Siolim Church Assets To Be Privatized?

There is worrying piece of information that is making rounds in households in Siolim these days: Portion of Siolim Church immovable property likely to be put on lease from the begining of 2025.

These assets includes  Sports Ground, Church Complex Hall and Parking facilities. According to the sources lease deed is being processed in top secrecy by the authorities concerned without people of Siolim being on board about the privatization plan.

Sports ground upgraded and St. Anthony's complex was constructed on agriculture land from early to mid 1980s by then Siolim Parish Priest late Fr. Adolf Viegas the popular Football enthusiast who rose to the rank of Canon before his death.

Siolim was once citadel of Football with F.C. Siolim being leading torch bearers that played on this ground. It was and still is popular fitness and entertainment venue that hosted inter-village as well as inter-ward Football tournaments. The man who served Football club Sebastian D'cruz had unimmitable style of Pink, Blue, Green and white coloured chalk drawings on black board announcing details of Football matches outside the F.C.Siolim office in front of St. Anthony's Church. Nostalgic memories!

Siolim is known for some remarkable Football players of the years gone by Inacio, Tynu, Babli, Jophet, Allison, Patrick, Robert, Franky, Elvis, Bobbin, Lucas, Bharat, Armando, Ganesh, Caitan, Raymond and the list goes on.

Football matches would be great attractor of village cohesion and spaces were secure. No one would be required to pay any fee to enter the ground. There are no gates and locks to the ground. No commerce involved.

Schools in and around Siolim SFX school, SFX Higher Secondary School, and higher secondary, Keerti Vidyalaya, Vasant Vidyalaya, Shanta Vidyalaya, Holy Cross High School etc organised their annual sports events without any hurdles and inhibitions. Several people could just enter the ground and go for run or jump or hop as per customized preferences of each. There are no fears. 

Hall at St. Anthony's Complex was ready with first wedding reception on January 01, 1986. Eversince then this hall has served as venue for variety of functions, birthday parties, weddings, religious meets, social functions and variety of other functions. 

However the situation is set to go for dramatic transition if the Ground is leased out, if St. Anthony's Hall is leased out, if Parking lot is leased out. The negotiations are reported to be ongoing and consent seems to be manufactured with casting of votes without copies of MOU/ Lease deed documents being shared with people of Siolim. 

It is not known as to why the privatization proposal is brokered in secrecy and what are the intentions behind such style of brokerage. It is not officially disclosed till date as to who are the parties involved in the lease deed nor their destination of origin. It is not known whether the groups eyeing Siolim Church assets are from Goa in India or Dubai in UAE.

In the context of above situation of anxiety it would be good for those in responsible position of authority to make plans public before agreeing and ratification in the office of Goa Archbishop at Panjim, an office with records of land deeds of nature as suspect as in Tiswadi taluka's Souto Maior in Caranzalem and Vanxim. This could thwart disastrous consequences of such a deed.

Official language of the Church is Latin. Latin word for Church is Ecclesia. English meaning of this Latin word is community. How legitimate is it to lease out immovable property of Parish whose weekly collection touches five digit figures? How justifiable is it to alienate immovable property of a diocese whose weekly collection runs into seven digits? Intentions of the deals doesn't seems to be holy.

Many gets blinded before money and wealth. Judas Iscariot whom Jesus himself had called to be amongst his Apostles leads with an example of selling the founder of the Church for some pieces of Silver currrency of his times.

If Church properties are being sold with active collaboration of those in Ecclesiastical Authority it should be no surprise and matter of shock. It must be understood as their normal course of duty for Our Lady of La Salette warned about such things many years ago on 19 September 1846.

For now let's stand with people of Siolim during their time of anxiety and anguish as they go through their passion. However they need not worry as it might well be the case that the loop in the hand of St. Anthony might extent to the serpents responsible conspiring agents within the Church. May the grace of God supply all the needs of people in Siolim at this moments of trial and tribulations. Let this be our prayers and wishes.