Stan Blogs

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

On some Sundays the Prefect would announce that we would be going to Lands End for an outing. We knew what it meant, so we had old jam bottles ready. Then we treked in orderly lines in pairs on Hill Road towards St Andrews Church and along the sea face to Lands End. Once there we went onto the Rocks and looked for black maulies, found them and managed to get them into the jam bottle along with the sea water. These were our pets and every day we rubbed two guttlies to gether to drop the crumbs into the bottle to feed the fish. I am not sure where, but we at times managed to get raw mangoes, cut them into bits and soak them in salted water as a pickle.

Some years ago when I was in Mumbai to visit my Mother and sister, the Bandra Fair was on and I thought it would be a good idea to go around and remember old memories. I was so badly disappointed that if I ever go again it would be only to visit Mother Mary on the Mount. However Bandra Fair of old was an event to look forward to. We, especially the boarders looked forward to the week in September. If we were lucky enough to have saved any pocket money with our Prefect, it would be doled out on that first Sunday. Else I hoped to bump into a relative who would say "here take this pocket money and go enjoy yourself" or I'd drop in at my Aunt's place where I'd be really fed and end up with a few more Rupees.

Some years ago when I was in Mumbai to visit my Mother and sister, the Bandra Fair was on and I thought it would be a good idea to go around and remember old memories. I was so badly disappointed that if I ever go again it would be only to visit Mother Mary on the Mount. However Bandra Fair of old was an event to look forward to. We, especially the boarders looked forward to the week in September. If we were lucky enough to have saved any pocket money with our Prefect, it would be doled out on that first Sunday. Else I hoped to bump into a relative who would say "here take this pocket money and go enjoy yourself" or I'd drop in at my Aunt's place where I'd be really fed and end up with a few more Rupees.