the parishioners of that area could have a place of worship near their residences. Later, Fr. Charles Lewis was appointed as the first parish priest of Kuntalnagar from 16 May 2003.

 

During the tenure of Fr. Charles Lewis as the parish priest of Belle, Fr. Anil Cornelio and Fr. Lawrence Mascarenhas served as assistant parish priests.  Meanwhile, Fr. Paul Sequeira took charge of St. Lawrence PU College as the principal.

 

Fr. Charles Lewis was born on 23 November 1945 and was ordained a priest on 5 January 1971. He was the assistant parish priest of Bajpe from 1971 to 1972 and Puttur between 1972 and 1973. For a year he served as the Chaplain at Fr. Muller’s Hospital, Kankanday, Mangalore from 1973 to 1974. Thereafter, Fr. Charles Lewis had been parish priest of Adyapadi: 1974-1982, Kolalgiri: 1982-1989, Agrar: 1989-1990, Katipalla: 1990-1997, Belle: 1997-2003, Kuntalnagar: 2003-2010, Pamboor: 2010-todate.