St. John Bosco Church, Borivli
A Tribute to Rev Fr Dominic Almeida sdb

Born: 10th September 1942
Died : 16th April 2008

Rev Fr Dominic Almeida was born to Lazarus and Jane Almeida on 10th September 1942. He was born in a little village called Sangolda near the town of Mapusa, Goa, in very humble settings. He was baptized on 19th September 1942 and confirmed on 8th December 1951 at Dabul in Bombay.

Some of the highlights of his career are given below:

He entered the house of Don Bosco High School, Matunga as a pupil for the first time on 9th June 1952 when he was barely 10 years old.

He joined the house of Tirupattur as an Aspirant to Salesian life in the year 1956 and carried on with his studies till 1961.

He entered the Salesian Novitiate at Yercaud on 24th May 1961.

Three months later he received his cassock at Yercaud itself on 15th August 1961.

He made his first profession as a Salesian on 24th May 1962.

Six years later he dedicated his life completely to God on 24th May 1968.

He was ordained a priest by Archbishop Raul Gonsalez at Panjim on 18th December 1971.

He completed his B.A. from the Pune University in 1977 and his Bachelor in Education from the Bombay University in 1979. He also completed a course in Salesian Spiruatility in California USA.

Most of his life as a Salesian he has spent as a principal in various schools. He began his career as a principal at Borivli in the year 1980, then was appointed as principal in Lonavala. From Lonavala he moved on to Andheri as principal and then came back once again to Borivli from 1995 to 2000.

He was one of the first to go to Kuwait to begin the work of Salesians over there. Besides being a principal he was also a Vice-Rector, Dean of studies and an administrator in various SDB institutions.

After a prolonged illness which he bore with grit and determination, he passed away on 16th April 2008 at about 8.00 pm. He was accompanied by his confreres, which included his Rector, Fr. Ronald Menezes, the other confreres, Fr. Salu, Fr. Bosco and Fr. Allwyn, who were always there for him and added sunshine to his sometimes dull days of sickness and pain. They have been a great support to him and did all they could for him, especially in these trying moments of sickness and during the last years of pain. The love that they had in their heart was not put there to stay, it was to be given away and that is what his confreres had done.

More than a thousand well-wishers gathered at St John Bosco Church, Borivli on 18th April 2008 at 10 am to bid adieu to their beloved Rev Fr Dominic Almeida

The largest congregation of priests ever to have gathered to con-celebrate the Eucharistic Celebration in our Church. There were more than thirty five priest on the altar to celebrate a requiem mass on the death of their Christian Brother. The message conveyed was that Christians celebrate death since our whole life is a looking beyond the grave. St. Paul says: For me life is Christ and death is gain. (Phil 1:21). At death a Christian gains Christ, he comes closer to him, he is able to rest now as all along his heart was restless till it rested in Him, the giver and source of life.

Bishop Percival Fernandez was the main celebrant and Rev Fr Michael Fernandes, the Provincial of the Mumbai Province of the SDB and Rev Fr Ronald Menezes, the Rector and Parish Priest of the Don Bosco, Borivli Institution were the con-celebrants at the Eucharistic Celebration.

There were tears during the celebration of the Eucharist, but did not Jesus Christ himself cry at Bethany? Granted there is sorrow but did not Christ experience sorrow at the death of his friends? But these tears and this sorrow was tinged with joy since there was now one more to intercede for us.

The meaning of Christian death is just this: Whether I live or die, Christ will be exalted through me (Phil 1:20). And in Rev Fr. Dominic we saw just that. His death led us to reflect on the meaning of life and brought us closer to Christ.

As Christians we know that anyone who believes in Christ never really dies: that anyone who believes in Christ will, after this brief interval called death, rise with Christ through the power of his resurrection. Christ's earthly death which seemed the end, was actually the beginning. Having conquered death, he brings to life forever those who die in him. Moreover he or she who dies in Christ is assured of participating in the resurrection of the flesh on the last day.

In the new order of the mass, one prescription reads: a homily not a eulogy is to be preached at funerals and other masses of the dead. Eulogy is what a person has done and what you read in the begining of this tribute - the various postings Fr. Dominic had, the excellent results, a lot of applauses and compliments. "But this is a shallow tribute to the dead" preached Rev Fr. Michael Fernandes, Provincial, "Eulogizing what he did would skim over 'who he was'. Dominic was a priest, one who tirelessly gave himself to his work and sought the good of an institution. He planned, he dreamt of successes, he charted careers, he coached, he taught music, and did all things to help boys have a good standing in life. He dreamt of boys, their careers, their futures. Their life was his life. He gave himself so that they may profit, they may rise. It was this giving that mattered, this giving, this sacrifice, this generosity that counts."

The final prayers and blessings were carried out by the Provincial, Rev Fr Michael Fernandes and in a tearful procession, the cofin was carried out of the church on its way to the cemetry at Sewri.

Here was a religious who not only told us what Christ had said, but in a unique way he showed us who Christ is. He not only delivered Christ's message but shaped his image. Fr Dominic was happy to be a priest. He had his moments of weakness, but he was able to rise from them. He once told the Provincial during the time of his illness that if he were given life again he would chose to be a priest and a Salesian as he loved Don Bosco and his spirit. He was ever at home in the company of Salesians and longed to talk, to joke or share news and opinions.

Two bus loads of the faithful from Borivli proceeded to the cemetry at Sewri after the Eucharistic celebration. The group reached Sewri at about 1.00 pm where a large number from Matunga and surrounding areas were already gathered to pay their last respects.

It is said that men see the surface, but God sees the soul. Fr Dominic was known as a disciplinarian and this is where he could have been misunderstood. He was strict and demanding, but he meant well. He had the good of boys at heart and he wanted them to make headway in life. He wanted the foundations of his system to be strong and so he made demands on his charges. "Fr Tony once wrote to me" says the Provincial Fr Michael Fernandes "He wrote to me from Kuwait saying that he had known Fr Dominic for many years and they were good companions. He says that today there are many boys (now men) in Kuwait who remember Fr Dominic with high regard."

We, in Borivili, will always remember the sermons that Fr Dominic would preach, short, to the point with a very deep message. Even when he was ill, he did a simple and yet unnoticed ministry of emailing sermon notes to some of his priest friends who were unable to have easy access to such facilities. He was one of the few who used his illness for his ministry.

After the last respects were paid to Fr Dominic in the prayer hall at the cemetry, the cofin was carried to the nearby SDB enclosure in the graveyard. This enclosure is next to the Jsuits enclosure in the graveyard and a number of Salesians have been burried here in the past. The remains of more than twenty four salesians have been placed in the niches over here.

As the words of the Hymn 'Lord I'm coming Home' were sung, the coffin was lowered into the grave and showers of petals filled the air and coverd the coffin.

Dear Fr Dominic, you have left us to heed that heavenly call. Don Bosco promised us bread, work and heaven.

You have had your share of bread - a good table now and then, festivities and celebrations, not barring the insipid and tasteless food sometimes;
Work - a lion's share of it, taxing at times, and not seeing the results, working with zest and great determination, trying for perfection and demanding the same standards from your charges;
and now is that time of heaven for you - a time of bliss when there will be no more visits to doctors, or lonely moments, no more diets or medicines, no more planning or worries about how the boys perform, the results expected, the wins for matches, the finesse in theatrical performances, no music or bands, but an eternal melody.

Your life has been an example of persistence and work - suffering carried out with patience, showing that you had good spiritual stamina to bear the cross. Thank you for all you have done for your confreres, for your institutions, for the boys and staff, for the parishioners and any and every one else who came in touch with you. The Lord has found it good to give you to us and now he finds it good to take you back to him. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Rest In Peace Rev Fr Dominic Almeida and intercede for us

Acknowledgements:
Rev. Fr. Michael Fernandes sdb, Provincial
Rev. Fr. Ronald Menezes sdb, Rector and Parish Priest
Teachers and past students of Don Bosco School, Borivli
Parishioners who were close to Fr. Dominic
Mr. Walter Pinto for providing the photographs