This was Ana e Brito Maneira's first public meeting with the Portuguese Goans since she was posted to the Consulate in London
Ana e Brito Maneira, Consul General of the Portuguese Consulate in the UK, interacting with a woman at a social gathering.
LONDON
When Ana e Brito Maneira, Consul General of Portugal in London, interacted with the Portuguese Goan community at St Joseph RC Church, Wembley-London, on December 7, the meeting was of significance to her.
Not only was it her first public meeting with the Portuguese Goans since she was posted to the Consulate General in London, but Maneira also got the opportunity to connect with her roots in Goa.
Accepting the invitation of Council of the Portuguese Communities (CPC) Advisory Councillor Ciana D’Costa, Maneira addressed over 1,000 Goans after the Sunday Mass, which was celebrated by Fr Renato Andrade SFX of the Goan Chaplaincy to commemorate the Feast of St Francis Xavier.
Charles Dias welcomed the Consul General and introduced her to the congregation after Mass.
GOAN CONNECT
In her address, Maneira expressed her happiness to see the church packed with the Goan congregation and recalled that 62 years ago, her grandmother had left Goa for Portugal.
The Consul General associated herself as being a Goan through her mother’s heritage and said she was pleased to associate with the Goans. She even voiced her fondness for chapatis, which she eats with her bhaji, as one of her favourite dishes.
Agreeing with Fr Renato, who, during his homily at Mass, had called upon Goans to reinforce their Goan identity and encourage children to learn more about Goan culture, Maneira said Goans should also embrace both British and Portuguese cultures.
CONSULAR SERVICES
On the facilities at the Consulate General, Maneira assured that the office is open the entire day to all Portuguese Goans in need of consular services.
Stating that the staff presently handles over 500 queries a day, Maneira said the staff is geared to attend to any consular service, such as ID renewals, birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc.
[From L to R] Council of the Portuguese Communities Councillor Ciana D’Costa, Consul General Ana e Brito Maneira, Fr Renato Andrade and Charles Dias.
“Getting an appointment is very easy now, as one has to go to the Consulate’s website and can seek an appointment by the next week. The Consulate will also be opened on alternative Saturdays to cater to those with children or others who cannot attend the consulate during weekdays,” assured Maneira.
APPEAL TO CITIZENS
The Consul General appealed to all Portuguese citizens to have their documentation updated on the British Home Office platform, UKVI, with an updated email account to keep informed of any changes and policies by the British authorities.
With the presidential elections due next month in Portugal, the Consul General mentioned that all those registered to vote should take interest in developments in Portugal and exercise their franchise. She said the consulate office will be open on January 17-18 for those who would like to cast their votes.
FEAST MASS
Earlier, Fr Andrade celebrated the Mass in Konkani at St Joseph RC Church, Wembley, with over 1,000 Goans packing the church to capacity.
Highlighting the life and work of St Francis Xavier in his homily, Fr Andrade said St Francis Xavier had taken pains to understand the Konkani language.
Fr Andrade expressed his surprise to find the young generation in the UK unable to understand Konkani or know their roots in Goa. He appealed to parents to inculcate Goan culture among their children. The choir was led by Dominic, with all hymns sung in Konkani.
SOCIAL GATHERING
After Mass, the congregation gathered at the church hall, where Fr Andrade started the function with a prayer and grace before meals and thanked all those present for making this occasion memorable.
Accepting the invitation of Charles Dias to address the gathering a second time, Maneira narrated how, as a young girl, she would attend the only English Mass in Lisbon along with her grandmother. The congregation consisted of people from various ethnicities, including Goans, Filipinos, and Nigerians.
“This multicultural attendance sparked my interest in international relations. perhaps this is what attracted me to join the foreign service,” said Maneira.
Others who spoke before lunch included Antonio Mota Cunha, senior advisor of the Council of the Portuguese Communities (CPC) in the UK and Ireland, and CPC Councillor Ciana D’Costa.
Traditional Goan food was served at the gathering, while raffles were sold with many prizes, with the profits to be donated to the Pilar Society missions.
During the social gathering in the church hall, Maneira was seen engaging with Goans, as some approached her with different queries.
The Consul General later commented on her fondness for Goan food and said she had enjoyed ‘Sanas’ for the first time. Maneira also distributed raffle prizes to the winners and cut the cake to mark the occasion.
