HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH’S PU COLLEGE UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF CHRISTIAN BROTHERS by Mr Udupa

HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH’S PRE-UNIVERSITY COLLEGE UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF CHRISTIAN BROTHERS 

St. Joseph’s Pre-University College which took its inception in the year 1945 was the brain child of the Christian missionary fathers of St. Joseph’s Church, Bajpe in Mangalore diocese.

            In fact, their mission took off way back in 1893 with the establishment of St. Joseph’s Higher Primary School (presently known as Parochial school) by Fr. Aranha , the then Parish Priest. Another Parish Priest, Fr. Leo Saldanha founded a higher primary school for girls, Little Flower Higher Primary School.

            However, the people of Bajpe had to wait until 1945 to satisfy their higher educational needs. It was Fr. Leo Carvallo, a visionary who understood the need of the people for a high school and founded St. Joseph’s High School. He worked as the correspondent of the school for 22 years and in 1967 he handed over the management of the school to Catholic Board of Education, Mangalore., the pioneer of education in the district. The school was promoted to higher secondary level in the same year.  The institution saw its Silver Jubilee in the year 1970, during the tenure of Fr. Aveline D’Silva. The institution was granted junior College status in 1972 (at present Pre-University College)

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            From 1945 to 1949 the school had the fortune of having the service of Mrs Mable D’Souza as head mistress who had laid a firm foundation for what it is now.  In the subsequent years, Mr John B. Monteiro, Mr. S.D. Lobo and Mr. T E. Sequeira as head masters, contributed for the steady progress of the institution.

            This institution was nurtured under the care of Fr. Bernard L. D’Souza from 1972 to 1979. A strict disciplinarian, Fr. Bernard always favoured the education of the rural poor. His tenure is rightly called the golden age of the institution as the college became one among those institutions which secured state level ranks. This golden age heralded the age of glory beginning with the arrival of the Christian Brothers in 1979 .

Mr. Ramakrishna Udupa

Lecturer in English