User talk:Lawrenced7777

Our Lady Of Forsaken Church, Ghansoli
Our Lady Of Forsaken Church, Ghansoli Village. Our Lady Of Forsaken Church is Located in Ghansoli Village, in Navi Mumbai, which is also known as the very oldest church in Navi Mumbai, which was built by Late Rev. Fr. Peter Bambacha and Late Mr. Wilson D’souza along with old parishioners and the local villagers also had a great contribution to constructing the church, because at that time there was no availability of labors or workers so, it was built by parishioners and by Villagers with their bare hands.

List of the Founding Members of Our Lady Of Forsaken Church, Ghansoli •	Late. Mr. Wilson D'souza and Family. •	Late. Mr. Thomas Arsegesri and Family. •	Late. Mr. Cyril Coutinho and Family. •	Late. Mr. Brindlay G Patternott and Family. •	Late. Mr. Oswald D’souza and Family. •	Late. Mrs. Philomena W Courcey and Family. •	Late. Mrs. Audrey Pereira and Family. •	Late. Mrs. Veara William and Family. •	Late. Mrs. Olga Pillai and Family. •	Late. Mrs. Maria Almeida and Family. •	Mrs. Barbara Dowling and Family. •	Mr. Francisco D’costa and Family. •	Mr. Benny Amanna and Family. •	Mr. Richard Benham and Family •	Mr. Paul Rodrigues and Family.

HOW THE CHURCH CAME UP IN GHANSOLI! In 1982, some incident had, that there was baby boy child expired, including two elderly people, so three deaths took place and there was no convenience in Ghansoli village to give the holy sacrament for the funeral, for the reason we had to approach the Gram Panchayat and take permission to bury the funeral, so they gave us the permission in their Burning Ghats to bury the body though we didn’t had any option. So, my mother Mrs. Philomena William Courcy took Mrs. Viera Williams and Mrs. Monica Wilson D’souza to St. John the Baptist Church, Thane, and then explained their problems. After that at same time they met Rev. Fr. Bombacha and Fr. Joe D Pereira with a heart-rending appeal with tears in Mrs. Philomena Courcy’s eyes, she begged Fr. Peter Bombacha to visit her place and bless the graves of her husband, daughter and grandson. So, Fr. Peter Bombacha and Fr. Joe D Pereira immediately set out for Ghansoli. There was news of a catholic being cremated! Some had hardly heard of mass for years! Many had not received the basic sacraments, so, both priests were shocked to see the situation of Ghansoli. After the discussion between Fr. Bombacha and Mrs. Audrey Pereira the very first mass was celebrated at Mrs. Audrey Pereira’s residence in the month of October, on Saturdays every week. Then Mrs. Philomena Courcey, Mrs. Audrey Pereira and Mr. Benny Amanna had visited the other Christians to convince them to come for mass at the residence of Mrs. Audrey Pereira. Since they visited the houses in Ghansoli villages, they had even visited Nocil, Talavali, Rabale, Airoli, Digha and Koparkhairane. Then people started coming for mass in 1983. On 24th December 1983 at night around 12:00 Am, over 300 Catholics consisting of villagers from Ghansoli to Airoli and Vashi and other surrounding villages who had been deprived of religious services, spiritual guidance and sacraments for long time, congregated under a mango tree, awaiting longingly for the arrival of our child Jesus, which was celebrated with mass and a get together. This was the first Christmas spirituality celebrated with the religious services at Ghansoli.

HOW WAS THE CHAPLE NAMED!

when the question of deciding a name for the chapel came up, people felt that though they had been neglected and forsaken for so many years. Our Lady had seen their plight and had come over to guide them to our Lord. Hence, they felt that ‘Our Lady of the Forsaken’ chapel would be appropriate. This was on the eve of Christmas in 1983.

HOW DID THE CHURCH GET A LAND!

When Mrs. Audrey Pereira shifted her house to Thane, then Fr. Peter Bombacha and other people thought about the mass that where to be held since Mrs. Pereira left Ghansoli house. And then came Mr. Wilson D’souza who had a close relation between Fr. Bombacha, besides that Mr. Wilson had a great relation with the local villagers one of them named Mr. Rajaram Patil, then Mr. Wilson requested Mr. Patil for their compound says mass and he happily allowed us to use their compound for mass and everything went well. At the same time Fr. Bombacha convinced Mr. Patil for a plot for the church and he showed the land of Mr. Halya Madhvi. Then Fr. Peter Bombacha, Mr. Wilson D’souza and Mr. Rajaram Patil went to Ghansoli Gram Panchayat office for the land of the church. The Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Mr. Dagadu Patil, Mr. Nivruti Jagtap and Mr. Dwarkanath Bhoir immediately took an action to grant permission to acquire the land and to provide whatever necessary help. On 3rd Dec 1984. When the plot was acquired for the Ghansoli chapel. The chapel was blessed by Fr. Peter Bombacha in the presence of local residents. The Ghansoli project commenced with the whole-hearted co-operation of the local residents. The local people and our old parishioners themself started crushing the hills with their bare hands and took the necessary equipment to make a flat land, because at that time there was no availability of labor or workers. With the help of Fr. Joe D Pereira, Fr. Bombacha managed to secure a plot of land. A temporary church structure of bamboo and sack-cloth was constructed. The holy mass was celebrated, confessions were heard and sacraments administered. After constructing the Pendal and the very first marriage took place and the Christmas mass was celebrated and all other activities were taken place. When the topic came up for looking after the sacrament at that time, we the youth named Peter, Benny, Hobart and Jeffery took an initiative to look after the sacrament where there were lot of risk between the isolated areas, there were to be found different types of snakes, scorpions and etc. and their families are at present. And even at that time there was no source of security, the priest couldn’t imagine, at that time we the youths had so much of spirit to face the problems during spending each night though there was cowshed placed underneath

HOW THE ACTUAL FONDATION CAME UP! On the month of May 1985, the day was to come for the foundation of the chapel the people, Fr. Bombacha and Br. Eugene Pereira had presented the occasion of the day of foundation, during the day the problem arise that the mason had not come, at that time there was a person named Mr. Shyamrao Deshmukh, actually he was present for the occasion but he saw the problem and took an initiative to prepare the rest and he made it successfully with the help of our parishioner. In the end of August, the chapel of13x14 was completed, the mass used to be held inside the chapel. The chapel was blessed on 26th Jan 1986 by the Bishop Bosco Penha. Then the mass, marriages and all other church activities were started and continued with great events.

WHY DID IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO CONSTRUCT A BIG CHURCH!. After a few years at the end of November 1986, an incident took place, Fr. Peter Bombacha met with an accident which he had a serious hamerage on his head and legs. And that was the first incident taken place, though there was another shocking incident came up the secretary of the church Mr. Wilson D’souza expired within a week, then the whole Parishioners and Local Villagers of Ghansoli were shocked by this, and they didn’t know what is next to be done, because the community lost their strong man. Since, Fr. Bombacha was in the hospital for a month, he called Mrs. Philomena Courcey, Mrs. Olga Pillai and other Parishioners to inform a committee for our church. At the time Mr. Wilson D’souza had an incomplete document which were pending for signing and paperworks. So, Mr. Roland D’souza was chosen, everyone thought about the young boy, that he will be able to take up the responsibility towards the church. Today, the local villagers and old parishioners thank Late Fr. Peter Bombacha that whatever decision he had taken earlier it was the correct decision. When Fr. Bombacha was on bed he controlled all his necessary duties what he was supposed to, that is the reason the construction of the church was delayed for many months, as Fr. Bombacha was getting cured day by day, from some ayurvedic medicines Fr. used to help the sick and suffering people and get money out of it, and that money he used to give it for the construction of the church and he had so great relations with others all the people used to come to meet him and to greet him. On 25th Jan 1989 at 02:00 am, there were 15 to 20 fish men with Fr. Peter Bombacha brought the statue in a Tempo and quickly placed it on the altar. The statue of Our Mother of Forsaken designed and constructed by Mr. Pandurang Rathod was blessed and enthroned by his Lordship Auxiliary Bishop Bosco Penha. On 26th Jan 1989, the Feast mass celebrated by Fr. Joe D Pereira. The statue which has a very close resemblance to that in The Mother of Forsaken church Baroda was donated by Ms. Amalia and Amanda daughters of Mr. & Mrs. Edward (Capt.) & Suzie Rebello of Woodhouse, colaba and Ms. Bethany daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Anthony and Beryl Gracias of Manickpur, Bassein, Thane. When Late Fr. Peter J Bombacha transferred to Dahisar Parish, at that time from St. John the Baptist Parish Fr. Nelson Machardo, Fr. John Lopez and Fr. Tony Pereira had to come for mass in our parish of Ghansoli. On November. 1991, a new Priest Fr. Joe D Gama used to come for mass in our church, that was the great day for our church, when Fr. Peter Bombacha had left our church the work which was pending, as Fr. Joe D Gama had completed the construction work successfully and the church was up to mark in 26th Jan 1992. Our Lady of Forsaken church blessed by Archbishop Simon Pimenta and even the feast mass was celebrated along with Rev. Fr. Simon Borges the Parish Priest of St. John the Baptist, Thane. Lawrenced7777 (talk) 10:07, 27 April 2023 (UTC)