Stan Blogs

More names keep popping in my head. There was Thomas Marshal, who I know became a really good commercial artist. Then there was Reggie, who I thought looked always very sleepy. There were the brothers Sabu and Franklin. Both were hansome, one was short and stocky and the other was thin and taller. Now come to think of it, Franklin resembled the singer Prince. There was John Carvallo who was very studious and a damn good hockey player. Frank (Butler) was another good hockey player.

Among Fathers and Brothers, there was Fr. Donelly, Fr. Soler, Fr. Barjao, Fr. Cassale, Fr. Fabregad, Fr. Lobo, Fr.

I am trying to remember people, places, things and events that are almost half a century ago. So if I falter, bear with me, correct me, remind me. People, well there is Brian Edwards, Kevin Wade, Manek Despande, Joseph D'souza,
Bedford, Derek Andrade, Bernard Rodricks, Frank, and a whole lot of a hundred and fifty others who for the life of me, I can't recall. Brian had been my buddy from day one until we parted when leaving school. Kevin was wild when he joined, and I mean really wild. Then he sobered down and I got to know him better. I remember he was creative. He had a buddy who was kind of tiny, and who in turn had a pet squirrel, which died, and for which we enacted a burial near the banyan tree near Bhayawadi.

Ever hear of the Binaca Hit Parade. No! Neither did I, until a kind adopted Uncle living on Bazaar Road just behind the Boarders Dormitories decided that the least he could do was to play that hit parade real loud for us boarders. And so, we learnt about Frank Sinatra, Pat Boone, Jim Reeves, Cliff Richard, Connie Francis, and of course Elvis. From Sinatra we learnt to do it our way; from Pat Boone we learnt about Wishful Thinking; from Jim we learnt about our Precious Lord; from Cliff we learnt that the Young ones are never afraid; from Elvis we learnt that we should keep loved ones always on our mind. Thats where we got our education in music.

Come to think about it, I was destined to school in St. Stanislaus High School. My bond with the school goes back way before I was even born. My maternal Uncle, Henry Scott was a boarder there and was well liked by Fr. Ribot. And my parents were married there in 1942. So when I became unmanageable in 1950, my mother contacted my Uncle and there I was, a boarder. One thing I could and did boast about was the list of sudents names just outside the principal's office. My Uncle's name was clearly mentioned. Well, Henry Scott was an artist, trained at the J.J. School of Art, went on to become a textile designer, and died a bachelor.

If there is anything about my life as a boarder that I will remember in vivid detail for the rest of my life, it will be the Holy Week. It is not because I have any pretensions about being religious, rather it was because of the great Good Friday ritual. Ever since I finished schooling, I have never witnessed anything like the very long, very ceremonial ritual performed around the Crucifixion. Believe me, I was an acolyte (one among many) on several of these rituals (once I even blacked out on my knees). Right up and at the back was our famous choir accompanied by our equally famous gigantic organ (I've been inside it), and in front of the altar was the wonderfully life like mannequin of Jesus, whose arms and legs could be manipulated. Anyone attending that Good Friday mass (and there were crowds) could not but help shedding a tear. With the priests chanting, the choir wailing, the organ tearing our hearts, and the volunteer actors hit the nails in rhythm, our eyes spurted tears. The last part was taking Jesus down from the cross and laying him at the side altars. Then the line to kiss the feet of Jesus would form and coil out of the church never seeming to shorten until late at night. Just the day before we visited the last supper in the long hall near the main gate. There sat Jesus and his apostles all life like mannequins, surrounded by bowls of fruit, and bread and blessed cross buns. Finally the midnight mass leading to Easter was equally spectacular. And of course this also reminds us of Easter Eggs. Well if you had some pocket money you could get a chocolate one from McRonells. Else you could watch others relish theirs. It also reminds me of a time when I was real sick and in the infirmary under the care of Joe (who else?) and my Mom way up in Ahmedabad wanted to cheer me up, so she sent a shoe box full of Easter eggs made from real eggs (emptied of course). But she had painted faces and decorated them and filled them with small sweets.

A few lessons learnt from Joe’s drive

Opportunity to Tap current membership:

Fr. Lawrie Ferrao S.J. retired as Principal on Wed, Feb 28,2007 after almost eleven years as Principal of our school and President of SSESA.

Fr. Joe D'Abreo S.J. revived the association, Fr. Edmund Carrasco S.J. consolidated the functioning of the association, it was Fr. Lawrie who took the association to new heights both on the national and international fronts of Jesuit Alumni.

Today thanks to Fr. Lawrie for the gift of an office premises right in the heart of the school.

WE WILL MISS YOU TALL DARK AND HANSOME

Fr. Lawrie Ferrao S.J. retired as Principal on Wed, Feb 28,2007 after almost eleven years as Principal of our school and President of SSESA.

Fr. Joe D'Abreo S.J. revived the association, Fr. Edmund Carrasco S.J. consolidated the functioning of the association, it was Fr. Lawrie who took the association to new heights both on the national and international fronts of Jesuit Alumni.

Today thanks to Fr. Lawrie for the gift of an office premises right in the heart of the school.

WE WILL MISS YOU TALL DARK AND HANSOME

Fr. Jude Fernandes has taken over as Principal of our School on Thursday, March 1, 2007 from Fr. Lawrie Ferrao S.J. Fr. Jude was our Vice Principal from June 2006. He was previously the Parish Priest of Holy Family, Chakala, Andheri East as also the Vice Principal of Holy Family School, Andheri East. We wish him all the best.

Passed out from our prestigious institution in 1972 and like all others from every other batch;  went our own separate ways. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to be in touch with most of the 140 boys (at approx 35 per class x 4 divisions) from this batch.

It would please me to be able to 'connect' with these guys, once more. Request anyone who knows someone (could be your dad, uncle, brother, cousin, friend, neighbour ...) from the Class of '72 and get them sign up on this portal.

Thanks