NT Reporter
Panaji/Vasco
Environmentalist and Catholic priest Fr Bolmax Fidelis Pereira passed away due to cardio-respiratory failure at 4.30 am on Tuesday at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) in Bambolim. He was 50.
His funeral will be held on May 28.
Medical Superintendent of GMC Dr Rajesh Patil said Fr Bolmax was admitted to the GMC two days ago.
“He was brought to the GMC after resuscitation at a private hospital. He was doing well. In the evening, he was talking and even had his meals, but at around 10.30 pm on the day (Saturday), he suffered a massive cardiac arrest; subsequently he was revived,” Dr Patil said. The doctor further said that Fr Bolmax had to be put on a ventilator for oxygen support. “Unfortunately today (Tuesday) morning at 4.30 am, Fr Bolmax breathed his last,” he said.
Fr Bolmax had earlier suffered a heart attack at the Vasco railway station last Saturday when he was on his way to a picnic along with parishioners. He fainted at the railway station, after which he was referred to a private hospital in Vasco and later to the GMC, sources said.
To allow parishioners, friends and well-wishers to pay their final respects, Fr Bolmax’s mortal remains will be kept at the St Francis Xavier Church in Chicalim on May 28 starting at 7 am, followed by a Holy Mass to be celebrated
at 10 am.
Later, his mortal remains will be taken to his residence in Quepem. The funeral cortege will depart from his residence at 2.30 pm for the Holy Cross Church in Quepem, where the Eucharistic Celebration and funeral service will take place at 3 pm.
To facilitate the large gathering expected at the funeral, private vehicles will not be allowed directly on the church premises. Instead, parking has been arranged at the Regina Mundi School – with buses available to transport mourners to the Chicalim church – as well as additional parking near the Chicalim panchayat and Mohidin’s.
Sources said that Fr Bolmax had a cardio-related issue for a long time. In 2010, he collapsed on the football ground following which he was rushed to the hospital. He underwent a heart valve replacement procedure and soon was back to normal.
Born on April 24, 1976, in Quepem and ordained on October 30, 2004, Fr Bolmax was an educator, scholar and an environmental activist recognised for his fearless public engagement on ecological and social issues. He served as the parish priest at St Francis Xavier Church, Chicalim, and became widely known for his leadership in Goa’s anti-coal and environmental conservation movements. These included Save Mollem movement.
A man of both faith and science, he held a PhD focused on the wetlands of Goa, sharing his academic expertise through environmental advocacy and as an Assistant Professor at the St Joseph Vaz College of Science and Commerce.
As a convener of the Diocesan Commission for Ecology of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, Fr Bolmax combined pastoral responsibility with civic courage, frequently standing shoulder-to-shoulder with affected communities. In Chicalim, he was deeply involved in heritage and biodiversity work, playing a key role in the Chicalim Biodiversity Heritage Site initiative. He also promoted farming in a big way, attracting youngsters to cultivate paddy and other crops. Besides, he was also a theatre personality, having performed in tiatr.
Colleagues, students and parishioners remember him as a priest who empowered others to speak up, especially the youth, and who believed in building leadership from within the community.
