Charles Gomes - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 26: Konkan Catholic Association is one of the leading and renowned organizations of all Konkani speaking Catholics in Bangalore. Started in 1966, by a few social-service minded individuals, mostly of Mangalorean origin, as a forum to foster unity and preserve the Konkani culture, provide educational and medical assistance to the needy, and traditions besides promoting the mother tongue, arts, drama and literature, the Association has come a long way since its humble beginning.

Konkan Bhavan at Mathikere, Bangalore

Now at the threshold of celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Association has grown into a giant organization spreading its roots far and wide besides engaging itself in multi-purpose activities. It has around 600 life-members, mostly comprising heads of the families. It may not be an exaggeration to claim that the real membership of the Association would be easily around 30,000 if the spouses, children, parents, brothers and sisters are taken into account. Though a majority of the members have settled down in Bangalore and have established themselves in various walks of life, the Association has a sizeable number of members in different parts of Karnataka and India besides USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, Switzerland and Gulf countries.

It is one of the few duly registered associations of Konkani Catholics, having its own building. Some of the illustrious founding members, especially a leading pillar of the community in Bangalore Late A.V. Rego, A.C.L. Peris, O.J. Colaco, H.M. Fernandes took upon themselves the challenging and daunting task of constructing the Konkan Bhavan building. In keeping with their zeal and enthusiasm, the ground floor of the building was completed within a year of its starting in 1979 and formally opened in 1981. The entire two-storeyed structured, with a spacious hall on the first floor capable of comfortably seating 150 persons and useful for holding small meetings and social functions, and the second floor having separate rooms providing hostel facilities for youngsters, was completed in 1989.

The ground floor has a spacious kitchen, washroom besides provision for dining facilities. The building is indeed a crowning glory for the Association. While the Association has been carrying out its social service activities like helping the poor and deserving students with scholarships and educational assistance and providing medical aid in cash and kind to the sick and ailing persons, Konkan Bhavan has so far provided hostel accommodation to around 1,000 needy boys who had come to Bangalore from their native places in search of jobs and educational training. Today, we are proud of the fact that many of our erstwhile hostel inmates are comfortably settled in life.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary, the association is planning to bring out a souvenir as a part of our project to mobilize funds through advertisements, messages of greetings and good wishes from philanthropists, benefactors and well-wishers. The souvenir, to be released at a public function on 15th of July 2007. Funds thus collected will be utilised for Education and medical purposes, mainly for the poor and the needy.

Association is also planning to initiate  Scholarships schemes for the poor students. Scholarship in the name of donor or their loved ones is being planned for one time amount of Rs. 1,00,000/- and above. (Scholarship will be given to school children every year in the name of the donor or their loved ones.)

Konkan Catholic Association (Regd.)
"Konkan Bhavan", #34, 10th Main, 2nd Cross
Mathikere, Bangalore 560 054
Mobile:
+91 9845286404 (Charles Gomes - President )
+91  9845002060 (Anil Rego - Vice President )
+91  9448363773 (Gabriel Vaz -Chief Editor - Souvenir committee)
Fax: +91 80 26491872
E-mail: konkanbhavan@gmail.com