THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Fr Mario Shivaji d’ Aquino Henriques (63), a Goan priest from the Pilar Society, passed away in West Bengal on Thursday, after being hospitalised for 17 days in Kolkata with post Covid complications.
The final rites will be conducted at the Infant Jesus Church in Gangarampur, West Bengal, at 11.30 am on Friday.
Hailing from Vasco, Fr Shivaji was the eighth of 10 children, seven boys and three girls. He joined the Pilar Society and served in Fr Agnel Niketan, Pilar for his regency year.
He completed his Theology studies in the Mission Seminary, Pilar and made his final profession to the Society in 1988. He was ordained in the Mission Seminary Chapel, Pilar, on April 23, 1989.
“Fr Shivaji was a vivacious personality. Many people would come to him for counselling. He was an artist and would train seminarians in drama. He had green fingers and could transform any place into a nature’s delight,” recalled Fr Seby Mascarenhas, Superior General of the Society of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier (Society of Pilar).
As a priest, Fr Shivaji served in different positions and capacities in the dioceses of Nagpur, Goa, Agra, Bhopal, Kolkata and Baruipur.
They include prefect and rector of Pilar Niketan (Nagpur), spiritual director of Pre-Novices (Pilar), parish priest of St Mary’s Church (Agra), the mission of Bhopal, Fr Agnel Minor Seminary (Bhopal) and first councillor (vicar provincial) of Kolkata Province.
He also served as local delegate superior of Gangarampur Community, Manager of Fr Agnel Non-Formal Education Institute (Gangarampur), parish priest of Infant Jesus Church, (Gangarampur) and the Local Delegate Superior of the Unsani community (Kolkatta). Since 2020, he was the parish priest of Infant Jesus Church, Gangarampur.
