Fr. Roshan D’Souza (CSC) - The past student of St. Lawrence High School ordained

Report and Pictures by Eugene Moodubelle

Moodubelle, 10 December 2009: Fr. Roshan Loy D’Souza (CSC) of the Congregation de Santa Cruz (CSC) or Congregation of the Holy Cross was ordained in a beautiful and solemn ritual by Most Rev. Salvadore Lobo, Bishop of Baruipur (West Bengal) on Thursday, 10th December 2009 at 10 AM at St. Antony’s Church, Kuntal Nagar near Moodubelle. The commentary for the ordination ceremony was given by Fr. Sunil D’Souza and the hymns were sung by the choir group from the Katapady parish. Besides Bishop Salvadore Lobo, the ordination ceremony was attended by Fr. Devdas Naidu, Provincial of the Holy Cross Southern Province, Fr. Charles Lewis, Parish Priest of St. Antony’s Chruch, Kuntal Nagar, Fr. Harold Menezes, former Parish Priest of Moodubelle and 27 priests from the Holy Cross Congregation from Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bangalore, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

The priesthood was a long journey for Fr. Roshan who was the last child among four children, two boys and two girls of late Mark Marian D’Souza and Jasintha D’Souza. Born on 22nd January 1980, Roshan was just nine years old when his father died in 1989 and the family had to face difficult times due to impoverishment. However, Jasintha never gave up her hope and determination and worked hard to make the ends meet and educate all her children. Her perseverance paid off as all her children are well settled and the last one, Roshan has culminated her aspiration by becoming a priest and has become not only the pride of the family but also the first priest to be ordained from the newly established Kuntal Nagar parish of St. Antony, that was carved out of the Moodubelle parish six years ago. Moreover, Fr. Roshan is the only priest of the Holy Cross Congregation to be ordained after a gap of six years in the whole of Karnataka State for the Southern Province of the Holy Cross Congregation.

Roshan had his primary and secondary education in Moodbelle in the Church Aided Higher primary and St. Lawrence High School respectively. After completing SSLC examination in 1995, Roshan decided to dedicate himself to the service of God and people by joining the Holy Cross Congregation. He spent fourteen and half years in getting education and training for the priesthood. After staying for one month at the Holy cross Students’ Home at Katapady, Roshan was deputed to Bangalore for orientation. Thereafter, he did two years Pre Degree course at Kottaym through Mahatma Gandhi Open University. Following this phase of education, he was sent to the North Eastern state of Tripura for the pre-Novitiate training in 1998.

Roshan did his Novitiate training at Yercaud in the Salem District of Tamil Nadu for one year. In order to continue his college education, he came back to Katapady and while residing at the Holy Cross Students’ Home went to the Poorna Prajna College at Udupi where he acquired his BA degree in 2003. After graduation, Roshan went to Pune where he did the Philosophy course of the Dnyana Deep Vidyapeeth staying at the Holy Cross Major Seminary. He did the regency for one year at the Holy cross Students’ Home at Katapady following which he went back to Pune to complete his three and a half year long Theology Course at the Dnyana Deep Vidyapeeth. Once again he shifted to Katapady for six month long Diaconate training at the Church of Vincent de Paul.

During this long time of training period for priesthood at different places, Br. Roshan took his First Profession in May 2000 at Yercaud and the Final Profession at Pune in November 2008. At last passing through the various stages of formation and training, Fr. Roshan was ordained as a priest on 10th December 2009 and offered his first Holy Mass in the presence of his family, relatives and the entire Kuntal Nagar parish community.

Following the mass, an impressive felicitation programme in honour of the newly ordained priest, Fr. Roshan was organised in a pandal in front of the church. Fr. Charles Lewis, the Parish Priest of St. Antony’s Chruch, Kuntal Nagar welcomed the Bishop, Most. Rev. Salvadore Lobo, Fr. Devdas Naidu, Provincial of the Holy Cross Southern Province, and other priests, nuns and the parishioners. There was a welcome dance by three talented children. Fr. Roshan ceremonially cut the cake to mark his ordination. Toast was raised by Fr. Lawrence D’Almeida from Pune. During this occasion, Bishop Salvadore Lobo made an appeal to the parishioners to send their children to the service of God. Fr. Devdas Naidu appreciated the family of Fr. Roshan, the parish priest and the entire parish community for dedicating one of their members, Fr. Roshan to the service of God and the Holy Cross Congregation. On behalf of the parish community, Camil Sequeira, the Vice President of the Parish Pastoral Council felicitated Fr. Roshan.

Fr. Roshan profusely thanked everyone right from his mother to family members, parish priest, Fr. Charles, parishioners and his teachers as well as his superiors in the Holy Cross Congregation for helping him to walk on the path of the priesthood and requested their prayers for him to become a holy and dedicated priest. The entire felicitation programme was compered by Fr. Ronald Fernandes.

When asked about the reason for his joining the priesthood, Fr. Roshan said that while he was studying in St. Lawrence High School, Moodubelle, he was greatly inspired and influenced by the then Parish Priest of Moodubelle, Fr. Harold Menezes. He was very much impressed by the approachability and availability of Fr. Harold and his spirituality and down to earth approach towards his parishioners. Roshan joined the Altar Servers’ Sodality and while in the 10th standard even became the President of the Sodality. He was also a member of the Young Christian Students (YCS) and was its President in 1994. Though his mother, Jasintha was initially sceptical and hesitant about the decision of her son to join the priesthood, once she was convinced of his dedication, she whole heartedly supported Roshan in his vocation.

While in St. Lawrence High School, Roshan was trained as the NCC Cadet. He was quite good at outdoor sports especially athletics, that too in 200 meters race in which he used to win medals. He even had acted as Chandragupta Maurya in one of the historical plays named ‘Chanakya’ staged during the Annual Day. Though his favourite subject was Social Studies, Roshan’s favourite teacher in the High School was the Mathematics teacher, D’Costa Sir. Roshan liked the method of his teaching the subject and the way he interacted with the students. He also remembers with respect Hilda and Pricilla teachers. His friends in the High School included Vijay Pradeep, Alwyn, Lionel and others.

Fr. Roshan also had a brush with student politics when he was in the Poorna Prajna College. While in the Final Year of Graduation, he was the class monitor and also Joint Secretary of the College by virtue of which he was appointed as the General Secretary of the Student council of the Mangalore University in 2003.

Fr. Roshan’s mother, Jasintha has been a social worker in her village and was quite popular because of her work. This encouraged her to contest the Belle Grama Panchyat elections as the Congress candidate and represented her Ward in the Panchayat for two consecutive terms.

Roshan’s eldest brother, Stany, who was also the student of St.Lawrence High School and an active member of the Bellevision works in Dubai and lives with his wife Deena and baby Ashel. Fr. Roshan’s first sister, Veena Sophia Menezes teaches nursing at Mithra School of Nursing at Udupi. She is married to Edwin and has a son Elvis and settled down in Udupi. Other sister, Lavina D’Souza is a beautician and works in Abhudabi. She is married Walter and has a son Welwyn.

After his ordination, Fr. Roshan will be taking up an assignment as the Assistant Parish Priest at St. Louis Church in Dahisar, Mumbai.

As St. Lawrence High School, Moodubelle celebrates its Golden Jubilee year, it is heartening to know that one of its past students, Fr. Roshan Loy D’Souza was ordained as a priest on 10th December 2009.

Bellevision wishes Fr. Roshan Loy D’Souza a happy priesthood and success in his future mission work.