Articles from Old Newspapers & Magazines (Magazine, Catholic India )

Articles from Old Newspapers & Magazines and Translated Articles on MSGR. HERCULANO GONSALVES from Portuguese to English

Article taken from Magazine, Catholic India Annual 1938

Fr. Herculano Gonsalves and his “Little Flower of Jesus School.”

By: J. P. Lobo, B.A., L.L.B.

There are a few green oases in the ‘Field of the Padroado Mission” in Bombay; but none is greener than the spot where Fr. Herculano Gonsalves has been at work. Unlike the rest of the missionaries, he devoted all his time, care and attention to the last of the Lord’s sheep. In fact he was seldom connected with those ostentatious activities which at the royal roads to red honours. During the many years of his life in Bombay, like the Cure de Arc, he preferred to be a simple extra at the church of the St. Francis Xavier at Dabul and a humble chaplain at Sonapur and to work from sunrise to midnight for the poor, visiting the chawls, slums and brothels, rather than the arena of the oratory expounding the philosophy of Chesterton and exposing that of Shaw! Intimately acquainted with the drama of poverty and distress in the working class of the Goans, it was he who realized the need of a primary school for their children. He felt that the public schools in Bombay including those of the mission were conducted on commercial bases. In such schools the children of the poor were admitted only if there was room which could not be engaged more profitably. As a teacher in some of the Goan schools, I had frequent occasions to witness the callous charity with which application for reduction in fees, made by a cook or butler, on the ground that he had a large family and therefore could not afford education to the children on the calendered terms of fees, were entertained by the missionaries. The kind heart of Fr. Gonsalves could not stand all this and in 1923, in a humble building he, rather daringly and perhaps with greater trust in God than I possess, opened his “Little Flower of Jesus School”- a mixed school for boys and girls. The declared policy of the church is against mixed schools, but Fr. Gonsalves who knew of the conditions of life in the chawls and slums where the children of the poor without distinction of sex live together all the twenty- four hours of the day, did not think like the more theoretical moralists, that five hours of mixing of boys and girls in a classroom under the supervision of the teachers would affect injuriously their morals. The school at once was a success. The children of the cooks, butlers and fitters came in rags but in numbers. The premises could not hold them all and therefore the school had to be shifted every year from place to place until it was finally located in the well-lit, windswept spacious building at Princess Street where it functions at present. Though from the point of school population, the institution was a great success and an eyesore to the neighbouring schools of the Diocese, its financial condition, for obvious reasons, was precarious. During the period the school continued under the management of the Founder, every year the deficit recurred in four figures. At the end of each year “a charitable gentleman” always came to the rescue. In the rarity of Christian charity under the sun, in vain we should look outside the school precincts for the hero who can perform this Herculean task of pulling every year so gracefully the strings of his purse for the benefits of the little “flowers of Jesus”! But from where did Fr. Gonsalves get so much money? His own sermons, though three every Sunday, were never sold; the small allowance from Dr. Dalgado’s Fund which we received in connection with his work of rescue of fallen women, he returned untouched to the fund; on the pension and stipend of the masses he had secret claims. Indeed hidden are the ways of God. In 1930 Fr. Herculano Gonsalves was detached to Calangute where, for a long time, a moral plague known at the place under the misleading designation of “politica”, had infected the Church and the Congregation. Apparently none of the seven hundred priests who live in Goa in a delicious idleness were good enough to tackle the situation. The soldier of Christ would have made his kit, which chiefly consisted of his reputation, in an hour’s time, but the school kept him in Bombay for several months. He tried in vain to entrust his “little flowers” to the care of all missionary institutions but the recurring deficit made them all decline the over. At last he appealed to the Goan union, but the grey wisdom was full of arguments against the dangerous proposition which within a few years would vanish the ‘Educational Fund and the Union as well. Fortunately for the poor the rash youth in the Central Council, responded to the impassioned appeal and staked the issue. Now, the immediate problem was the appointment of a principal with qualifications and ability and who was prepared o work for considerations other than adequate remuneration. Prof. Justino De Souza accepted the charge of Rs. 60 per month and immediately he fell to the task of devising the means and measures which would diminish the burden of the Union. So successful were his plans that his raffles, dances and fetes brought what was not only sufficient to cover that deficit but also to leave a small surplus which now, together with the grant- in- aid received from the Municipal Co-operation of the City of Bombay, due to his persistent efforts, amounts to Rs. 7,500. The school now is definitely in a sound financial position and from the reports of the school as well as from the practical demonstration of the parts of the children in their annual performances we can safely say, no where better training is available. But the success of the school has made many eyes green with envy. I do not desire in any way to yield to the temptation and contribute to the inglorious controversy in which vague accusations were made to cast suspicions on the honesty of the principal. It suffices to say that a searching inquiry by the Board of Trustees whose reputation is above challenge and another by professional auditors, have not only exonerated the principal but eventually led to record his great services to the school. What the impartial mind feels about the school may be gathered from the remarks of Mr. J. E. Streatfield, I.C.S., Collector of Bombay:- “This prize giving function of your school is one which by its general excellence, interest of the programme provided for the visitors and record of a good year’s work by a Progressive Institution, has this evening, and in the past too, crowded a big building like the Sir Cowasji Jehangir Hall. That is sufficient testimony to the reputation of the “Little Flower of Jesus School” and the importance of this occasion……..” I can see quite clearly from today’s programme and from the record of the past gatherings, and that is, that the “Little Flower of Jesus School” needs no words of mine to commend it. In spite of handicaps your school is growing steadily. Last year, that is 1935-36, you opened with 499 students on the roll, while we have just heard from your Principal Mr. De Souza, that you opened with no fewer than 558 students in the year under review………” “The children have, in the first part of the programme afforded great pleasure to all of us, and we may feel sure that the remainder will not depart from the high standard already set. Few of us here can realize the difficulty and responsibility of training well over 500 children, and the results achieved reflect great credit on your Principal, Mr. Justino De Souza, on his loyal staff, and on the children themselves and I hope that their efforts in the future will continue to meet with the well earned success as they have in the past…..” “I was told that only a few remarks would be expected from the President and I certainly had not included, when accepting the invitation for this evening, to weary you with a long speech. I have felt, however, very strongly, after learning of the record of past’s achievements and being privileged to take part in this function today, that more than a few words are due to this school. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sure you will all join with me in congratulating the Principal, staff and students on a very good year’s work….” The Principal may be proud of his great work