CONTRIBUTION OF CHRISTIAN BROTHERSTO ST.JOSEPH’S PRE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
The Christians had
made a big difference in the social and educational history of India. The
Christian brothers are not an exception to this. Christian Brothers’
Organization was founded in Ireland to promote the education of poor children
and to bring them to the mainstream. Born with service motive, the Organization
rapidly became very popular and branched out all over India, thanks to their
dedication and efficiency.
Coming to
Mangalore in 1977, the Brothers chose St. Joseph’s High School, Bajpe as the
village was economically backward and the people were craving for education.
They settled down to carry out their mission. They served here for forty years
down the line and left an indelible imprint in the minds and the hearts of the
local people. Many of those who had studied here are well settled at various
places within the country and without. They gratefully remember the Brothers
for their selfless service in shaping their lives.
I was appointed in
1976 as an assistant teacher in the high school section of St. Joseph’s P. U.
College which was run by Catholic Board of education, Mangalore. The very next
year, Rev. Fr. Bernard L. D’souza, the then principal of the college handed
over the management of the institution to Christian Brothers as per the order
of the Bishop of Mangalore. It was a great event witnessed by me because there
upon the institution scaled new heights of achievements year by year. In those
forty years, the institution had the service of four able principals in Rev.
Br. C. J. Harrison, Rev. Br. Wilfred D’souza, Rev. Br. Conrad D’souza and the
erstwhile principal Rev. Br. Hector B. N. Pinto, all of whom had contributed in
unique ways.
The first principal, Australia born Br. C. J. Harrison, was a
smiling simple and noble personality who used to mingle with the staff of the
institution with love and respect. He used to take special care of the children
of economically poor parents and created a clean and tidy environment for their
education besides providing for their food and uniform. He personally planted
watered plants and trees in the campus that still bear testimony to his hard
work and concern for nature. Despite his ignorance of the local language, he
never found the want of it in communicating with the local people. Besides, his
attempts to learn a few choice expressions in Kannada brought him near to
people.
Rev. Br. Wilfred
D’souza took the reins of the college in 1982. His attempts to bring in all
round progress of the students brought laurels to the college in the form of
state level ranks. He started English Medium in the high school section, in
addition to the Kannada medium which was already there. He became a
torch-bearer to many families by helping his students to get employments using
his connections. Thus he did a memorable service in making the institution
people-friendly besides taking it to the new heights of success.
Rev. Br. Conrad
D’souza, a man of few words but a hard worker, became the principal in 1988. He
was known for punctuality and efficiency, never compromised with quality.
Although he was a tough task master, he was equally soft at the core,
especially when he dealt with the students. It was during his tenure that the
science stream was introduced in the college besides starting a Job Oriented
Course in computers. Using his friendship, he arranged for the desk tops that
were required for the course. Besides, he cooperated in the construction of the
Golden Jubilee building.
Rev. Br. Charles
D’souza who was born and brought up in Bajpe, was in charge from 2005 to 2010.
He served in the institution where he had studied. An efficient administrator,
Br. Charles is soft spoken and simple. He is very sensitive and eager to
respond to the woes of everyone. His special contribution is discipline in the
institution. He gave much attention to the Kannada medium students and
encouraged them to perform better. He is such a Samaritan that he used to help
the needy parents in case of illness. Being a good counselor, he used to
counsel the students whenever needed. Understanding the need of the rural
students, he arranged after-school classes for them. He silently built the new
state of the art college building and never craved for personal recognitions.
He used to provide tender care for the students and the staff.
From 1995 till
today, Rev. Br. Hector B. N. Pinto has been the principal. An efficient
administrator, Br. Hector reached this height at a very young age. Being an old
student of the institution, he took special care of it. During his tenure the
institution has achieved an unprecedented progress. He is a simple man with a
magnetic personality, loved by both the staff and the students. He was equally
admired by the local people. Himself being a sportsman, Br. Hector encouraged
sports-- the football and the volleyball teams reached national levels many
times. He has given equal importance to academic activities-- the library cum
reading room bespeaks that. The vast and well-maintained play ground and Edmund Rice Auditorium are his special
contributions. He has also maintained a beautiful garden with benches in shade
for the students to sit and study. He worked burning the midnight oil, solely
for the institution.
As the time passes, years remain just numbers
but the respect and support the Christian Brothers had showered on the teachers
remain still green in my mind. I had never seen them, maintaining gaps between
the principals and the staff. The amount of equality and freedom had pushed everyone to give their best to
St. Joseph’s to make it what it is today. The ever increasing number of
students bears testimony to the fact that the institution is admired by people.
I am pained to hear that the Brothers are leaving the institution after
nurturing it for forty long years. Their departure is an irredeemable loss to
the people of Bajpe. Besides expressing gratitude for their selfless service, I
pray God to help them in their future endeavours.
Mrs.
Lilly Coelho
Ex-staff member
No comments:
Post a Comment