FR. LEO
CARVALHO’S DREAM
It was 1945. The World was trying to extricate itself from
the conflagration of a horrifying War.
Not just thousands, but millions, had died, and countless other millions
were struggling to cope with the famine, devastation and loss of mutual trust
that had resulted.
In a quiet corner of Mysore State, Fr. Leo
Carvalho agonized over a problem that may have seemed minor by comparison, but
in fact was just as vexing. He had
inherited a Higher Primary school as part of his parish. Together with Little Flower Higher Primary
School, they had been educating the students of Bajpe and the surrounding
villages since as far back as 1893 - but
only as far as class 7. It was now clear
that a High School was needed : but how
was he to find the resources - both material and personnel ?
He put it to the parishioners, and their
response was immediate and enthusiastic.
Within a short period of time, in those difficult times, St. Joseph’s
High School came into being, with Mary Mabel D’Souza as Headmistress, and
teachers who made up for their lack of experience with a determination to
learn, and give what was best for the students.
Fr. Leo Carvalho remained the Correspondent until 1967, when the
Catholic Board of Education of Mangalore Diocese picked up the baton. The progress of the school had been led by
Mr. John B. Monteiro, Mr. S.D. Lobo and Mr. Thomas E. Sequeira. In 1967 itself, St. Joseph’s acquired the
status of a Higher Secondary institution ;
and in 1970, that of a Pre-University College, when Fr. Aveline D’Silva
was Correspondent.
Fr. Bernard L. D’Souza brought another level of energy to the
enterprise. As Principal, and later as
Correspondent, he built buildings wherever the need arose, and a printing press
to give practical training towards employability, as well as to produce printed
matter that was in short supply. He organized
coaching classes for students getting ready for the final examinations - and
so it was no surprise to those in the know, that some of St. Joseph’s students had
now been honoured with high ranks at
state level. The dream of Fr. Leo
Carvalho had now become a bustling enterprise.
Besides becoming a temple of academic learning, St. Joseph’s was turning
into a place that students loved to come to, for co-curricular activities, for
games and sports, and to meet teachers who matched their excitement with
encouragement and continual challenge.
When the Christian Brothers appeared on the
horizon in 1976, Fr. Bernard spared no effort to make Bajpe their choice of
destination. Br. Wilfred D’Souza and Br.
Jus Harrison had no difficulty deciding that Bajpe was where they would put
down anchor. They, and the Brothers
after them, brought with them their formidable qualifications and experience in
running institutions all over the world.
They brought with them, too, the spirit of a Founder who had turned
grief into compassion, a man who could not bear to see children deprived of the
joy of education, no matter what the reason (or excuse).
There was a minor crisis when the Brothers
discovered that St. Joseph’s was a co-educational institution : the Christian Brothers had hitherto never
ventured into the education of girls.
And so a special permission had to be obtained from the headquarters of
the Christian Brothers, which had then just moved to Rome. And the Christian Brothers never looked
back. Education for them never meant
just teaching in class. Sports and games
were an integral part of the educational process. The team spirit engendered there complemented
the theory imparted in the classroom ;
students who were unable to produce brilliance in academics could
rejoice that their prowess on the field was just as valuable to the world ; and mens
sana in corpore sano was not just a
difficult Latin quotation, but an essential feature of the learning enterprise
for every human being
The power of the reading habit had always
been part of the Brothers’ teaching method.
In order to build up the library, Br. Wilfred and his successors at the
Principal’s desk scoured bookstores, studied the libraries of other schools,
and pleaded with their managements to help with funds. The emphasis they placed was clear in the
set-up of the library and the Librarian employed on a permanent basis. In addition, the Brothers themselves worked
with the students to improve their speaking and handwriting : skills that would propel them ahead in life when
the “marks” were not enough to get them lucrative
positions ! Elocution, quiz, extempore
speaking, debating, singing were some of
the tools. On their part, the local
tradition of Yakshagana was something the Brothers had to learn. Now and then a musical extravaganza was
organized : these were massive
undertakings, and students learned not only music, but speaking, stagecraft,
blending of one with the other, costuming, backstage props, lighting, sound
systems, funding, advertizing, protocol
- even 20 years later, many students who had been
swept up in these whirlwinds confessed that they had forgotten most of what
they had learned in class, but they could relate dozens of incidents during “opera practice” as if they had happened the day before ! Many friendships formed in those happy days
; and in fact, some of them blossomed
into marriage !
But, far away from the centre stage, there
was also a quiet revolution taking place in Bajpe that most people were hardly
aware of. In 1945
people of Bajpe had gladly described themselves as “villagers”
- with all the derogatory
connotations that went with it. By and
large they saw themselves as inferior to those in places “with the bright lights”. Most of their ambitions were directed to the
big cities in India, and the Gulf, and the West. There is a perceptible change now. As one looks at the staff that keeps the
wheels of St. Joseph’s turning today, it is clear that they think differently. Many of them have had the opportunity to be
elsewhere - and instead have chosen, definitively, to
give back to St. Joseph’s what they got from dedicated people in their own
lives. For the last twenty years, their
Principal has been a native of the locality ;
most of the teachers come from walking distance. Fr. Leo Carvalho could not have dreamed of a
nobler form of empowerment !
The Brothers have been a part of the story
of St. Joseph’s for the last forty years.
They will be missed in Bajpe : of
that there is no doubt. Personal relationships
have been formed and strengthened over the years -
there has to be a sense of loss and grief as the Brothers move
away. But the people on whom the mantle
of leadership has fallen are well able to step up and take over. The students of the next generation will lose
nothing of the dedication and care that have been the characteristics of St.
Joseph’s. All it takes is the same kind
of support that the parish gave to their vicar in 1945.
Fr. Leo Carvalho’s dream continues .. ..
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