Mother Teresa’s visit to St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School here in 1974 was a brief one. But, her compassionate words and unassuming persona had a lasting impression among those present there.
The occasion, considered among the most memorable ones in the school’s history since its inception in 1857, was arranged to raise funds for the fledgling orphanage, Shishu Bhavan, established by the Missionaries of Charity near Kunnukuzhy.
“I vividly remember waiting in the school compound for her arrival,” says Rajeev O.N.V., Chairman of the Railway Recruitment Board, who was a Class 9 student then. “We were pleasantly surprised to find a frail, endearing woman walk amongst us, bereft of the fanfare that is typical of visits by important personalities,” he says.
Her messageDuring her address, Mother Teresa had spoken of the plight of disadvantaged children. She had exhorted the students not to waste food. “Her message got imprinted in my mind as it had come in my formative years,” he said.
In an article included in the school magazine in 1974, the then Headmaster Fr. Kuncheria S.J. had noted that several students responded to her call for support. “The boarders sacrificed their monthly cinema fare and gave Rs.140 to Sishu Bhavan. Other boys distributed sweets and clothes among those children abandoned by society,” it had been stated.
The visit had set the school on a path of philanthropic activities, which continues to be its hallmark. “We have sought to impress upon students the need to take part in charity works. The Mother’s words have been a guiding light for us,” says Headmaster Joseph Jose.
According to John Mathew, staff secretary, who is coordinating the activities to mark the canonisation of Mother Teresa, a 6-foot-tall statue will come up near the stage where she had addressed the students in 1974. Thiruvananthapuram Archbishop Soosa Pakiam M. will unveil the statue on Monday.
