Dedications

A name that brings this song to my mind 

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https://youtu.be/b3PzLbneVjI 

Came to know that the name is also shared by a Roman Catholic Saint, whose feast that many Catholics in India may not even know about it. Or maybe only me. A Saint who is honored as the Patroness of Musicians. A Saint made popular in Bombay in 2011 by a priest and some popular lay musicians with a celebration of a mass, every year on her feast day.

The number of saints that the Catholic Church churns, there will be no more reasons left to which a Saint's name can be attributed to? To that extent there are Saints for drunkards, alcoholics, beer and vodka. 

Could that be a reason in good old days Catholics were portrayed as alcoholics in Hindi movies? Phir na kehna Michael daru pekey dhandha karta hai.....lines from a very popular Hindi song characterized by Pran and later Amitabh Bachchan acted as a Catholic named Anthony Gonsalves in the movie Amar Akbar Anthony, and was well known for his dialogue in the movie “You see the whole country of this system is just a position by the hemoglobin in the atmosphere because you are a sophisticated rhetorician intoxicated by the exuberance of your own verbosity”. A gibberish narrative that he rattled off before singing the song “My name is Anthony Gonsalves.” The original name planned for the movie Amar Akbar Anthony was “My name is Anthony Gonsalves.” 

Anthony Gonsalves was a real person and a famous Goan musician in the Golden Olden Era of Hindi Music. He worked with Laxmikant Pyarelal and RD Burman, and amongst the best music arrangers in the 1930s. Some of the best musical talent in those days was brought by Catholic migrants who came from Goa to settle in Bombay. These were talents that were mainly groomed in the Churches. 

A beautiful video featuring my boarding school mate Ashton Colaco. 

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 https://youtu.be/Q3pOUyfjHNg 

This got me thinking as to why are our Churches not grooming talents? Why is the Church not giving free music classes or coaching for entrance and civil exams. Most of our youth are not even aware of these exams. 

The Catholic community is losing its voice in India because it is not churning out Intellectuals and most get into mediocre jobs due to lack of guidance. Then there is also a dearth of vocations into priesthood and Nuns. The Church evangelization plans are seen suspiciously as converting people into the faith with dubious means. 

So instead of getting more into the Catholic fold it is time the Church and the laity look at improving its own lot. If not maybe a Cecilia or Michael from India in future would be canonized and venerated as a Saint of the Jobless and the Useless.