M'lore: Social Worker Juliana Nazareth, a Millionaire who Lived in Rented Home, Passes Away

Daijiworld Media Network- Mangalore (RS/SP)
 
Mangalore, Jan.26: Generous donor, philanthropist and the person who constructed St John Baptist church and a school in Permude,  Juliana Nazareth, 94,  passed away after a brief illness here on Saturday January 24 at Fr Muller's Hospital, where she was undergoing treatment. Nazareth was also a  well known social  worker.
 
Poor people used to frequent a place known as 'Glass House' because of its glass-covered portico, located in Urwa Market area in the city, about 25 years ago. This was the place where Juliana lived.

"She was  really a  great  lady,  spent  her life  for the sake of the  poor people," said Prof  Eric Patrao, a retired professor  of  St Aloysius  College, also a far-relative of the great human being.
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She owned 700 acres of coffee estate in Kodagu, but certain situations forced her to live in a small rented house in Urwa for the last couple of years, said Prof Patrao.
 
She was born on July 28, 1915 at Siddapur in South Kodagu. Her father was John Baptist Balthazar Nazareth, a coffee planter and mother, Seraphin Nazareth.

Juliana Nazareth dedicated her entire life for social service with the dream of the upliftment of the poor. She remained a spinster. 

Her funeral was held today at the Urwa church, in the presence of her far-relatives, fans and many who were helped by her, numbering around 500. She had no direct relatives but relatives of her sisters from Madikeri attended the funeral.
 
92-year-old Mary Mendonca, who lived with Nazareth since the year 1930 and Elisa Pinto, who lived with Nazareth for the last 45 years, were the only two who looked after Nazareth during the last phase of her life.
 
Active lady

Juliana was an active member of some of the social service organizations till she turned 80. She was a ray of hope to scores of people including poor women, orphans, widows etc., for getting facilities from the government and also  for the other financially weak, school dropouts and needy persons.

As per the wishes of her parents, St John Baptist Church at Permude was built by her and handed over to Mangalore diocese on May 16, 1963. She also constructed a school in Permude in the same year.
 
She was the vice president of Navbharath Night School in Car Street in the city. She also functioned as a member of the Khadi Board, legal cell in the office of the district deputy commissioner, Tuberculosis Association and Shubhada Institute, convener of St Francis Xavier School in Permude and Bhagini Samaj, Mangalore and did lot of service in these capacities.
 
Many organizations including Manipal group of institutions, Syndicate Bank and Mandd Sobhann had felicitated her on  various occasions for  her  dedicated  service.  Rotary Club, Udupi had honoured her as the 'woman of the year' in the year 1994.