By William Pais
Mangaluru, Jul 8: His attraction and impact on me far exceeds my namesake. Perhaps the impression of an eight-year-old kid would not qualify in any way to comment on his towering persona. When he came to my erstwhile parish in Allipade-Bantwal, I was all of eight year old. Ever since, his persona has made an impact that would not leave me in my life. Fr William Fernandes, a kind hearted, warm and loving, charming and ever smiling person passed away into eternity on 7 July 2019. Thus came to an end, the life of a gifted priest of Mangaluru in particular and a noted educationist of undivided South Kanara. He was 84.
The two-year stint he had in Allipade was enough to understand the great humanist in him and years that followed later were only testimony to his great human spirit. Children were dear to him and he called them in different names other than their own- witty and funny. He called me Huliraya-a remote resemblance to my name. Being socially and economically backward Allipade church was a challenge for him to understand. He had come from a transfer where his earlier assignment was in Kallianpur as the head master of High School. With his magic persona children were attracted to him. Realizing once, post Sunday mass, all children could not buy Ice candy from the seller, a rare delicacy in remote Allipade, six kilometers from Bantwal town, he spoke to the candy seller and bought his entire supply and assured that every child got it on every Sunday. In today’s understanding this may not amount to great give away but then it meant a lot to children who would just look at others faces and only cursed their bad luck. He understood child’s heart and did everything in his might to bring smile on innocent and impressionable minds. Whenever he offered eatables he would insist it had to be picked up in two hands full.
His generations of students will certainly vouch for the strict disciplinarian in him. Those were the days of excellent Kannada schools. Today Kannada schools face closure for lack of admissions but those days’ good Kannada schools were much sought after and Fr William Fernandes was heading best of those institutions. Be in Kallianpur, Kulur, Cascia where he was High School Head master, his students remember him as great educationist who formed their mind and eventually their life. The present generation of parents was undoubtedly trained by the person of Fr William’s caliber and they excel in all things. The church in South Kanara played important role in educating the marginalized and Fr William was one of foot soldier of that movement, trained generations to be responsible and morally right. He was part of a silent revolution that shaped the intellect of present undivided South Kanara.
Agrar Parish, where he was the parish priest post retirement, is an old church with a long History. The church building has paintings of Bro. Antonio Moscheni, the artist who painted St Aloysius College in Mangalore. As person who had a deep sense of heritage, he saw that church building was carefully restored. In the course of my research on book on South Kanara, I had met him several times where he gave me valuable insights in to church history. He was a good pastor who believed in organizing the community towards greater ends than build physical infrastructure, as is the craze now. He did things of greater importance without noise and without attracting attention. It is work like his that brings a subtle change in our lives. He was relentless hard worker for the welfare of community.
A loving and kind hearted human being who ordained himself to be a silent witness to the values of Christ, he leaves a legacy of warmth that everything you do, must advance your fellow human being towards greater good. One must do it in utmost silence, do it diligently, leave your mark gently and exit gracefully. Life perhaps to him was not a responsibility but mission to be good to others. He represented that generation of priests who lived selflessly for the people who they worked for and thus become a true role model to the present generation of clergy. For his numerous students he lives memory of a disciplined teacher and a person who moulded their lives to become responsible citizens. To those parishioners he will remain a good pastor who was their counselor in times of crisis and as a head of the institution he will be remembered as a great force that trained the trainers. His exit is as graceful as the life he lived and the end result of those 84 years, he made this world a better place to live and brought smile on numerous lives. You will be dearly missed Fr William. Rest in Peace in the loving arms of the Lord.
(William Pais is author of The Land Called South Kanara)