Fr Remedios Britto Furtado was one of four boys born to Rosario Soter Furtado and Idalina Moniz on October 8, 1946, who made Gaunsavaddo, Mapusa, their home. Since his parents were busy running a bakery, Britto attended St Britto High School in Mapusa as a boarder for his elementary education.
As a result of his involvement in the Confrades and other Christian activities, he experienced spiritual growth and eventually grew closer to God.
When he was 11 years old, he decided to register in the Pilar Seminary. In 1971, he enrolled in the Rachol Seminary. He was ordained as a priest at Mae De Deus Church in Saligao on April 29, 1973, at the Novena held in honour of the church's centenary celebration, by the then archbishop Raul Nicolau Gonçalves.
He worked for a year at the Pastoral Institute in Old Goa. His first assignment was as an assistant parish priest for four years at St Michael Church in Anjuna. In 1981, he was temporarily assigned to Varca's Our Lady of Gloria Church. He was appointed to the Our Lady of Patrocinio Chapel in Pulvaddo, Benaulim, where he worked for eleven years after being raised to the position of chaplain.
Between 1993 and 1999, he continued his mission as the parish priest (PP) at the Mother of God Church and the manager of St Anthony's High School in Majorda. His next destination was St Andrew Church, Vasco-da-Gama, where he also served as the manager of the Higher Secondary School. From 2006 until 2014, he served as the PP at St Anthony Church, Siolim. He was the manager of Our Lady of Merces High School and the parish priest of Our Lady of Merces Church in Merces during his first stint in Ilhas. At the end of a protracted spiritual journey, he retired in 2022 at the age of 75. He is a priest on staff at St Michael church, Taleigão.
Fr Britto will celebrate a Golden Jubilee Mass on April 29 at 10 am at the Holy Spirit Church in Margao, which will be presided by His Grace, the Most Rev. Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Daman, to recall the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon them.
Fr Britto will also celebrate a special Mass at St Michael Church on May 1, at 10:30 am, along with Panjim deanery priests and parishioners who could not make it at Margão.
