Message from Br William D'Souza, Ex- student of St Josephs

Asato maa sat gamaya,

Tamaso maa  jyotir gamaya,

Mritur maa amritam gamaya.

Om, shanti, shanti, shanti, om!!

My alma mater, St. Joseph’s Pre-university College, Bajpe; taught me the real meaning of the above Sanskrit sholk. It was here that I learned the true meaning of life. It was here that I got my call to be a Christian brother. It was here that I met my true friend, ‘guru’, counsellor, spiritual guide and he was my Principal too. I salute all my teachers who taught me, brought out the best in me and made me the person that I am today. Indeed, I am proud to be a product of this great institution. 

(Br. William D’Souza CFC)

Br Joachim's memories of St Josephs

Dear Principal, Staff, Students and Friends,

I have spent more than thirty happy years in St. Josephs’ P.U.College, Bajpe. I have many pleasant memories of the place and lots of ex-students and friends.

I first stepped into St. Joseph’s in May 1982. I did not know the local language, and I had to teach the Kannada medium students. I found it very difficult, but I still enjoyed it because of the friendly nature of students and help from staff. It was a short stay of just six months.

The next time I went to St. Joseph’s was in May 1985. By then there was English Medium started there. This time I stayed till my retirement and till April 2015. After having spent thirty years. I enjoyed every bit of it. St. Joseph’s has progressed by leaps and bounds during that period. I miss it very much.

In the forty years that the brothers spent there, a lot of new things were introduced and many improvements were done. The brothers started the English medium from 83 onwards, the computer techniques course was introduced, Science was started. The students participated in state and national level Volleyball and football competitions, and many other competitions were introduced or won.

Apart from these many buildings were built. The present library was built, the golden jubilee building, the Auditorium, the new office block, the toilet blocks for boys and girls, and the new canteen and mid-day meal kitchen and store rooms were built. Besides these there were improvements done like the football ground, the top ground, the volleyball courts etc. were done and the students benefitted from all these, as a result the institution benefitted greatly from all these improvements.

The greatest of all these was the quality education and the all-round development of all the students. The credit goes to all the Principals, staff, benefactors, students, ex-students and friends of the brothers and the people of Bajpe who were most generous.

The brothers will definitely miss St. Josephs after working there for the last 40 years or so, but we are happy that it will go into the able hands, who can make all the efforts to improve further. We are most grateful to the Bishop, the catholic board of education and all the priests of Bajpe parish, as well as the people of Bajpe, the ex-students, the faithful and dedicated staff and students of the school for all the support and help received by the brothers who worked there as well as the congregation.

We wish all the very best to St. Josephs and the persons who will continue the good work.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to pen a few words.

God bless,

Bro. Joachim Almeid

Brothers – “The Angels in Disguise” - Shamanth Acharya

               Brothers – “The Angels in Disguise”

 My association with the Christian Brothers is since 1998, when I joined St Joseph’s Bajpe for High School.  Untill then I had never heard of the Brothers. At first I mistook them for priests in the church because of the habit they wore. Gradually I did discover what it meant to be a Christian Brother.

          A Christian Brother is a person who has the courage to denounce all the worldly pleasures and finds joy and in shaping others lives. They could have been Kings themselves yet they choose to be King Makers. Brothers are the most selfless people one can get to see, they strive relentlessly to fulfill their goal and their motto “To do and To Teach”.

          I consider myself very blessed to have met the Brothers in my life. Many fond memories and great experiences reverberate in my mind. It was an absolute privilege to meet some of the most beautiful human beings to ever walk on earth.

       I remember when we were in High School we would spend a lot of free time in the small Porch of the Brothers house. And there we would go on and on until the bell rang or it got really late in the evening, although we always wanted to stay longer. Soon the Brothers had to get a larger porch as we would flock in sizeable numbers. The Brothers were always welcoming.

       I do wish to share a few small things which may help one reminisce those good old days. Let me begin with Br Joel Tavares who taught my class in 1998. A much disciplined man who always dressed in neatly pressed clothes and carried a wooden metre scale to class. He was and still is a fitness freak and never missed his evening walk. Even though he taught us for just one year he left such a lasting impact on us that it was very difficult to say goodbye to him when he got transferred. 

      Br Joachim Almeida taught us all throughout high school. A very calm and a fun loving man who loved to share jokes and funny incidents. Our own football star with those accurate corner kicks. Knowing that he was from Bombay we would say funny things to him in Kannada or Tulu and he would just smile. To our horror we found out that he had been in Bajpe for a decade and a half already and understood the local language very well.

    Br Charles D’Souza who taught my class History in the year 2000 , once tried to teach us the basics of singing. Poor Br. Charles had tried really hard but the cracking voice of us teenage boys made Do Re Me… sound so horrible that even we couldn’t tolerate ourselves. Br C. J.  Harrison was the first white person I ever spoke to, he was Australian. He once surprised the entire assembly by singing a Kannada melody. Being an Aussie his love for sports was very evident and he stood by Australian cricket team always. However we had a gala time when India won the Coca Cola cup finals against the Aussies in 1998.  Br Theo is the most gentle and lovable person. His calm demeanor and warmth wins you over instantly. I also remember many such small and interesting experiences with Br. Walter Vaz , Br Ronald Vaz, Br John, Br William ( who happens to be the first Brother from Bajpe).

And for the grand finale, I choose Br Hector Pinto. I first saw Br Hector Pinto (didn’t know his name then) when I appeared for my class VII public exam in the year 1998 at St Joseph’s. It was only when I joined St Josephs for High School I learned that he was a very popular personality and is known by many names (Hitler, being the most popular). He comes across as a very tough and strict person on the outside. But he is a much softer person inside. He is a bundle of energy and can amaze you with his multitasking skills. He is curious by nature and constantly thinks “what more can be done?” .Being a firm believer in the importance of sports, he always encouraged the students to take up sports. Needless to say that he orchestrated the success story of St Joseph’s in the field of sports. There may be only a handful of people who are willing to put that much time and energy for students. Personally I had a close interaction with Br Hector. He went on to be my guide, philosopher, best friend and a role model. It seems recent but I met this amazing man almost two decades ago.

Finally I wish to thank all the Brothers. Life wouldn’t have been the same otherwise. Bajpe will miss the Brothers, the “Angels in disguise”.

Shamant Acharya

FOOTBALL MAKES THESE GIRLS TICK - News article in BANGALORE MIRROR (CLICK THE BELOW LINK)

http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/sports/others/football-makes-these-girls-tick/articleshow/58615468.cms

MESSAGE FROM BR THEO

MESSAGE FROM BR THEO

Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice started the Congregation of Christian Brothers in Ireland keeping in mind the challenges and hurdles in the lives of youth of his time. The situation has not changed much in many parts of the world and thus we his followers have been in education ministry to empower the youth to face life’s challenges and to attain a worthwhile quality of life. Presently the Christian Brothers are at the crossroads in ministry, evaluating our ministry to see how best we can serve the needy in the footsteps of our Founder Blessed Edmund, the way he would have wanted it.

The Brothers complete 40 years of service to the youth in St. Joseph’s P.U. College, Bajpe and this institution has been most memorable not only to the Brothers but to all the  dedicated teachers and whole-hearted students over the years who were very much part and parcel of this institution contributing to the wonderful spirit of friendliness there.   We Brothers have much to be thankful for especially for the cordial support received from all quarters, from the Bishop and his clergy, and  the people who have been so supportive in our developmental ventures benefiting students. As we hand over the management of this institution we will thank everyone for this opportunity to be close to all who have been part of this long, steady journey.

The Brothers, when they arrived in Bajpe, started inviting youth to listen to a call they might have to be a Brother. In the beginning many couldn’t understand the life and mission of a Brother.  Their efforts were blessed when Br. William D’Souza said yes to join this way of life. He was brilliant at studies and very active in sports. It was not long after when Br. Charles D’Souza responded to a similar call. Needless to say Br. Charles was meticulous in his study preparation and great interest in enlivening lives of others in class through his calm and cheerful nature. When these new recruits found meaning in this new-found life they in turn started spreading the message side by side with Br. Wilfred  - and that is how they found both Br. Hector and me in our school in Bondel. There were many others who followed later and presently are serving in different ministries touching the lives of the poor and the marginalized of the society. Br. Steve Fernandes who followed later in joining is now the elected Province Leader of the Indian Province of the Christian Brothers.

I come from Bondel which is hardly 8 kms from Bajpe, the Brothers found both Br. Hector Pinto (the out-going Principal of Bajpe) and also me (presently working in the Philippines) during a vocation drive, in  MGC High school, in Bondel. We are childhood friends and when we joined the Brothers both of us had our initial training in the Juvenate (a place for training the student Brothers) where we met wonderful teachers and trainers in Brs. Wilfred, Harrison and Elphege. They were all hard working and gave their best to the students, when they received the school from Fr. Bernard who was then the manager of the school. In forty years the school has experienced some evolutionary changes amidst many challenges.

Brothers who had an opportunity to come to Bajpe on the whole had a heartening experience interacting with students and also the parishioner. I was lucky to have had three postings in this institution and out of these twice as the correspondent.  I recall some events that have stayed in my mind. One such is the football game in the afternoons that were joined by both Brothers and others. Soon after school the Brothers and the candidates would play a game of football and they would be joined by some staff members and as well as students who brought so much energy to the game.  Slowly this game continued until the students of Bajpe took to this game and started winning many matches not only in the city but also in the whole state. Br. Hector has been responsible for encouraging volley ball and, later, football for the girls, winning not only state level matches but they also had the proud moment of reaching the National level games too. The boys have participated in many games also and were able to tackle the Independence cup in Mangalore.

Another one of my memories is the Founders’ Cup celebrated on 29^th of August to mark the death anniversary of our founder Blessed Edmund Rice. The students would eagerly wait for this day mainly because of the activities and the related fun. The highlight would be the football match; students versus the staff would be the most awaited event. There would be cheers and screaming even if one of the staff would make an awkward touch of the ball, it would bring maximum cheer and excitement. Of course, invariably the staff would win the trophy with much assistance.

During my teaching career I noticed that the students of St. Joseph’s were extremely talented in singing and this motivated me to give these students an opportunity to put their talent to good use. I remember with pleasure and gratitude the encouragement rendered to me both by Br. Charles D’Souza and all the staff. Everyone contributed toward this mini operetta “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The students had practiced their lines so well and matched the music that was played by Mr. Alwyn Noronha (an experienced musician of Mangalore) along with his companion musician. It was a great achievement that so many students could take part in this concert in different capacities and thus creating bonding between staff and students. Some of the students who were part of this event are still grateful for the opportunity and for the confidence they gained in life.

As I gaze back into these four decades of our journey in St. Joseph’s, I have seen students coming with immense enthusiasm to imbibe the spirit of this institution and when leaving, carrying with them the thrilling experiences etched in their memories and importantly, in their hearts. . Once a student of St. Joseph’s Bajpe, then forever, a Josephite!  There are now those Josephites everywhere, pursuing life in different capacities, carrying the spirit of Edmund, sharing it with others wherever they are,  in ever new and fresh expressions.

I wish the management all success and God’s blessings.

BR THEO ALVARES,

PHILLIPINE

INVITATION TO THE FAREWELL TO CHRISTIAN BROTHERS

INVITATION - FAREWELL TO CHRISTIAN BROTHERS OF BAJPE

CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR COMMENTS

Supreetha Lobo Heart broken😞

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Rashmitha Nayak A big thank you to all the Christian Brothers who have moulded us into better human beings.

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Lohith Pinto Thank you for everything Brothers of St Joseph's for what u have given to us then n now .....miss u all , all the best for your new journey ...

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Farewell PPT to 2nd PUC students of St Josephs PU College, Bajpe(2016-17)

FAREWELL PROGRAMME FOR SSLC STUDENTS OF ST JOSEPHS BAJPE 2015-16