Reverend Lancelote M. Rodrigues of Macau dead at 89
Friends and colleagues from all walks of life packed Macau Cathedral yesterday to bid farewell to one of the city's most beloved religious figures, Father Lancelote M. Rodrigues, who diedJune 17. He was 89.
Father Lancelote Rodrigues
1923-2013
Friends and colleagues from all walks of life packed Macau Cathedral yesterday to bid farewell to one of the city's most beloved religious figures, Father Lancelote M. Rodrigues, who diedJune 17. He was 89.
A household name in Macau for his dedication to philanthropy throughout his life, the Catholic priest had been ill in hospital for six months. The cause of death was determined to be heart and lung failure.
Optimistic, caring and humanistic in temperament, Rodrigues' larger-than-life character was a magnet for an enormous circle of friends. Hong Kong-based researcher Dr Jean Berlie was one of the many mourners who showed up to pay his respects.
"He kindly put me in touch with various refugees when I researched refugees in Southeast Asia more than 20 years ago," Berlie said. "We have been friends since then."
The director of Macau's Government Tourist Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, said Rodrigues had dedicated his whole life to charity, helping the poor and underprivileged. "My heart shows the greatest reverence for him and his benevolence and I am deeply sorrowful about his passing," she said.