Pics: Meryick D'Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
With Inputs from Media Release
Updated
Mangalore, Sep 18: The valedictory function of the Catholic Association of South Kanara (CASK), the oldest Catholic lay organization in South India, will be held on Sunday September 21 at 5.30 pm at Milagres hall here.
Vice-president of India M Hamid Ansari has consented to be the chief guest.
Addressing a press meet here on Thursday September 18, CASK president Dr Derek Lobo said, "Governor of Karnataka Vajubhai Vala and minister for forests, ecology and environment, B Ramanath Rai will be the guests of honour."
Eric Gonsalves, IFS (retd), former ambassador and secretary, ministry of external affairs and M S Ramanujan, chief postmaster general, Karnataka circle will grace the occasion. Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, bishop of Mangalore and patron of CASK will preside.
"The postal stamp of CASK will be launched on the occasion. It will be costing Rs 5 and will be available at the counter during the valedictory function. It will be launched on trial basis," he said.
Secretary Capt John Prasad Menezes, Walter D'Sa, treasurer, and John B Monteiro, member, centenary celebration committee, were present.
About CASK
The Catholic Association of South Kanara was established in July 1914 and registered under the Societies Act in 1925, thus it is celebrating its centenary this year.
CASK publishes a monthly magazine titled “Mangalore” since July 1927, one of the oldest monthly magazine in the country, with the credit of uninterrupted publication for 87 years.
The credit for establishing CASK in 1914 goes to the then Bishop Paul Perini, who is said to have encouraged the clergy and the laity to start an association to promote religious, economic and social welfare of the people. Bishop Perini was elected as the founder president of CASK, with Rao Sahib A J Lobo as founder vice-president and Dr Bonaventure Colaco as founder secretary. The other founder members were Dewan Bahadur S L Mathias, Rao Saheb B Colaco, Dewan Bahadur Alexo Pinto, Munsiff Joseph Lobo, Dr L P Fernandes, Dewan Bahadur P C Lobo, Alexander E C Vas, Piedade. F X Vas and Louisa Rodrigues.
Over the last 100 years, CASK has worked towards fulfilling the following objectives of the Association:
1. Promote the educational, economic, cultural, social and general welfare of the community;
2. Render assistance to the under-privileged and vulnerable groups of society, irrespective of religion, caste, creed or any other distinction;
3. Support the publication of books, periodicals, and other literature authored by community members and also support preservation of the Konkani language, literature, culture, heritage, arts, architecture, music and fine arts;
4. Act as the voice of the community in upholding its rights and privileges;
5. Inter-act, network and function as a link to unite the community spread across India and abroad; As of date, CASK has about 1200 members worldwide.
CASK organizes regular programmes for its members and also special programmes for students, youth, women and other target groups.
It was proposed to implement the following projects in honour of the CASK Centenary:
1. Promotion of blood, organ and whole body donations in collaboration with Father Muller Hospital. CASK will be involved in :
• Creating awareness to encourage people to donate blood and pledge organs.
• Develop Father Muller Hospital as a major hub for harvesting, storing and transplantation of organs like eyes, kidneys, skin, heart valves etc. Towards this end, CASK has donated a minus 80 degree centigrade deep freezer to the blood bank of Father Muller to enable Blood Plasma to be stored for 3-5 years. It is also proposed to increase the mortuary capacity of the hospital from the present 8 to 12 or 14 and establish a skin bank to help burn cases.
2. 'Personality development programme for school students: CASK has conducted this programme in 6 schools in Mangalore in the last two years. A total of 680 students were the beneficiaries of the programme. This useful programme has been extended to 5 schools and 2 PU Colleges this year covering another 400 students. This will be an ongoing programme covering 4-5 schools each year.
3. Substantially scale-up the CASK Education Fund in order to provide annual scholarship to deserving students irrespective of religion, caste, creed or other distinctions. As part of the Centenary, scholarships of Rs 2,000 each were awarded to 105 students from 25 schools in DK/Udupi districts last year, primarily for purchase of books. Another 100 students will be awarded Rs 5,000 each for purchase of books and extra coaching at the Valedictory function of the CASK Centenary on September 21.
4. Organize talks by eminent Kanara Catholics in various professional colleges. It is proposed to organize at least Ten(10) talks during the Centenary year.
5. Publish a book on the 100-year history of CASK and the Mangalorean Catholic community. This book titled “CASK and Fellow Centurions” authored by Mr John B.Monteiro was released on 22nd September 2013 at Mangalore by Her Excellency Smt Margater Alva, Governor of Rajastan.
6. Home for the Homeless – This scheme is promoted by the Diocese of Mangalore. CASK is sponsoring one Home for the Homeless at a poor parish.
7. Owning Office Premises : The longstanding dream of CASK to own an Office space of its own was fulfilled in honor of the Centenary. A 550 sq ft Office space at Pio Mall, Bijai has been purchased and we now operate from the new office.
Some of the notable achievements of CASK over the last 100 years are:
• Publishing the monthly magazine ‘Mangalore’ since July 1927 to date i.e. a record 87 years of uninterrupted publication; Over the 100 years, there were 21 Editors of the magazine-All kudos to them!
• Education Aid and Scholarship to a large number of deserving students;
• Acting as the lobbyist for obtaining grants and benefits to the institutions run by the community and Acting as the voice of the community in fighting discrimination, atrocities, or any kind of injustice.
• CASK was a prime facilitator in bringing the Missionaries of Charity of Blessed Mother Theresa to Mangalore and had an important role in helping Mother Theresa to start her Destitute Home in Mangalore.
• The Association has supported several charitable and philanthropic causes over the past 100 years, without any publicity.
• CASK has provided the leadership and acted as the forum and voice in highlighting the problems and issues related to the community.