Our amazing Mum, who was also a sister, aunt, grandma, great grandma and to so many, a friend, who knew her simply as, Ludi.
Mum would have been 103 on the 10thAugust 2022, born in Goa. The second of eight siblings, they lost their Mum when the youngest was a little over a year old. It fell upon Mum and her eldest sister to look after the family whilst their dad was earning a living in Kenya during the British rule there.
Dad (Santana) and Mum emigrated to Kenya from Goa in 1946, got married and had three children.
Dad sadly passed away suddenly in 1971 in Kenya. Mum was without her beloved husband for over 50 years but her remarkable strength, energy, courage and great faith kept her going. Her family became the centre of her world. So strong was her faith that she was healed of her paralysis after a bad fall (in Kenya). She loved her Church in Nairobi, St. Teresa’s and St. Stephen’s here in Welling.
She attended services almost every day, when she could. A member of the Legion of Mary, she would lead Rosary each day. Dad even joked, saying that she should have become a Nun or even have a bed in Church as she spent a lot of time there helping where she could. She loved to pray but never for herself, always for others. Family and friends would go to her for advice and blessing, even Priests.
On one of her last days in hospital, a wonderful Priest gave her Holy Communion and a Blessing. When he finished, she took his hands and blessed him. He left in tears. When a previous Assistant Priest of St. Stephen’s, Fr. Christopher Basden, found out that Mum had passed away, he said a Mass for her whilst on holiday in America. News of her passing even reached Fr. Julius in Ghana, another previous Priest at St. Stephen’s, who had great affection for Mum.
People warmed to her. She always had a kind word to say to them. She was compassionate, had endless amounts of patience, her heart and generosity knew no bounds.
Her best “holidays” were when she visited Lourdes (five times), Fatima and her beloved Goa, but in particular, the tiny island of Vanxim where Dad came from.
Apart from her great love for cooking, singing was another source of enjoyment, especially hymns that she would sing whilst cooking or doing other chores. At family gatherings, she would always break out into song. When her siblings were around, they joined in with some amazing vocal harmonies, orchestrated by her talented brother Jovito Dias, who played an important role with the music at St. Stephens. Nearly all these tunes were in their native Konkani, the language from Goa.
She always kept herself busy, tending to a vegetable patch that yielded veg almost throughout the year.
Mum, we know that your soul is resting in peace and that you are in Heaven with our Beloved Dad, all your departed siblings, family and friends.
We love you. Always in our hearts and memories.