Reputed professor at St Xavier's College, Fr Joe Braganza passed away on Saturday in Vadodara at the ripe old age of 90.
St Xavier's college stands tall and proud in Navrangpura. One of the prominent institutions of the city, it owes much to Father Joseph Braganza, who worked hard to make it one of Gujarat University's most reputed and popular colleges. Fr Braganza passed away on December 11 in Vadodara.
Father Joe, as he was popularly known, was the first staff member to be appointed English professor at the college, in 1956, the year when the story of Xavier's unfolds. And like most stuff of legends, his too was a celebrated story.
Prof Abid Shamsi, retired professor recalls those heady days when Xavier's came into being. "Rasiklal Patell, a leading industrialist of those days, requested Fr Charles Gomes, the principal of St Xavier's high school, to apply for a new college and Fr Arellano, the Provincial Superior, moved the application further. GU accepted the proposal and granted the permission.
In order to venture into university education, Fr Joe travelled to the USA where he completed his Master's at the Columbia University. On his return, he became a founder-member of Xavier's and joined the first batch of staff
Fr Joe's strict but kindly nature made him very popular with the students. Under his guidance as sports in-charge, Xavier's bagged almost every gold medal in every discipline at the GU sports meet, for 20 years.
Fr Joe inculcated in his students the importance of discipline, sartorial elegance and punctuality. It was these first-rate qualities which made the college popular.
Later, for many years, the amiable priest was also in charge of scholarships for the students. "His biggest contributions to Xavier's college are sports, scholarships for needy students and education," adds Prof Shamsi.
At the funeral service at St Xavier's College church on Monday evening, besides the Bishops and priests and hundreds of former students, a group of under-privileged people from Gulbai Tekra took their appointed place among the mourners. It was these poor folk from what is called 'Hollywood' area who will remember Fr Joe with the greatest affection.
For more than two decades he opened the campus to them after college ended, held classes for them and gave these slum dwellers the college's sports facilities and lawns to indulge themselves in. It is their blessings that Fr Joe must be cherishing so much now.
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