Media Release

Udupi, Oct 2: As a tribute to Late Fr Henry Castelino, former principal and man who was instrumental in setting-up St Mary's degree college in Shirva, the Alumni of College renovated the College Auditorium and renamed it as 'Late Rev. Fr Henry Castelino Memorial Auditorium' which will be inaugurated on October 5 at 10.30a m under the presidentship of Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, Bishop of Udupi Diocese, and chief guest N Vinay Hegde, chancellor of Nitte University.

'A great man is different from an eminent one in that he is ready to be the servant of his society'

A man of great character, Fr Henry Castelino has given yeoman service to the field of higher education in Puttur and Shirva. Identifying the potential in this young priest, the then Bishop Late Dr Basil D’Souza transferred him from Puttur to Shirva in 1981 to accomplish the great task of being the first Principal of St Mary’s Degree College.

Late Fr Henry Castelino


St Mary's College Shirva

To build an institution from its scratch and make it bloom as it is today it required great leadership, devotion, and determination, which Fr Henry had in ample measure. Not belying the expectations of his superiors, in a decade’s time, he could construct two floors of building, mobilizing funds from his old students and parishioners of Shirva, Pernal, and Puttur.

Fr. Henry had the proverbial touch of love through which he could hold everyone in the institution together. He has created a niche in the hearts of everyone who has come in contact with him.- teachers, students, and contemporaries. He seemed to have only one rule- rule of love. His eidetic memory was a proof of his love and affection for his students. He could recall the names of his old students, their parents, relatives, their residence and many other nitty-gritty details.

He was an exemplary teacher with contagious energy. His art of engaging students attention, emphatic voice, unfathomable knowledge in English, made it look like an effortless subject. He used to be so engrossed in his classes that he didn’t teach “the chapter”, he became “the chapter” .He could talk an hour or two on a single word starting from its roots in Latin/ Greek language to its denouement.

The number of students Fr Henry has helped is infinite. He has rendered financial assistance to poor students from his own pocket, and raised funds when in need for academic, medical, and conjugal purposes. There is not a single student who isn’t influenced by his saintly vibe and cherubic nature.