Men & Women for Others

Go forth and set the world on fire
St. Ignatius of Loyola

The highlight for the month of July is the Ignatian Week. With activities for every class as well as for the teachers, the spirit of our patron St. Ignatius of Loyola is manifested in the form of camaraderie, companionship and cooperation. The focus for the Ignatian week 2019 was on the Ignatian way of life, the work and teachings of St. Ignatius, the life of the Jesuits and the history of St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School. The wealth of knowledge about the school, the Jesuit fathers and their founder was tested through a plethora of competitions from quizzes to grid crosswords and from creative writing to video presentations on values. Students from LKG to Class XII took part in the contests to showcase the foresight of St. Ignatius of Loyola, after four and a half centuries has stood the test of time.

The special assembly on the 30th of July was based on Igantian doctrines, included a prayer, a prayer song, a skit, speeches and songs. Our Principal, Fr Sunil Fernandes SJ in his message to the gathering focused on the four D’s – Desire, Discernment, Dedication ad Dream – which was the pathway to the soldier saint’s life. Fr. Principal asked the students to be persons of total surrender to the love of God so that inspired by St. Ignatius, they can be men and women for others.

The day progressed with a solemn Mass concelebrated by Rev Fr Sandeep Menezes (Redemptorist Priest/ Old Boy), Rev Fr Principal and Rev Fr Alwyn SJ (Primary School Administrator). Before the end of the day’s celebrations, the students were treated to a snack as they watched a movie on the life of St. Ignatius.

For the teachers, however, the celebrations took the form of a unit-wise competition on the day’s themes. Each unit of SJBHS surpassed the other in innovation, creativity and costume. The guest of honour, Rev Fr Sunith Prabhu SJ, wished the teachers the very best in their ministry of teaching, urging them to always remember that ‘mediocre’ is never enough. After a sumptuous festal fellowship meal, the staff dispersed to enjoy a mid-week holiday on the 31^st of July.