Abu Dhabi: A tearful goodbye to Fr. Antony Lopez of St. Joseph’s Cathedral
By Wilson D’Souza
Team Mangalorean
Abu Dhabi, 19 Feb 2012: “Those we love don’t go away, They walk beside us every day, unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and very dear”.- Anonymous
Yes, the Konkani community of Abu Dhabi had these thoughts in mind when they bid a tearful farewell to their beloved Fr. Antony Lopez who was serving Konkani community for more than six years. Although he was on a mission was helping to solve numerous divorse cases . As the Ecc. Judge and Chancellor of Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia has been helping to resolve many divorse cases. In this endeavor he used to travelling between gulf countries. Fr. Lopez has been instrumental in bringing whole Konkani community together & various ministries. He has been the spiritual director of Konkani prayer group, attending every possible Konkani mass in Parish and also staunch supporter two main Konkani associations of Abu Dhabi namely Konkani Cultural Association and Pearls of Mangalore. He was overlooked the coming together of both, Goan and Mangalorean Konkani communities which resulted with the larger attendance for the Konkani mass , every third Friday of the month.
On 17th Feb, he said his last Friday Konkani Mass for the packed crowd who came to bid farewell to him. His last homily was on spreading love and to give up on hatred and live a life on Word of God. He also thanked all community leaders of Mangaloreans and Goans, Konkani Prayer group, Konkani ushers, readers, alter servers, Choir Ministry, lectors, leaders of Konkani Cultural Association and Pearls of Mangalore, all those involved in Konkani community service at the end of the Mass.
A brief farewell function was organized by Konkani community soon after the mass. Dolphy Vas one of the prominent leader of Parish conducted the farewell function. He invited Fr. Antony Lopez to the dais along with leaders of various Konkani groups and associations: Michael D’Silva (President KCO), Valerian Almeida (co-ordinator, Konkani Prayer Group), Leena Fernandes (Choir Ministry,) Rosy Fernandes (Goan Community )and Alphonse Mendonsa (Pearls of Mangalore).
Michael D’Silva offered him a floral bouquet and all community leaders on the dais offered him a special memento on behalf of Konkani Community of Abu Dhabi. The message on the memento was read by Valerian Almeida which inscribed as: “Rev. Dr. Antony Lopez, OFM, Cap, JCD (Chancellor, Eccl. Judge, Auditor) Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia, (U.A.E, Bahrain, Qatar, Yemen and Saudi Arabia) “ We appreciate your long association with us in attending to our spiritual needs and to your moral guidance to the Konkani Community of Abu Dhabi. We wish and pray for your good health and perennial success in your new area of service” …Konkani Community of Abu Dhabi dated 17th Feb 2012.
All four leaders (Michael, Valerian, Alphonse and Rosy) spoke on the occasion and thanked Fr. Antony for his selfless service and support and moral guidance to our community and wished him good luck in his new endeavor. Fr. Antony Lopez also spoke and expressed his gratitude to Konkani community and said he has to leave as he had been working overtime and in the process his health had been the issue. Since his mission involved constant divorce cases and he had to attend to these cases all over gulf countries and hence requested the Bishop to relieve him of this pressure. He also said the Bishop of Kuwait had repeatedly requested him to join Kuwait Vicariate but had to turn down due to his health reasons. But he was happy that he served and looked after the Konkani community whenever possible and by attending Konkani prayer service he found peace and harmony. He said his replacement priest will look after them and serve in the same capacity and wished them good health and peace and bid them emotional goodbye. His emotions were on high. It was a difficult goodbye to him.
A beautiful farewell song was sung by Konkani Prayer group prior to the closing ceremony. The refreshments were arranged for all those who attended the farewell function.
The Abu Dhabi Konkani community will really miss Fr.Lopez. A brief interview by this site representative will follow prior to his departure to new Parish in Bahrain in this site.