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By Anne-Marie Rego Francis Silva was born in Mangalore, on the 27th of September, 1875, the son of Laurence Silva and Isabella Baptist. He came to Bombay while still young and matriculated from St. Xavier’s in 1894. For the next 30 years, he worked in the office of the Accountant General, retiring as Superintendent. He was a man of great vision and foresight and believed wholeheartedly in service to the community and to the Christians in particular. He saw the need for the Christian community in Bombay to unite itself in order to have an active role in the local politics of the day and also to help the apprehensive new arrivals from other parts of India who needed a foothold and a hand up in the big, bustling, businesslike city so unlike their quiet little towns. By 1901, there were sufficient Mangaloreans in Bombay to form an Association of their own, and so he, along with some of the other stalwarts, founded the Kanara Catholic Association on 17th February, 1901. F.L. Silva was the first Honorary Secretary of the KCA and was the Vice-President twice, in 1902 and 1908.  He then held the post of President of the KCA in 1910, 1911, 1912,1913, 1921 and 1923. The KCA Golden Jubilee Souvenir states “The indomitable zeal with which he worked for the Association from the time of its inception up to the date of his departure to Bangalore earned for him the honour of being elected President on five other occasions.” While he continued to extend his support to the KCA, he also saw the growing need for housing among the Catholics due to the large number of young people arriving in Bombay for better prospects. Along with Frank Oliveira (an East Indian) and Dr. A.G. Viegas (a Goan), he formed the Bombay Catholic Co-operative Housing Society (Willingdon Colony) in Santa Cruz in 1919. As Teresa Albuquerque states in her book “Santa Cruz that was”, “Who was F.L. Silva? He has been called “the prime mover of this Society”. Assistant-Examiner of Accounts, Indian Finance Department, F.L. Silva, J.P., was a great social worker who actively sponsored several Catholic organisations here in Bombay and later in the South.  Under his guidance, the Christian Association became a live body. He was subsequently nominated a member of the Mysore Legislative Council, became the Director of Mysore Spun Silk Limited and represented the Silk Trade in the Indo-Japanese Trade Talks as a non-official advisor to the Government of India.” He took a furlough from his job to personally supervise the setting up of not only the Willingdon Colony but also assisted in the formation of the Mangalorean Garden Homes in Bandra. His grandchildren remember him as a very soft-spoken man who concealed a vast reservoir of knowledge and experience. He was a pioneer in the silk industry. His grand-daughter Colleen states: “Grandpa ‘s love for learning led him to study the making of silk and the rearing of silk worms. I remember vividly the smell of the boiling silk cocoons.” He taught the Kollegal village women to grow mulberry trees on which these worms thrived. He set up Bangalore Silk Filatures in 1922, the first electrically operated silk factory in India. In 1938 he set up Kollegal Silk Filatures which was later taken over by the Government of India when World War II started in order to make silk parachutes. In 1912, he purchased a large property adjoining the Jeppu Seminary in Mangalore and the road leading to this was named F. L. Silva Road after him and is still there today. He married Letitia Vas in St. Peter’s Church, Bandra on the 13th of February 1904. They had eight children; Eulalia, Lawrence, Irene, Constance, Richard, Winston, Clarence and Charles. He would have been very proud of his daughter Irene Rego who carried forward his strong belief in community service and was very actively involved in the KCA and its St. Anthony’s League. His son-in-law Louis Rego was the KCA Honorary Secretary from 1926-29 and contributed Rs. 10,000/- towards the construction of Yuvakalaya. Furthermore, his grandson Edgar Sylva was the longest serving KCA President from 1990-2007. Now, the torch has been passed on to F.L. Silva’s great-grandson Sunil Alva. His eldest grandson Gerard Rego remembers his grandfather as “a very religious man and a strict disciplinarian. He ensured that we went for daily mass even while we were on holiday. No meal could start without the ‘Grace before meals’, no matter how famished we were. I was always in awe of him as he was a multi- faceted personality – a great orator, planner and thinker. His home was open to everyone and he was known for his big and generous heart. Mummy (Irene Rego) always talked about his community spirit – when they settled in Bangalore, their house always hosted any Mangalorean who was visiting – guests came first, family took second place. – as they were one of the pioneer Mangalorean families in Bangalore families in Bangalore.” His grand-daughter Colleen Shenoi remembers him as “a man far ahead of his times, a visionary, a stalwart, a righteous and extraordinary man. He along with his peers are our guiding lights, for future generations to emulate and admire.” Another grand-daughter Selma Deans says “He was an inspirational role model for us — a soft spoken, unassuming and self-effacing man with determination who looked into the future and selflessly gave for the betterment of others.” Francis Silva passed away on the 8th of February 1949 aged 73, in Bangalore and was interred in the Hosur Road Cemetery. 

The Father of Co-Operative Movements  A Catholic Visionary like no other in India By Robin Saldanha On the 6th of March, 1863, a son was born to the Thonse Rebellos of Kallianpur, Joanna (nee Monteiro) and Mattheus Rebello.  He was christened Francis Anthony Cyril Rebello.  He had his early education at the Government College at Mangalore, the only institution at the time.  (St. Aloysius College commenced in 1880).  He graduated from the University of Madras in 1883, BA with Honours, a gold medallist in Economics.  Excelling in mathematics, he was recruited by the Office of the Accountant General, Madras Presidency.  He worked there for a period of three years.  Knowing there were better prospects in Bombay, he joined the same Office in the Bombay Presidency in 1886.  By sheer diligence, being a man of principle and character, he was promoted in quick succession, and rose to the post of Accountant General of Bombay. Mr. Rebello was also a Justice of Peace and an Honorary Magistrate.  While in Office, he helped numerous Catholics with jobs.  In fact, he recruited Mr. J. S. Pereira and Mr. Francis de Ga, both from Bandra, to the Accountants General Office. It was during this period that he also took on the arduous task of educating with strict discipline his younger brother Peter’s 13 children! (Peter was the hereditary Patel and Honorary Magistrate of Kallianpur, and had to manage the vast Rebello properties there.   At the age of 5 years, he sent his children to Bombay.  All the ‘A’s excelled in their respective careers, 3 joining religious orders.  Dr. A.C. Rebello, KCSG, MLC was a past President of the KCA.  Mr. Cyril Rebello retired from the Accountants General Office in 1921. No other Catholic in India has laboured so tirelessly to improve the religious, socio, and economic status of the community, and most importantly with NO vested interests.  Mr. F.A.C. Rebello was a man simple in appearance with austere habits.  In fact, he ate and slept very little, always on the move.  His motto was “Laborare est Orare” (work is worship).  His visionary mind was constantly active, brimming with ideas to organise help, protect and educate the Catholics.  He was truly a missionary who practised his religion, an unassuming man who never spoke of his achievements, and was embarrassed when others praised his work.  Hence, there are no photographs of him with Governors, church hierarchy, or at civic receptions even though he was Chairman of the municipality of Bandra.  He founded numerous Co-operative Societies which have flourished under his initiative, labour, organisational skills and expert advice; housing, credit, education, religious and agricultural societies in Bombay, Honawar, Dharwar, Belgaum, Poona, Nasik, Bassein, and Karachi. Mr. Rebello was a regular if not the largest client, at the Chief Engineer’s Office in the Development Department.  A firm believer that indigenous Catholics of the land should possess their own property and not be ousted by others, and also to safeguard their rights as well as to encourage other Catholics to buy property at concessional rates, led to him setting up the following Co-operative Societies:  The Salsette Catholic Co-operative Housing Society Ltd in 1918 in Bandra.  The St. Sebastian’s Home Co-operative Society Ltd in 1918 in Bandra.  The Vile Parle Catholic Co-operative Housing Society Ltd (in liquidation).  The Mangalorean Garden Homes Co-operative Society Ltd in 1916 in Bandra.  The Nasik Catholic Sanatoria Co-operative Society Ltd in 1919.  The Bombay Catholic Co-operative Housing Society Ltd in 1922 in Santa Cruz.  The St. Anthony’s Homes Co-operative Society Ltd in 1925 in Chembur.  The Dharwar Catholic Colony Co-operative Society Ltd.  Acres of land were bought at Andheri and Vile Parle, but due to various reasons (some by the Government who wanted the land for the railways) the plan was abandoned, some of the land was sold, some still remains.  The MGHCS bought 3 plots on St. Leo’s Road, now history as the plots were sold by the current committee.  To revive the society, Dr. A C Rebello gave his land, (now Rebello House) though he was getting numerous offers from non-Catholics.  20 lakhs! from a Sindhi in 1960. The western side of Bombay had the majority of Catholic housing, so Mr. Rebello thought of having a colony for Catholics on the eastern side i.e. Chembur, and St. Anthony’s Society came about; a well-planned layout with a Church, a boys’ school, a girls’ convent, and a large playground.  Mr. Rebello was Chairman of St. Anthony’s Homes from 1927-33, and President in 1934. The Bombay Catholic Co-operative Housing Society Ltd, Santa Cruz (the Willingdon Colony) is also part of history now – sadly, after much time and toil to provide affordable housing for the community in a verdant surrounding, it was sold to a non-Catholic builder recently. The Nasik Catholic Sanatoria Co-Operative Society Ltd had 6 furnished cottages built as a memorial to Baptista, Domingo, Rebello, Simcox, Bethlehem, and Dr. Viegas (Scheme A).  The cottages were for member families, and non-members, to enable them to have a holiday or recuperate, in a healthier climate than Bombay for nominal rates of Rs. 30 – 40 per month.  Alas, this too has been sold due to the greed of men. He also bought 16 acres, 8 guntas of land on behalf of the society in 1924 for Rs. 2,350/- in Deolali village (Scheme B).  It was divided into 32 smaller plots and sold at affordable rates to Catholics to build their own homes.  Numerous families benefitted from this scheme.  As the Government of India Printing Press was established close by, and also the church and school, rates appreciated in the area.  Mr. Rebello had grand ideas for Nasik; he wanted to build a Catholic township with schools, a Church, hospital, parks, etc., but sadly, his untimely demise prevented this.  He acquired more land in October 1934, most of which was bought by the Bishop of Poona.  A portrait of Mr. Cyril Rebello, was hung in Rebello Cottage, Nasik, after his demise. Mr. Rebello was the first person in India to adopt the co-operative rules to