by John Montiero
Daijiworld Media Network

Mangalore, Oct 8: Fr. Sylvester Monteiro’s birth centenary was marked by his fond recalls at the concelebrated mass, presided over by the Bishop of Mangalore at Bondel Church, Mangalore, followed by a get-together in the Church Hall on October 8, 2012. Speaking on the occasion, the bishop, Dr. Aloysius Paul D’ Souza, paid rich tributes to the qualities of head and heart of Fr. Monteiro. He said that as a student of Fr Monteiro at the Seminary, he learnt lessons from him which stood him in good stead ever since.

Preaching the homily at the thanksgiving Mass, Fr. Joseph Martis, Rector of St Joseph’s Seminary, recalled his happy and enriching experience as teacher and then as a co-professor with Fr. Monteiro.
Fr. Joseph Rodrigues, SJ, Rector of St Aloysius College Institutions, presided over the post- thanksgiving Mass programmes in the church hall and unveiled and blessed a 7-foot tall glass-fibre statue of Risen Christ , mounted on a 7-ft. tall marble-clad pillar installed by Fr. Monteiro’s family as a centenary memorial to him. In a message, conveyed through the Rector, Fr. Francis Serrao, Provincial of Karnataka Jesuit Province, noted that Fr. Monteiro “was indeed a great soul, unique and rare among Jesuits. He was an intellectual but always down on earth; creative but practical; a novel thinker who loved tradition …had a heart for the poor…”

Fr. Rector as well as other speakers on the occasion, including Sr. Matilda, Principal, MGC PU College, Bondel, Fr Andrew D’Sousa, Parish Priest, Bondel, Fr. Santosh Kamat, a Jesuit co-professor of Fr. Monteiro and Dr Dereck Lobo, an ex-UN official and now President of Catholic Association of South Kanara spoke noting and praising the services of Fr. Monteiro in the fields of education and social concern, specially for the poor.

Monsignor Dennis Moras Prabhu, Vicar General of Mangalor Diocese released a special supplement on Fr Monteiro brought out in Mangalore magazine. Mr. Stany Monteiro, younger brother of Fr Monteiro, presented a cheque for a perpetual scholarship for a n academically good, but financially weak, student of the parish, to execute four years of graduate studies, to the parish priest.

The function was briskly conducted by the noted MC, Arthur D’ Souza.

Coming back to Fr. Sylvester, he was born on October 8, 1912 - the eldest son of Mr. Santhan and Mrs. Assumpta Monteiro from Kiram of Bondel Parish. After his education in the Parish Church School
and in St Aloysius’ School and College, Mangalore, he joined Jesuit Novitiate on July 11, 1934 and was ordained priest on November 21, 1948.

He was assigned to St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore, where he served as Minister of the community, Vice-Principal. In 1957 he came to St. Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalore, as Professor of Philosophy, In April 1959 he was appointed Rector of St. Aloysius College and its Principal. From 1961 to 1966, Fr. Sylvester guided, as Provincial, the Karnataka Jesuit Province, taking part in 1965 in the Jesuit
General Congregation, in Rome, which integrated insights of the Second Vatican Council into the Jesuit Way of Life.

After handing over the leadership as Provincial, Fr. Sylvester returned to St. Joseph’s Seminary in 1970, where for 24 years he spent himself in the formation of hundreds of priests and a few bishops, as Professor of Philosophy, Spiritual Animator and Counselor, Section Minister and several other priestly ministries, especially for priests and religious, and writing spiritual books in Konkani, Kannada and English.

When the seminary administration was to be handed over to the diocesan clergy, Fr. Sylvester opted for St. Aloysius College, where, except for two years as Chaplain to the Sisters of Queen of the Apostles at Vamanjoor, he spent his last four years as animator of the Jesuit community, as friend and guide of several lay people, and above all as writer of spiritual books. Beyond his public persona of a no-nonsense priest, Fr. Sylvester was an earthy, compassionate man. Most of his private time was devoted to study and writing on spiritual matters till he passed away on November 18, 2000. He had a sense of humour which is reflected in the following entry in his diary when he was chaplain at a convent at Vamanjoor: “Today three flies came to see me”.

His Books

But, he turned his loneliness to pen books in Konkani, English and Kannada. His Konkani books include Nakla-Bikla (anecdotes, jokes, proverbs and quizzes), Saswa Titlo, (As Much As Mustard Seed) Tanchi Festha (about the festivals of various religions and communities), Mees (about Holy Mass), Volok Nathelle Dusman (Unknown Enemies), Dhyan Pradan, Shetha Bhatha, Tal Mool, Amchi Festha (Our Festivals), Salavol, Pavithr Sabeche Upranthle Veer, Pavithr Sabeche Arvile Veer, Pavithr
Sabeche Purvile Veer, Devachi Burgi, Ami Modso Undo, Dhyan Prarthan and Jesuit Sant. He wrote God’s Plan for You, The Polite Way, New Meditations (two volumes) in English and Sadachara
and Namma Aparichita Vairigalu in Kannada.

Along the way, he earned a reputation as a humane priest, with special concern for the poor and the downtrodden, as reflected in comments on his passing away and on the eve of his birth centenary. Bishop of Mangalore, Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, said: “He was a practical person. As priests if we do not have a cook, we should not go hungry. So, cooking classes were arranged for us (by Fr. Sylvester in the Seminary).” The present Archbishop of Bangalore, also when Fr. Sylvester passed away, said: “A large-hearted man, he was indeed full of understanding and extremely sensitive to the needs of the poor. “ Dr. Lawrence D’Souza, now Director of St. John’s Medical Institutions in Bangalore, noted: “Fr. Sylvester had the ability to see treasure in trash…where others saw an ordinary average student, he was able to see an individual with great potential capable of achieving something spectacular.”

Recalling Fr. Sylvester, on the eve of his birth centenary, Mr. Santosh Kumar Kadri, a veteran and distinguished alumni of St. Aloysius College, observed: “Fr. Sylvester was a man of vision and ideals, bringing thinking to bear upon all that engaged his attention in the institutions. Long before the language of human relations came to be invoked in the sphere of education, too, he was an ardent exponent of this fine concept and practice in education.”

John B. Monteiro, who started as a lecturer fresh after his M. A., with Fr Sylvester as Principal, at St. Aloysius College, was gently asked to look for another job at the end of the first year. Though he had many links with Fr. Sylvester’s family, all his pleadings to retain his job added up to a big zero. He now says: “That was Fr. Sylvester’ loyalty to the college and the student community under his charge. When it came to weighing the relative merits of family links and the interests of students, he had opted for the students.”