News: Fr Francis Rodrigues
Puttur, Nov 22: Fr Antony Prakash Monteiro, associate professor in physics at the Department of Physics in St Philomena College here has been conferred with a doctorate in physics for his thesis titled ‘The Study of Meson Spectroscopy in the Frame Work of Constituent Quark Models’ by Mangalore University.
Fr Prakash accomplished his thesis under the guidance of Dr K B Vijay Kumar.
Fr Prakash, in charge of the college campus was born in Shirva-Manchakal of Udupi District on April 25, 1976. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Mangalore on April 25, 2006. After his primary education in Shirva he had his priestly formation in St Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalore and St Peter’s Seminary, Bangalore.
He is an alumnus of Puttur St Philomena College, who fifth Rank in BSc and went on to be the first Rank holder and Gold Medalist in MSc Physics at Mangalore University.
After being an assistant pastor for two years at St Francis Xavier Church in Bejai he took up doctoral research. Nine of his research writings have been published in the national and international academic magazines, also eighteen of his research essays have been presented in the research conferences. He has taught physics in Mangalore University and at a number of religious as well as secular institutes as guest faculty.
Besides being an academician Fr Prakash is a well known in the community as a ‘quiz priest’ and even as a seminarian.
He has authored Bible quiz books, five of his Bible quiz books in three languages (Konkani, Kannada and English) are published so far. He has authored five more books in Kannada and English on different subjects. Some of his quiz books have around five editions.
In 2009 he conducted ‘Mega Raknno Bible Quiz’ through out the year in Raknno Konkani weekly which inspired and persuaded thousands of readers to open every book of the Bible.
On the occasion of the post centenary silver jubilee (125) of the Diocese of Mangalore in May, he began conducting ‘Mega Mangalore Jubilee Quiz’ through Raknno, which will continue till April 2012 with prizes amounting to more than Rs 125 thousands.
Being a good communicator he has his interests in Bible study, physics and quantum physics. He is also known for his inspiring talks during seminars, camps and recollections. At present he is also serving as the spiritual director of Jesus Youth in Mangalore.