Vasco do Rego

2021-08-02T02:45:49Z

2402:3A80:CBE:7B89:7CA3:A2FD:65D1:CE0D: Fixed tense

{{short description|Jesuit priest from the region of Goa, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2017}}

'''Fr. Vasco do Rego SJ''' (8 January 1925 - 17 February 2021) was a [[Jesuit]] priest from the region of [[Goa]], who played a significant role in the promotion of [[Konkani language]], literature and music, particularly after the [[Annexation of Goa]]. He was the editor of the religious monthly [[Dor Mhoineachi Rotti]] for many years.

==Role played==
Rego is credited with playing an important role in translating the [[Old Testament]] into Konkani.<ref>{{cite web|title=A priest for all seasons|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/A-priest-for-all-seasons/articleshow/23065723.cms|website=TimesOfIndia.indiatimes.com|publisher=Times of India|accessdate=8 March 2017}}</ref>

==Konkani sacred music==
{{see also|Konkani liturgical music}}
Writing in the ''Herald'' newspaper, journalist Melvyn Misquita says it was a "humiliating experience" that led Rego to compose "Goa's first Konkani Carol in 1963 and hundreds of original Konkani hymns, including a lengthy 18-verse hymn on St [[Francis Xavier]]".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Misquita|first1=Melvyn|title=The Sound Of Konkani Gospel Music|url=http://www.heraldgoa.in/Review/The-Sound-Of-Konkani-Gospel-Music/82173.html|website=heraldgoa.in|publisher=Herald|accessdate=8 March 2017}}</ref> Fr. Rego contributed many hymns in the [[Gaionancho Jhelo]].

In January 2015, at the time of the canonisation of [[Joseph Vaz]], the first [[Goan]] saint, in [[Colombo]], [[Sri Lanka]], Rego was credited with writing the lyrics to the hymn ''Jose Vaza, Amchea Bhava'' (Jose Vaz, Our Brother), which was put to music by Fr. Joaquim Loiola Pereira. This hymn was sung<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fernandes|first1=Paul|title=Konkani hymn ends multilingual ceremony|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Konkani-hymn-ends-multilingual-ceremony/articleshow/45892116.cms|website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|publisher=Times of India}}</ref> at the Mass where [[Pope Francis]] elevated the [[Goan]] missionary who worked in [[Ceylon]] to the altar and which can be heard at about 2:30:48 into this recording.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mass for Canonisation of Joseph Vaz, with Pope Francis 14 January 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV7_9mr_Ehg|website=YouTube|publisher=Catholic Sat|accessdate=8 March 2017}}</ref>

The site song-from-goa.at<ref>{{cite web|last1=de Noronha|first1=Lourenço|title=GOENCHIM KOKNNI GAIONAM, CANÇÕES GOESAS EM KONKANI, SONGS FROM GOA IN KONKAN|url=http://www.songs-from-goa.at/info14-music-with-staffnotation.html|website=songs-from-goa.at|accessdate=8 March 2017}}</ref> has a number of sheet-music versions of the work of Rego.

In March 2016, the [[nonagenarian]] Rego was credited with being one of the four - two priests, and as many musicians: Fr Ubald Fernandes, Fr Vasco Rego SJ, [[Schubert Cotta]] and [[Roque Lazarus]] - responsible for writing the lyrics of the [[Konkani]] film ''Enemy''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Goanews|first1=Newsdesk|title=Bhosle's 'Enemy?' bags National Award for Konkani film|url=http://www.goanews.com/news_disp.php?newsid=7104|website=Goanews|publisher=Goanews (Sandesh Prabhudesai)|accessdate=8 March 2017}}</ref>

==Recognition==
In [[Goa]], he is credited<ref>{{cite web|last1=Paladka|first1=Ancy|title=Rev. Fr. Vasco do Rego, S.J baggs Dalgado Puroskar 2005|url=http://www.konkanuae.com/home/displaynews.asp?id=1062|website=konkanuae.com|publisher=KonkanUAE|accessdate=8 March 2017}}</ref> with playing a major role in the fields of [[Bible translations into Konkani]] and liturgical translation, building a [[Konkani]] religious vocabulary, composing hymns both in lyrics and music for [[Konkani]], and developing the world of [[Konkani]] preaching and writing in the [[Konkani in the Roman script|Roman script of Konkani]].

==Long-time Jesuit==
He has been a member of the [[Society of Jesus]], or the [[Jesuits]] since 1945, was ordained priest in [[Belgium]] in 1955, and was inspired by his [[theologian]]-[[teacher]] Fr [[Pierre Charles (Jesuit)|Pierre Charles]], S.J. to use the [[Konkani]] language and music in the liturgy of the people in [[Goa]], where [[Konkani]] is a widely spoken language.

Rego was the Rector of Goa's famed [[Bom Jesus Basilica]], where the remains of [[saint]] [[Francis Xavier]] reside, during which period many prominent global figures visited this shrine, among them being [[Indira Gandhi]], [[Margaret Thatcher]], [[Canada|Canadian]] [[Prime Minister]] [[Pierre Trudeau]], [[President (government title)|President]] [[Mario Soares]] of [[Portugal]], [[Russia]]n and [[India]]n [[cosmonaut]]s and [[Pope John Paul II]].<ref name="Brother">{{cite web|last1=do Rego|first1=Fernando|title=A Tribute at Eighty-Eight|url=http://goanet-news.goanet.narkive.com/HxTPv005/goanet-reader-a-tribute-at-eighty-eight-fernando-do-rego-panjim|website=Goanet News|publisher=Goanet Reader|accessdate=8 March 2017}}</ref>

Rego is the grandson of Roque and Claudina Correia Afonso, a couple who had seven priests among their 52 grandchildren.<ref name="Brother" /> His brother is Fernando do Rego.

==First awardee==
He was the first awardee, in 2005, of the [[Dalgado Konknni Akademi]]'s Mgrs. [[Sebastião Rodolfo Dalgado|Dalgado]] Puroskar, an award for serving the [[Konkani]] language for some four years.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://archive.org/details/FrVascoRego Talk by Fr Vasco do Rego, SJ. Konkani-English (audio)]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTRDKl7BlEM Fr Vasco Rego SJ speaks at DKA, Goa, India. By Clive D'Souza. (Video)]
*[http://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=/2005/05/17/priest-awarded-for-work-in-promoting-konkani-through-roman-script&post_id=25799 Priest Awarded For Work In Promoting Konkani Through Roman Script]
*[http://goanet-news.goanet.narkive.com/HxTPv005/goanet-reader-a-tribute-at-eighty-eight-fernando-do-rego-panjim A Tribute at Eighty-Eight (Fernando do Rego, Panjim). Goanet Reader]
*[http://tskk.org/publication_disp.php?id=19 Nazaretkar Jezu, book co-authored by Rego]
*[http://tskk.org/publication_disp.php?id=14 Sonvsarak Jezu Diat, book authored by Rego]

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Indian Jesuits]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian scholars]]
[[Category:Konkani people]]
[[Category:Konkani-language writers]]
[[Category:Scholars from Goa]]

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Vasco do Rego