Father Matthew completes 50 yrs as JesuitStatesman News ServiceKOLKATA, Sept. 5:
A rare challenge changed the life of a simple boy from a small village in Kerala. He had just completed his high school when a priest, whom the boy disliked, asked him: “Can you become a priest?’ The boy who dreamt of being in the Army, had no reply, but he took it up as a challenge and fulfilled it. Today, Rev Father PC Matthew, the principal of St Xavier’s College has completed 50 years as a Jesuit. On Teachers’ Day, the college celebrated Father Matthew’s golden jubilee as a Jesuit and honoured his self-less devotion towards teaching. “My vocation is still a mystery to me. However, I am glad that I took up the challenge, as I cherish my life as a Jesuit. I consider myself a human being first, before being a teacher and a priest,” said Father Matthew. The same challenging spirit made him come to Kolkata and devote himself to education. “Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose have been my inspiration. I believe teaching has no beginning and no end. I don’t know when I became a teacher, but I am grateful to all those who have helped me to be a teacher,” he added. The students of the college are equally happy on this day. “We are privileged to have a teacher like Father Matthew who is both a friend and a guide,” said Trina Roy, a student of bio-technology. “He is a strict disciplinarian, but it is so easy to relate to him. This is what makes him so special to the youngsters who want to be heard and understood by the elders,” said Stephanie, another student. Though he has been in-charge of the college and has been teaching for the past 34 years, Father Matthew still believes he is unworthy of the profession. “There are so many values attached to a teacher, and so much expectation which I can never match. I would just like to continue teaching,” the Father said.He is also hopeful that the society will have more teachers with qualities of selfless devotion and sympathy.
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