Media Release

Moodbidri, Jan 25: Catholic Sabha deanery which started in 1992-93 will hold its silver jubilee grand finale celebrations along with Catholic Samajotsav on January 28 at 3.30pm at Alangar church grounds. Displaying the unity and strength of the community, thoughts on inter-religious harmony and hence establishing a peaceful and empowered community are main objectives of this Catholic convention.

Bishop of Mangaluru Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza will preside over the programme. Many leaders who gave able leadership to the community in various capacities will be present. The chief guest will be Catholic Sabha diocesan founder president and Rajya Sabha member Oscar Fernandes. Catholic Sabha Mangalore Pradesh president Anil Lobo will deliver the keynote address on vision and future of Catholic Sabha.

Catholic Sabha Mangalore Pradesh spiritual director Fr Mathew Vas, Moodbidri deanery dean Fr Paul Sequeira, MLC and chief whip of Karnataka Legislative Assembly Ivan D’Souza, MLA J R Lobo, former minister and MLA K Abhayachanadra Jain, former minister K Amaranatha Shetty, zilla panchayat member Sucharitha Shetty and Catholic Sabha Udupi Pradesh president Valerian Fernandes will be present.

In support of Catholic Samajotsav, a procession of ‘Horekanike’ will be taken out on January 26 at 3.30 pm from Swaraj Maidan, Moodbidri to Alangar church grounds. Catholic Sabha units from various parishes and deaneries will participate in the procession.

The Catholic community will also felicitate five achievers who have excelled in various fields on the occasion. They are:

Bishop Peter Sebastian Goveas

Bishop Peter Sebastian Goveas is the bishop of Bettiah diocese, Bihar. He was born on February 8, 1955 at Hosabettu, Hospet, Mangalore, in southern India’s Karnataka state.

After completing his secondary school, he joined St John’s Regional Minor Seminary, Bhagapur to become a priest for the diocese of Bhagalpur. He had his philosophy studies at St Albert’s College, Ranchi and at Morning Star College, Barrackpore, West Bengal and his theology at St Albert’s College, Ranchi. He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Bhagalpur on December 9, 1983.

Fr Goveas served the diocese in several capacities as parish priest, administrator of schools and diocesan consulter. In 2013, he became the vicar general of the diocese of Bhagalpur, an office he continued until named bishop.

Ronald Colaco

Ronald Colaco is a NRI businessman based in Dubai, whose ancestors originally hailing from Moodbidri in Mangaluru taluk. He started his professional career in Oman during 1975 and worked in eight Gulf and European countries starting as an accountant and moved on to become head of accounts, head of accounts and administration and financial controller. He was elevated as commercial CEO for a consortium of three multinational corporate houses like CCICL based in Athens, Greece, Mannesmann of Germany and Saipem of Milano, Italy, involved in turn-key projects such as construction of world class petro-refineries, gas processing and re-injection plants, townships and airports.

He put his rich experience in diverse capacities to good use to become an entrepreneur and since then it has been a saga of success all the way. Through his business acumen, hard work, dedication and disciplined approach, Ronald Colaco has become a successful entrepreneur of great repute.

Apart from being a successful entrepreneur in his own right, Ronald Colaco has been very active in promoting socio-cultural, charitable and philanthropic activities in his endeavour to give back to the society that he has come from, in a big way. His largesse has benefitted the poor and the needy people and various institutions and organisations irrespective of caste, creed, race, religion and language. He has been a pioneer in providing infrastructure facilities for the benefit of the larger public and has set a precedent for others to follow. Many MNC’s and corporate houses followed in his footsteps to carry out their corporate social responsibility, resulting in creating essential international standard infrastructure in the state.

Colaco has been the recipient of a number of national and international awards in recognition of his charitable and philanthropic activities including the prestigious award from the office of The Prime Minister of Australia through CSIA which conferred the “2015 International Recognition Award for Leadership in Service Excellence” at the Australian Service Excellence award ceremony held in Melbourne in 2015, the only person chosen for this prestigious award internationally from among 80 countries.

Valentine D'Souza

In September 2016 State department of home affairs promoted Valentine D' Souza, who worked previously as police inspector at city crime branch (CCB) in Mangaluru commissionerate as deputy superintendent of police (DySP) in City Crime Record Bureau (CCRB) Mangaluru.

Valentine D' Souza is a resident of Kallianpur, Santhekatte in Udupi district. He has become popular for taking strict action against underworld and crime world elements. He has been a challenge for anti social elements. His service has been conducive for the law and order in the district.

He has worked in different capacities as sincere police officer in Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts.

Eric Correa

Eric Alfred Correa, the philanthropist, runs a firm that gives generators on rent and along with this business, he purchases land, builds houses and donates them to the needy, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. His projects Souharda Nagar I and II have provided housing to several needy families. Eric had singlehandedly built and donated 34 houses to some of the poorest in Souhardha Nagar in Padumarnadu village in Moodibidri 2012. He followed it up with the second project wherein 31 houses were donated to the poor at Puthige Village in Paladka in phase 1 of the project in April 2013.

Third such project Souharda Nagar III from Sauharda Foundation was launched at Murkathpalke in Guddeyangadi of Beluvai Grama panchayat on May 14, 2017 wherein 32 houses were donated to the poor.

Eric Correa who has come up in a hard way started his work of gifting houses to the deserving poor on a silent note. His gesture came in for appreciation from all quarters. His work has not only won the appreciation of the beneficiaries but has also inspired philanthropists and benefactors who extended their heartfelt support both moral and financial for 2nd and 3 phase of project.

Michelle Queenie D’Costa

Michelle Queenie D’Costa, an engineering graduate secured All India Rank 387th in the Civil Services Examination 2015 conducted by Union Public Service Commission.

Michelle Queenie D’Costa comes from Niddodi, a village in Neerude in Mangaluru taluk, 20 kilometres away from city. Her father, Lazarus D’Costa is a farmer at Neerude near Moodbidri. Her mother Hancy Felcy D’Costa is a home-maker. Michelle Queenie D’Costa has one elder sister and a younger brother.