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(Excerpt from the Golden Jubilee Souvenir, 1951)  Way back in the sixties of the last century, the calls of “Urbs Prima in Indis” began to lure some of the more enterprising members of the Kanara Catholic community, particularly of the town of Mangalore, and although those were not the days of a regular coastal steamship service, that did not deter them from entering Bombay Port by country craft, mainly for the purposes of trade.  Bombay was just then entering upon an era of unparalleled prosperity, what with its being the first port of call for ships from Europe, laden as they were with the products of a highly industrialized continent, and which awaited distribution in this part of the country from Bombay, the emporium of the East.  The textile industry of Bombay gave a further impetus to trade and it was not, therefore, surprising that a brisk coastal trade was carried on between Bombay and many of the Southern Ports.   Mangalore also had much to offer Bombay in the shape of her locally manufactured roofing tiles, and the coffee grown on the hillside tracts of Mysore State adjoining South Kanara.  Trade prosperity in Bombay spelled increased employment all round, and jobs of all kinds were to be had for the asking.  From the beginnings of Kanarian mercantile activity, there soon followed a small trickle of educated persons to whom Bombay offered good scope for service in its mercantile, public and administrative offices.     The inauguration of the ‘Shepherd Line’ of steamers (later becoming the ‘Bombay Steam Navigation Company’) gave a further impetus to the influx of Kanara Catholics into Bombay, and the tiny trickle of the ‘70’s and ‘80’s grew steadily into a mighty stream before the end of the last century, until in 1900, it was estimated that there were about three to four hundred members of the Catholic community of North and South Kanara, who had taken root in this city, excluding a probable thousand members spread about the city, and following the avocations of domestic and other industrial work.  With the beginning of the present century, the Kanarites in Bombay began to feel the necessity of having an Association of their own, and it was on February 17, 1901 that at a large and representative meeting of the community, it was decided to form the Kanara Catholic Association, its first President being the Hon’ble Major Cajetan Fernandes, M.D., I.M.S., (pictured right) and its first Honorary Secretary, the Late Mr. Francis Louis Silva.  The Association was established in the interests of the Catholics of Kanara, and had for its objects, the fostering of a spirit of union, friendship, and self-help among the members; the provision and facilities for their meeting together for social and other purposes; and the organization of charitable relief, and such others as were necessary for the promotion of the welfare of the community. The motto of the Association was “Vis Unita Fortior”, a principle to which it has made great efforts to live up to during its span of existence of 50 years, as is evidenced by its various activities. You can read more on the history of the KCA and download the complete Golden Jubilee Souvenir from the History section of this website (click here).

By Dr. Kranti K. Farias On February 19, 1901, at a large gathering of the community, it was decided to form the Kanara Catholic Association. With 50 Members on its rolls, Hon. Major Cajetan Fernandes, a North Kanarite was Founder President (1901 – 1905) and Mr. Francis L Silva, the first Secretary. There were about 400 Mangalorean Catholics at that time.Many were there who made an impressive contribution to the growth of the Kanara Catholic Association down the years. In 1961, in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee Year of the Association, the Managing Council with full faith in the support of Members embarked on an ambitious project, the mammoth task of building a hall and hostel, having limited funds, but great hope. It was to be a lasting monument in memory of those who had placed the community on the map of Bombay. It would answer the dire need felt in this great metropolis for reasonably priced accommodation for young men coming into a new city from North and South Kanara, be ‘a home away from home’ and meet the need to have a hall for the activities of the growing community.  The Diamond Jubilee Year Fund was started in 1961 and focused on working towards building the hostel and hall. The next five years went with efforts made through appeals for donations and loans from Bombay, Mangalore, and overseas; sale of raffle tickets, dances and plays to raise funds. The man at the helm at this time as President was Mr. Mark Vaz. He had the most supportive team (Managing Council). Mark Vaz was elected unanimously to the Office of President for five terms, beginning with the 46th AGM held at the Nagpada House on March 27, 1955 till May 28, 1961, when he expressed that it was the turn of others to get the post. This shows the sterling qualities of a team builder and leader. Charles M Sequeira at the 49th AGM, held on May 25, 1958, said of him, “Mark Vaz had splendidly guided the construction ideas leading to an improvement in the funds and a spirit of friendliness. He had also revived a number of activities which had gone down”. Minutes of the Council Meetings reveal this truth. In spite of his preoccupation with his business, Mr. Mark Vaz always found time to work for the Association. Mr. Vaz resigned from the Council on March 21, 1965. At the 53rd AGM held at Noble Chambers on October 11, 1962, Mr. Lambert D’Souza, Hon. Secretary moved a Resolution, seconded by Mr. Bertram Shenoi, “that in recognition of the meritorious services rendered to the Association by Mr. Mark Vaz as the President for five years, the portrait of Mark Vaz be unveiled at the next Annual Social and Dance.” The Resolution was carried unanimously and with acclamation. Personal Sketch of Mr. Mark Vaz: With great qualities of heart and mind as a Christian, Mark Vaz as he humbly admitted rose from a Clerk in a clearing agency to be the Managing Director of his own clearing agency, VAZ FORWARDING PRIVATE LIMITED. He was a great benefactor of the Mangalorean Community in Bombay and Kanara; St. Aloysius’ College, Mangalore; and the Church in India, and was bountiful to small time businessmen, too. All Christian work is complimentary, and as husband and wife, Mark Vaz and Terry Vaz, played well this role with grace and humility, and worked in collaboration.                                                 Mrs. Aileen Patrao proposed the name of Mrs. Terry Vaz as President, and this was seconded by Mr. L F Sequeira.  Mrs. Terry Vaz was unanimously elected President of the Association, the first lady to be elected to that coveted position, was was re-elected successively til 1968. The Special Committee to look after the construction of the KCA Hall & Hostel was also formed at this AGM. Meetings and travels to get the funds needed went on. As the completion of the construction was nearing, the Council decided to hold a competition for a name for the hostel. Ms. Leela Rego won the prize for her submission, the name “Yuvakalaya” (Abode for the Youth). The KCA Hall & Hostel was inaugurated on June 28, 1969, by His Excellency, Mr. P V Cherian, Governor of Maharashtra, and blessed by His Eminence, Dr. Valerian, Cardinal Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay.  The first hostel to be built by a Christian Association, besides the Sodality House, Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A. hostels in Bombay, the KCA Hostel was open to young men, regardless of caste and creed. Though meant for young men coming from Kanara, those from other Christian communities were also admitted. The building was also equipped with a Community Hall for the activities of the Association. Mr. G J Saldanha eulogised the services of both Mr. Mark Vaz and Mrs. Terry Vaz at the 57th AGM of January 9, 1971, the first meeting held at Yuvakalaya, when he was President, and Mrs. Terry Vaz was Vice-President, saying, “he gratefully acknowledged the co-operation of all Members, and in particular, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Vaz, who rendered invaluable service throughout the period of construction of the hostel.” The General Body at the AGM unanimously resolved to unveil the portrait of Mrs. Terry Vaz in the KCA Hall as a tribute to her. The unveiling of the portrait of Mrs. Terry Vaz by Mr. Kantikumar Podar, Sheriff of Bombay and prominent industrialist, was held at a function on March 2, 1974. Dr. Fabian Fernandes, President of KCA welcomed the Chief Guest and referred to his status and involvement in the city’s life. He then briefly recounted the history and background of South Kanarites. He stressed that ‘out of the portals of the colleges and convents of Kanara have come out men and women who have distinguished themselves in various walks of life’. Speaking next, Mr. G J Saldanha, Retired Presidency Magistrate said, “the history of the Kanara Catholic Association, which has survived 73 years was the history

By Dr. Kranti K. Farias  Dr. Stanislaus Patrao was born on March 25, 1899, in Kallianpur, South Kanara.  His early education was at St. Aloysius College, Mangalore.  He completed his Intermediate Science, where he stood first, from St. Xavier’s College, Bombay.  He was the only student to hold a triple graduate qualification in Medicine and Surgery from Grant Medical College, Bombay.  He was the first student to get the degree in the Department of Anatomy and Embryology, a First Class with Distinction, and here he started the Branch of Comparative Anatomy and its Museum, winning several prestigious prizes.   Dr. Patrao was a benefactor to the community in Bombay and in Kanara; to the Kanara Catholic Association, Bombay; and to his beloved Alma Mater, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore.  Dr. Patrao’s donation towards the entire panelling of the walls in the KCA Hall is to be appreciated. Dr. Patrao was unanimously elected the President of the Association at the 62nd AGM, held on April 13, 1975, as proposed by Dr. Fabian Fernandes for KCA’s Diamond Jubilee Year. Dr. Patrao gave an enthusiastic start to the KCA Diamond Jubilee Scholarship Fund to enable deserving students to pursue higher studies. Dr. Patrao was re-elected President at the AGM, held on December 11, 1977, in anticipation of the Centenary Year Celebrations (1978-1980) of St. Aloysius College, with Rev. Fr. Matthew Lewis S.J. as Rector. The entire Council of KCA was also re-elected, with Mrs. Kranti Farias as Hon. Secretary, and Mr. Louis Tauro as Hon. Treasurer.  Three programmes for fund raising were organised, the climax being the St. Aloysius College Centenary Ball on January 26, 1980. His dear wife, Aileen, who stood by him through thick and thin was a great support.  She, herself, had served several terms in the Managing Council of KCA.  Dr. Patrao was a good family man, strict yet benevolent with their seven children, all well placed in life.  He loved outdoor games, and loved golf in particular, and was the oldest and most active golfer in the city, having won many a trophies. Dr. Patrao was President of Dr. A L Nair Trust.  The Dean of B Y L Nair Hospital, Dr. M S Kekre called Dr. Patrao ‘the architect of the modern Nair Hospital’.  He formed a Trust for people affected with Hansen’s Disease (leprosy), and was its President.  The poor and the needy got treated at the Jane Patrao Charitable Hospital, which he started in memory of his mother at Moreland Road, Byculla. Dr. Patrao could not tolerate indiscipline and inefficiency.  Dr. Vaze, his former student, said he would snap at a mistake made, but would soon forget it.  The great doctor believed to make a mistake is understandable, but to repeat it was not forgivable.  On March 26, 1979, on the occasion of his 80th birthday, at a public function organised by the Bombay Chapter of Association of Surgeons of India, presided by the Committee President Mr. S K Patil, the Chief Guest Mr. Sadik Ali, Governor of Bombay, presented to Dr. Patrao an address in a silver casket, and a cheque of Rs. 50,000.  Here, a well wisher also donated Rs. 5,000.  Dr. Patrao said he would use the money to aid leprosy and other patients. At the celebration for his friends, Mr. Charles Mascarenhas, freedom fighter and comrade of M N Roy and a cousin of Dr. Patrao, compared him to Susrutha, the greatest surgeon of ancient India, in 6th Century B.C. The General Body of the KCA at its 65th AGM, held on February 27, 1983, unanimously passed a resolution to unveil the photo of Dr. Patrao at the function of January 29, 1984, during the tenure of the Presidency of Mr. Wilfred Tellis. Dr. Patrao’s passing away on November 12, 1988, was deeply mourned. We would do well to remember “God does not ask about our ability or our inability, but our availability”. (The Arkansas Baptist).   This is the hallmark of the life of Dr. Patrao – his availability to people around and about him!

By Joseph Saldanha “When I am in Bombay, I stare at the bottles, here in Goa, the bottles stare at me, says Presidency Magistrate from Bombay”, he told a newspaper reporter when visiting Goa in the prohibition era, which promptly appeared in the newspapers in Bombay.  It was, but an example of Gerry’s wit, and his outspokenness. G J “Gerry” Saldanha (1907-1984) was the President of the KCA in 1950-1951, Vice-President in 1963-1966, and President in 1966-1969. The son of Jerome Saldanha, a well-known judge, patriot, follower of Mahatma Gandhi, and MLC from Mangalore, Gerry studied at St. Aloysius College, and then at the Bombay Law College.  He practiced criminal law in Bombay and Poona.  He was a dynamic speaker, and as a young lawyer, appeared before the Privy Council in London in 1942.   In 1951, he was appointed Presidency Magistrate, and endeared himself with his humane approach to litigants and accused, with his fluent Pune Marathi, and his ever present wit lightened the courtroom atmosphere, and he was popular with the bar and the bench. At the KCA, he was, together with many supporters in Bombay and Mangalore, instrumental in raising money from well-known Mangalorean donors, as well as those of more modest means to take the KCA Hall and Yuvakalaya Hostel in Bandra from a dream to a reality.  With backing from the community, at his instance, the KCA took on debt, which was paid off over time.  He was undaunted by the magnitude of the task before him because he was not one to be deterred by challenges.  By sheer determination, dedication, and hard work, he guided the KCA in achieving its goal.  Today, the KCA Hall is a gathering place that the community can call its own, and Yuvakalaya is a place for young men, from different parts of the country, to start and advance their career. His love for open space made him an active member of the ‘Save Bombay’ and ‘Save Bandra’ campaigns, and he succeeded in getting the intervention of Indira Gandhi in stopping an International Banking Institute from coming up on the waterfront of Carter Road in Bandra. He was an ardent supporter of the Agnel Ashram and Technical Institute in Bandra, serving on its Board of Governors.  He supported the Ashram through its difficult times, securing again the support of Indira Gandhi, who memorably, once had her motorcade diverted from its originally planned route, in order to visit the Ashram. He helped a number of co-operative societies in Bombay, Mahabaleshwar, and Nasik.  The Belmont Society in Mahabaleshwar, later named a road after him in their Society. But most of all, he is remembered for his willingness to help people from all classes, religions, and communities who came to his house daily for help and guidance on legal, personal, and family matters, free of cost.  His simplicity, sincerity, dignity, and willingness to speak up for the downtrodden is what is most remembered of Gerald J Saldanha. His children, Joseph Saldanha and Elizabeth Tilak, now in Canada and the United States, thank Eric D’Sa and the KCA for remembering Gerald J Saldanha.                      

By Dr. Kranti K. Farias  Alexander Smith has said, “the great man is the man who does a thing for the first time”.  This is who a ‘pioneer’ is.  In this issue, we will see the vision and foresight of the founder of our Association, who was not what we call a Mangalorean, for he was Goan, hailing from Honawar, North Kanara, but was the founder of the Kanara Catholic Association, Bombay!  This was the Hon’ble Dr. Major Cajetan Fernandez I.M.S. who became the first President of the Association (1901-05). The Major was born on November 7, 1867 in Goa.  His father Dr. Bartholomeo Fernandez was the most renowned Ayurvedic Physician of his time, living in Honawar, North Kanara, and whose illustrated treatise in Kanarese is still in use.  The Major had his higher education in St. Xavier’s College, Bombay; passed his L.M.& S. from Grant Medical College, Bombay, and proceeded to Europe for higher studies.  He secured his M.D. in 1893 from Brussels with the highest honours.  There he had the privilege of meeting and dining with H. H. Edward VII who was pleased to note that the young man had topped the list of MD’s.  His services to society  He returned to India and was appointed Head of the Skin Department of J. J. Hospital, and Professor of Dermatology at Grant Medical College.  These posts he held for three and a half decades.  He was without a peer in the world of dermatology.  He was also Consultant Physician to Bombay Governors, eminent citizens which included Maharajahs, Mahatma Gandhi , Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Pandit Madan Malaviya.  Psychiatry was another of his acquisitions.  Dr. Fernandez secured a commission in the Indian Medical Service during the First World War, and was placed in charge of the Marine Lines War Hospital with the rank of Major.  During the plague, he devoted himself selflessly to medical relief. He also took a prominent part in the public life of the city and was a member of the Municipal Corporation of Bombay from 1919-1925.  He was the first Catholic member of the Bombay Legislative Council.  He was a Justice of Peace, and an Honorary Presidency Magistrate.  He was elected to the Senate of the University of Bombay, the Bombay Medical Council, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Bombay.  He was a Founder and Trustee of the Catholic Gymkhana and Founder-President of the Kanara Catholic Association.  The Dr. C. Fernandez Co-operative Credit Society in Honawar was started in 1930, after his munificent deposit of Rs. 3,000 free of interest.  His life was dedicated to the service of humanity irrespective of caste and creed. His work for the Kanara Catholic Association The Major was soon to realize that the North and South Kanarites who were the later immigrants into Bombay, the Goans being the first among the Catholics to do so, should have support in Bombay especially as these were now pouring in from areas south of Goa.  A need was felt to knit the community together.  This community comprised of those who had migrated to Bombay for jobs and professions like their counterpart the Goans.  Many took up jobs as domestic servants, cooks, waiters, taxi drivers etc.  They became members of one of the “clubs” at a nominal fee of Rupees Two per month and ate in the community kitchen.  They picked up new skills and educated themselves in the ‘night schools’ and soon began to own taxis, laundries, restaurants, garages, and pan beedi shops.  Others who were better educated went on to taking up other superior trades and professions.  They lived mainly in the Byculla area.   Soon money was being remitted to Kanara and a “money order economy” was developing in North and South Kanara. As the numbers grew and family life seen with marriages taking place, there was a need to bring the Mangaloreans together.  There were about 400 Mangalorean Catholics then in Bombay.  With this need envisioned by him, he founded an association to bring together people from the two Kanaras, who had settled in Bombay, and so the Kanara Catholic Association (K.C.A.) was founded on February 17, 1901 with 50 Members on its rolls.  The Hon’ble Dr. Major Cajetan Fernandez I.M.S. was its first President, while F.L. Silva was its first Secretary.  The aims and objectives of the Association was to foster a spirit of unity, friendship and self-help among the members to provide facilities for their periodical meetings for social and other purposes; the organisation of relief and assistance for the uplift of the community.  In short, it was a socio-economic organisation, with “Vis Unita Fortior” as its motto.  Membership to the Association was made selective, it being open only to the people from the better educated class and the upper strata of the community. The Hon’ble Dr. Major Cajetan Fernandez’s services were found so invaluable that he was elected President for two successive years after his first term, and then again from 1916 to 1919, and yet again in 1926, thus giving him the Presidential Chair for eight years.  He launched the Association, guided it well for some years and truly anchored the “ship” with his self-giving. The Majors’ wife Leocadia Annalia da Rocha was of the aristocratic family of Quitula, Aldona, Goa.  They had four daughters and seven sons.  Truly a good Catholic couple.  His son-in-law Dr. A.C. Rebello, a Mangalorean who was also to become well known was the first Dermatologist of the K.E.M. Hospital, from its inception in 1926.  The Major passed away on July 30, 1943.  Today, we have his grandson Dr. Rui Fernandez following in the family tradition as Chief Dermatologist at K.E.M.Hospital and the Holy Family Hospital.  The illustrious career of Hon’ble Dr. Major Cajetan Fernandez can be summed up in the words of Sir Narayan Chandavarkar, the first Speaker of the Bombay Legislative Council, “The Major is the doyen of Indian Medicine, the Prince of Physicians and a great leader of men”. References 1. Personal interviews with Mrs. Helen Saldanha, Robin Saldanha, Drs. Rui & Armida Fernandez – direct family of the Hon’ble Dr. Major Cajetan Fernandez.2. Robin Saldanha, “Remembering The Fernandez’s”, The Examiner (Bombay), Vol.147, No.48. November 30, 1996. pp. 16,17.3. The Mangalorean-Golden Jubilee Souvenir 1933-1983. (Published by S.M. D’Souza, Bombay).4. KCA Diamond Jubilee Souvenir, 1901-1976, Bombay,1976.5. Minutes of the KCA General Body & Managing Council Meetings.