Gabriel Francis has been a IACA founding member since its inception in 1993. He was also a member of the IACA – National Coordinating Committee of the Vailankanni Oratory Project at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington DC. He worked in the Executive Committee, especially with the Young Adults Committee as well as the Special Events Committee. In 1993 he led a delegation of young adults from IACA to attend the World Youth Day in Denver where they all met Pope John Paul II and celebrated 3 days of prayer and fellowship. He emigrated from Mumbai in 1975 and currently lives in Rockville Maryland with Princess and his younger two sons: Jonathan and Nicholas. Gabriel’s eldest son Peter has a son and daughter and currently resides nearby in Sandy Springs, Md. During Gabriel’s free time and most weekends, you will find him surrounded with his two grandchildren. Gabriel works for Fedtek as a systems hardware engineer and had an extensive tenure with HP for 27 years. He loves to do handyman’s work and is willing to assist anyone that may require his talents. Gabriel also loves to travel and show out-of-towners DC and neighboring states. Gabriel is also a member of the Goan association and APCN (Asian and Pacific Island Catholic Network) Now he is the newly elected President of IACA for the year 2023-2024. Please welcome him and pray for him that he may carry out his duties with grace and humility through the intercession of Our Lady of Good Health Vailankanni.
Vice President – V. James Dante
V James Dante is the former President of the Mangalorean Catholic Association, having served as
the President of the Association from 2019 through 2022. He lives in Fairfax, VA, and hails from
the coastal temple town of Udupi. He is married to Julia Dante and is blessed with 2 daughters
and a granddaughter. He has done his B.Tech in Engineering from KREC/NITK Surathkal and
MBA from University of Bombay. He has worked for a long time with large private organizations
in India, Canada and USA, before switching to US federal government consulting. Apart from
regular job, he likes spending his time leading several community organizations. During his
Presidency at the Mangalorean Association, he led his committee to achieve several memorable
feats, many of those for the first time in the history of the Association. He successfully steered
the efforts to get the Association registered and recognized as a Non-profit (501c3) organization
to be able to carry out charitable events and receive donations. He believes in team work and has
been successful in tapping talents from within the committee and the community to perform. He
says that the community work has helped him develop many friendships and is looking forward
to helping IACA in its future endeavors.
Secretary – Caryll Pereira
Caryll was born in Bombay, India to a devout Catholic family that centered traditions and beliefs around the Church. She was fortunate to have the guiding influence of her two uncles who joined the priesthood, and an aunt who serves as a nun in the Vatican. It is because of her background that she has always been drawn to doing volunteering work in church activities. She holds a Bachelor degrees’ in Commerce and Law from the Mumbai university. She held down a job with Air India as an accounts manager, that gave her a global perspective in life. This also gave her an opportunity to see the world and she chose to migrate to the USA. Caryll moved to the US in 2007 with her husband Wavell, daughter Kim & son Jeremy. She has since been an active member of the IACA. She has been attending the monthly mass/rosary and Novenas. A regular at the yearly pilgrimage as well as the Christmas get together. Caryll looks forward to giving her service to propagating the devotion to Our Mother. Volunteering is the greatest expression of her faith and commitment to the values of the IACA, community and communion.
Treasurer – Nesan Antonyraj
Gnananesan Antonyraj (Nesan) has been an active member of IACA community, with his wife Shanthi Antonyraj, and sons Benedict Antonyraj and Francis Antonyraj. Originally from the state of Tamil Nadu in India, Nesan is currently living with his family in Cockeysville, MD. Nesan likes to volunteer in the church activities, especially prayers and attending Masses. Nesan also enjoys planning and participating in pilgrimages to churches with his family and with the IACA community. Nesan and Shanthi are consecrated to Our Lady of Schoenstatt, a Marian formation for laity. Nesan’s family is a prayerful supporter of the Religious (Priests and Nuns), and Seminarians who are studying for priesthood. He is also requesting the Catholic community’s continued support and prayers for the nourishment and prosperity of the Church’s Mission in America and around the world.
Mariaselvam Chinnappan Faustina Archer Noela Francis
Emmitsburg Velankanni Project Committee
Agnelo Gonsalves Fred Semendy John Whittle Mariaselvam Chinnappan Joseph Croos [Treasurer]
Youth and Young Adult Committee
Sumati Patrick Carol & JohnLee Francis Anthonyraj
Editor
Jacinta Mascarenhas
Membership Committee
Dr. Valeri Semendy
Finance Committee
Joseph Croos Harold D’Souza Puthupparampil V Scaria
Special Events Committee
Joy Anitha Joseph Shalini D’Souza Carol & JohnLee Shalini Kapur
Social Work Committee
Sumathi Croos Rita Nathan
Public Relations Committee
Fred Semendy
Legal Advisor
Jennifer Anthony
Members at Large
T.C. Geevarghese Henry Gomes David Pavanal Jude Gomez Andy Swarna Iggy & Severina Dsouza Cathy Navis John Whittle Melanie Nathan Ed Peries Christopher Pereira
Executive Board and Committees
Executive Committee
President – Gabriel Francis
Gabriel Francis has been a IACA founding member since its inception in 1993. He was also a member of the IACA – National Coordinating Committee of the Vailankanni Oratory Project at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington DC. He worked in the Executive Committee, especially with the Young Adults Committee as well as the Special Events Committee. In 1993 he led a delegation of young adults from IACA to attend the World Youth Day in Denver where they all met Pope John Paul II and celebrated 3 days of prayer and fellowship.
He emigrated from Mumbai in 1975 and currently lives in Rockville Maryland with Princess and his younger two sons: Jonathan and Nicholas. Gabriel’s eldest son Peter has a son and daughter and currently resides nearby in Sandy Springs, Md. During Gabriel’s free time and most weekends, you will find him surrounded with his two grandchildren.
Gabriel works for Fedtek as a systems hardware engineer and had an extensive tenure with HP for 27 years. He loves to do handyman’s work and is willing to assist anyone that may require his talents. Gabriel also loves to travel and show out-of-towners DC and neighboring states.
Gabriel is also a member of the Goan association and APCN (Asian and Pacific Island Catholic Network) Now he is the newly elected President of IACA for the year 2023-2024. Please welcome him and pray for him that he may carry out his duties with grace and humility through the intercession of Our Lady of Good Health Vailankanni.
Vice President – V. James Dante
V James Dante is the former President of the Mangalorean Catholic Association, having served as the President of the Association from 2019 through 2022. He lives in Fairfax, VA, and hails from the coastal temple town of Udupi. He is married to Julia Dante and is blessed with 2 daughters and a granddaughter. He has done his B.Tech in Engineering from KREC/NITK Surathkal and MBA from University of Bombay. He has worked for a long time with large private organizations in India, Canada and USA, before switching to US federal government consulting. Apart from regular job, he likes spending his time leading several community organizations. During his Presidency at the Mangalorean Association, he led his committee to achieve several memorable feats, many of those for the first time in the history of the Association. He successfully steered the efforts to get the Association registered and recognized as a Non-profit (501c3) organization to be able to carry out charitable events and receive donations. He believes in team work and has been successful in tapping talents from within the committee and the community to perform. He says that the community work has helped him develop many friendships and is looking forward to helping IACA in its future endeavors.
Secretary – Caryll Pereira
Caryll was born in Bombay, India to a devout Catholic family that centered traditions and beliefs around the Church. She was fortunate to have the guiding influence of her two uncles who joined the priesthood, and an aunt who serves as a nun in the Vatican. It is because of her background that she has always been drawn to doing volunteering work in church activities.
She holds a Bachelor degrees’ in Commerce and Law from the Mumbai university. She held down a job with Air India as an accounts manager, that gave her a global perspective in life. This also gave her an opportunity to see the world and she chose to migrate to the USA.
Caryll moved to the US in 2007 with her husband Wavell, daughter Kim & son Jeremy. She has since been an active member of the IACA. She has been attending the monthly mass/rosary and Novenas. A regular at the yearly pilgrimage as well as the Christmas get together.
Caryll looks forward to giving her service to propagating the devotion to Our Mother. Volunteering is the greatest expression of her faith and commitment to the values of the IACA, community and communion.
Treasurer – Nesan Antonyraj
Gnananesan Antonyraj (Nesan) has been an active member of IACA community, with his wife Shanthi Antonyraj, and sons Benedict Antonyraj and Francis Antonyraj. Originally from the state of Tamil Nadu in India, Nesan is currently living with his family in Cockeysville, MD. Nesan likes to volunteer in the church activities, especially prayers and attending Masses. Nesan also enjoys planning and participating in pilgrimages to churches with his family and with the IACA community. Nesan and Shanthi are consecrated to Our Lady of Schoenstatt, a Marian formation for laity. Nesan’s family is a prayerful supporter of the Religious (Priests and Nuns), and Seminarians who are studying for priesthood. He is also requesting the Catholic community’s continued support and prayers for the nourishment and prosperity of the Church’s Mission in America and around the world.
President Elect – Dr. Patricia Gomez
Devotion / Liturgy Committee
Mariaselvam Chinnappan
Faustina Archer
Shanthi Antonyraj
Velankanni Pilgrimage Committee
Mariaselvam Chinnappan
Faustina Archer
Noela Francis
Emmitsburg Velankanni Project Committee
Agnelo Gonsalves
Fred Semendy
John Whittle
Mariaselvam Chinnappan
Joseph Croos [Treasurer]
Youth and Young Adult Committee
Sumati Patrick
Carol & JohnLee
Francis Anthonyraj
Editor
Jacinta Mascarenhas
Membership Committee
Dr. Valeri Semendy
Finance Committee
Joseph Croos
Harold D’Souza
Puthupparampil V Scaria
Special Events Committee
Joy Anitha Joseph
Shalini D’Souza
Carol & JohnLee
Shalini Kapur
Social Work Committee
Sumathi Croos
Rita Nathan
Public Relations Committee
Fred Semendy
Legal Advisor
Jennifer Anthony
Members at Large
T.C. Geevarghese
Henry Gomes
David Pavanal
Jude Gomez
Andy Swarna
Iggy & Severina Dsouza
Cathy Navis
John Whittle
Melanie Nathan
Ed Peries
Christopher Pereira
Prior Executive Board and Committees
IACA Facebook Page