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| Funeral announcement of Fr. Januario. |
- Brian Mendonca
On Diwali today I was shocked to open the papers to see that Fr. Januario Rebello had passed on. He was 78.
In some ways the arc of his life was like mine straddling Delhi - where he was a priest of the Archdiocese of Delhi - and Vasco where he came from.
Which is why the funeral is to be at St. Andrew's Church, Vasco, Goa and the burial in Delhi. Somehow this is the final salute to a priest who was loved by communities 2000 kms. apart.
In the beginning I found it difficult to pronounce his name. But later I got the emphasis right.
Since Father used to come home often, I used to, with great glee, see him sometimes at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Delhi and also at St. Andrew's Church, Vasco the same week. I could feel his great love for Vasco and for Goa because I felt the same.
He never spoke much to me. But my parents and they were family friends. Father came from the house of Rebello in Vasco on the main road leading up to St. Andrew's church. It was in the pink Rebello Hotel, Vasco to your left while heading to Vasco, that dad spent a few days when he was finalizing a place for our family to stay.
Fr. Januario was the brother of the late Higino Rebello. Higino's wife the late Electra was a good friend of my mother. When mummy passed on in 2004 it was Electra who came home to Mangor Hill and dressed her. I remember she insisted on putting a black veil on mummy's face which I felt was uncalled for.
In Delhi I was working at Oxford University Press on 1 Jai Singh Road, near Jantar Mantar from 1999 to 2009. Sacred Heart Cathedral, Goldakhana, was about 9 minutes away at a brisk walk.
I used to sometimes attend the 1.15 p.m. Mass during the lunch break which was between 1-2 p.m. Specially when the pressure of work was high. The Mass was often celebrated by Fr. Januario in the side altar of Sacred Heart Cathedral. I used to feel a sense of calmness and peace after attending the Mass. After the Mass I used to rush back to consume the remains of the company lunch served by OUP.
On one occasion Fr. Januario said the death anniversary Mass for dad who passed on on 20th July 2017.
Just last year Fr. Januario celebrated 50 years of priesthood at the Sacerdotal Golden Jubilee Mass for him on 5th May 2025 at Our Lady of Lourdes' parish, Dwarka, Delhi. The Mass was celebrated by the Archbishop of Delhi, Reverend Fr. Anil Couto who hails from Porvorim.
The world is emptier without Father Januario. Today, as Nehru would say, the light has gone out of our lives. He was a dedicated priest who reached out wherever he was needed. He melded Goa and Delhi and will be fondly remembered among his people.
May his soul rest in peace.
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Brian Mendonça is the author of Last Bus to Vasco: Poems from Goa (2006).
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