Br.Harold Rodrigues S.J --Socius

Br.Harold Rodrigues S.J

Br.Harold Rodrigues, lovingly called ‘Monsignor’ by close friends, is a trustworthy, dependable, faithful, methodical, regular worker who always done well all the works entrusted to him.

Born in 1928 in an East Indian family of Bandra, Bombay, he joined the Society of Jesus at Vinayalaya in 1948.

With his good English and his dependable faithfulness, Br.Harry soon became a much wanted element in our English medium schools, especially those of the western region of Gujarat: 2 years in Jamnagar, 4 years in Mithapur, 5 years in Rajkot.. Those were the glorious years when Br.Harry combined the classroom seriousness and discipline with intense participation in scout activities. He became a professional Scout master and guided many young boys into the delightful discovery of the wonders of nature.

With the passing of age, the Scout master became the ‘stout master’ as one of his companions put it referring to his expanding waist line, and good Br.Harry slowly withdrew from active scouting though he always kept some relationship with this movement till very recently.

After the Jesuits gave up Saurashtra and all the schools in which good Br.Harry had toiled so much..! He came to St.Xavier’s Gandhinagar where he worked for five years.

From there he went to the Gregorian University in Rome where he served in the office for 7 years winning the confidence of all his colleagues and superiors and the title of ‘Monsignor’ as he became an expert guide of the ecclesiastical Rome for the many visitors who passed that way during those years. Visitors from Gujarat were always invited for a supper prepared by Br.Harry with the left overs he picked up from here and there; austere and tight-fisted, his delight is always to feed friends but without spending any money.

From Rome he returned to India-Gujarat, as Assistant treasurer of the province. His methodical regularity contributed very much in putting order in an office that very much needed it and his four years as assistant treasurer were a great blessing for the province.

Later on he was transferred to St.Xavier’s Gandhinagar, where he worked with his usual methodical regularity and efficiency and finally he went to Jeevan Darshan for his retirement and rest. On 08-06-2011, in the early morning hours between 5.30a.m to 6.15 a.m, he breathed his last and went for his eternal rest. The funeral was held on the same day at 5.30 p.m at Jeeva Darshan, Baroda.