Report and pics: Jessie Rodrigues
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jun 6: A get-together was organized here on Friday June 5, to bid farewell to Fr Becket D'Souza, who served as the director of KROSS Bangalore for 12 years, on his transfer to Mysore Diocese as the secretary of Education Commission.  The get-together was organized at the KROSS Hall, Cooke Town here, by Fr Peter Brank, the new director of KROSS. Msgr Amritraj presided. Fr Faustine Lobo, coordinator, KRPPC, welcomed the gathering while Sr Genevive, member, Bangalore University Syndicate, felicitated Fr Becket. A group of singers contributed to the serenity of the occasion with their melodious voices. Richard Martis read out the citation for Fr Becket before handing over it to him. A souvenir to mark the 25 years of the KROSS’ dedicated services to the poor was released.

Fr Becket D'Souza, a native of Dakshina Kannada district, is an MA (Sociology) from Mysore University and PhD in behavioural science from Boston University, USA. He took over as the director of Karnataka Regional Organization for Social Service (KROSS), which is working for the upliftment of the poor in the state, with different schemes to promote gender equality, universal primary education, empowering women, combating HIV/AIDS etc in July 1997.  Fr Becket was instrumental in improving the clout of women in panchayats, with more than 883 women now having been elected to panahcyats, with several of them rising to the posts of presidents and vice-presidents.  Fr Becket has a rich experience and has worked in collaboration with like-minded NGOs like AFPRO, Outreach, VISTHAR, Caritas India, ADB, KUIDFC, SBI, SBM etc.

Fr Becket D’Souza thanked all those who helped him and extended cooperation to him during his tenure. Fr Peter Brank proposed vote of thanks and the function concluded with a fellowship meal.

Fr. Peter Brank, the new Director of KROSS, born and brought up in Arehally, Hassan, was appointed as the Diocesan Director of Social Works in 2002 by Bishop J B Sequeira of Chikmagalur, worked as the director at Chikmagalur Multipurpose Social Service Society (CMSSS) for six years.  Simultaneously he was the director of social communications in the diocese. He also worked as the secretary to Sneha Jyothi Trust for three years and member Trustee of Providence Trust of the Diocese of Chikmagalur.

During his tenure as the director of social works of Chikmagalur Diocese, he expanded the women empowerment programme to the entire diocese, covering all the parishes and about 400 villages reaching out to 25,000 families besides initiating various new programmes.
 
The said organization got the “Best Performing Organization” award from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for CMSSS. He was appointed as the deputy director of KROSS by Archbishop Bernard Moras on June 11, 2008 and has now been elevated as the director of KROSS and Regional Secretary for Social Concerns and Development with effect from June 5, 2009.