A lyrical tribute to Goa’s Ven Fr Agnelo

MARGAO: An English musical titled, ‘Dreams Don't Die', produced by the Pilar Theological College, will pay tribute to the life of one of Goa's saintly sons, Venerable Fr Agnelo de Souza. The first of its three shows will be presented today at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao at 11am, exclusively for the students of Fr Agnel Ashram, Verna.
The next two shows will be on December 11 at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, at 5pm and on December 13 at Don Bosco, Panaji, at 6.30pm.
"The Archdiocese of Goa and Daman has dedicated this year to Fr Agnelo. This musical depicts his lesser-known life through song, dance and drama. It is an initiative to radiate his dynamism and to celebrate his inspiration as it presents Fr Agnelo as an exemplary human being, who, as a priest, used his exceptional gifts of preaching and shepherding to transform the hearts and minds of his listeners. Fr Agnelo becames a sought-after preacher and confessor," Fr Elvis Fernandes said.
Enacted by the students of Fr Agnel College of Arts and Commerce, Pilar and the Pilar seminarians, ‘Dreams Don't Die' has been written and directed by Fr Allan Tavares with music provided by Fr Max Gonsalves and Russel D'Souza. While Ann Barreto Sousa has done the choreography, the sound and lights are provided by Sebco A V, Sangolda, and Cruviola's, Margao, respectively.
According to Fr Fernandes, the plot of the musical goes like this: It narrates the tale of Agnelo de Souza, a brilliant but pious seminarian who has just completed his theological studies at the Rachol seminary in 1893. A diocesan priest, Fr Bento Martins had created a sensation by breaking the prevalent ban on religious orders in Goa in 1887, when he clandestinely, under the patronage of the Archbishop Patriarch of Goa, Don Valente, founded the Society of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier (later called Society of Pilar).
Agnelo, inspired by this daring feat of Fr Martins, makes him his role model. Concerned about the growing decadence of the Catholic faith due to the ban and the rule of the freemasons that encouraged agnosticism, Agnelo feels the urge of attending to those yearning to know Christ, especially in the New Conquest. When Fr Martins dies in 1896, Agnelo can wait no longer. He joins the Society of Pilar and carries forward the missionary charism of his mentor.
Using his exceptional gifts of preaching and shepherding, Agnelo assists his superior, Fr Lucio Vaz in the catechumenate and retreat movement at Pilar.
The death of Don Valente in 1908 and the assassination of the king and queen of Portugal in 1910 unleashes a severe persecution at Pilar. Agnelo is ordered by the Portuguese to leave Pilar. What happens then to the missionary dreams of Fr Martins that were sustained by Agnelo's apostolate?
Indeed, dreams of inspired folk don't really die because they inspire others along an upward spiral, which is what this musical is about.