THE SCHOOL ON THE MARCH

The History usually mirrors the life and activity of the Institution during the preceding year.

Speaking of the past, we are filled with admiration and gratitude for those stalwarts of a byegone age: the Fathers of the Paris Foreign Mission. Imbued with vision and foresight, iron will and steely determination, unflagging zeal and dauntless courage, they planted a seed in the "Garden" on St. John's Hill, nurtured it through the years, and, when the time was ripe, transplanted it to an imposing building, which is now St. Joseph's College, PUC Section. They were men of deep faith and bard toil, all of them: Vissac and Browne, Froger and Veysseyre, Blaise and Michel, and the great Aucouturier. We salute these giants and place on record our abiding gratitude. When the Fathers of the Society of Jesus, who are managing the School, at present, took it over in 1937, they were faced with the daunting challenge of living up to the high standards set by their predecessors. It is a matter of joy for us to know that during these odd years, we have tried hard, and to a great extent succeeded in meeting that challenge. It has been for us a thrilling adventure as thrilling as the task of an athlete determined to break records. Some records we ourselves have set, and some set by others before us, we have broken.

Thanks be to God.

Under the stewardship of successive Rectors and Principals, the School has grown beyond all expectations, won many laurels and deserved many encomiums. But what we deem as our greatest achievement is the safe launching of hundreds of men into the ocean of life. There has been material progress too. The most significant event has been the transfer of the School to the present location with its imposing edifice and spacious Playground.

We have had our great men too: Joseph Coelho, William Picardo, Albert Saldanha, Edwin Fernandes. James Coelho, J. B. Frank, Valerian Farias and Denis Coelho. All of them have contributed to the growth of the School. All of them have left indelible imprints in the annals of the Institution and much more, in the minds and hearts of our students. While we pay them our respects, we who are at the helm now, wish to acknowledge that we continue to draw inspiration from them. And, while singing the glories of the past, we rededicate ourselves to the task of facing boldly the challenges of the future.