Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Feb 18: Fr Mathew Almeida, S J, a veteran Konkani researcher, writer and founder of Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr died on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 after a brief illness in JMJ, Hospital at Alto Porvorim.
He was born on 29th September 1935 at Kundapur in Karnataka. He joined the Society of Jesus on 12 July 1952 and was ordained as a priest on 24th March 1965.
He had done his M A in Karnataka University, Dharwad and M Ed at Bombay University with first class first. He further finished his M S at Georgetown University in Washington DC and completed his Ph D in Linguistics from the same University.
He served as a teacher at St Vincent High School, Pune and St Britto High School, Mapuca. He further served as a Rector at St Britto and St Paul’s Belgaum.
He was the Principal of St Paul’s High School and Junior College, Belgaum. He was the Principal and Rector of Loyola High School, Margao and St Britto High school, Mapuca.
He was the Principal and Rector of Loyola High School, Margao and St Britto High school, Mapuca. He was the Superior of Loyola Hall, Miramar. He was the founding member and Director of Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr from 1985 to 2002.
He acted as the Province Consultor as well as the Editor of the TSKK Research Bulletin Sod and ‘Dor Mhoineachi Rotti’.
He has 13 books to his credit which include Research books, transliterated work and he was the co-author of many books. His works ‘A Description of Konkani’ and ‘Romi Lipient Konknni Kors’ are his greatest contribution to Konkani language and literature. His Research articles are published in Konkani Vixvkox, Bulletin of Institute Menezes Braganza, in ‘Jesuits in India: In historical perspective’ of the Series Jesuits in Asia, Indica, Sod, Indian Linguistics, Encyclopedia of Jesuit Biography, Sunaparant, Herald and Encyclopedia of Linguistics.
In the year 2008 he received the prestigious Goa Konkani Academy’s Sahitya Pradnya.
Konknni world has lost a competent and dedicated researcher.