TRIBUTE TO LATE REV. FR. SCHOCH FROM A PARENT

It is indeed a very difficult task to pay my humble tribute to a stalwart like late Rev. Father Rudolf Schoch SJ. In spite of my very close association with him for over a quarter of a century [through my children’s education under this great soul], and my urge to pay reverence to him, words fail me. I find it very difficult to express in adequate words, my tribute, which he richly deserves. However my conscience urges me to write about him whom I will remember all my life. I feel it is better to quote a few important instances of my closest attachment to him during his Principalship of Loyola.

I was transferred from Mumbai to Pune in August 1959. My eldest son Arun was in Std. I. As is every father’s wish, I wanted him to get a good foundation for his future, with a disciplined life as I was myself a Scout in my younger days, which had inculcated in me, the spirit of discipline and service. On transfer to Pune I tried St. Vincent’s High School, which was one of the best schools in Pune. But as I could not get admission there, I put him in a school in Poona Cantonment. One morning when I attended the school prayer meeting, I found the boys misbehaving in the meeting. This badly affected my mind and I decided to change the school.

One day, I happened to go on my bicycle to the National Defence Academy (NDA) Road near National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) Complex. I saw a bulldozer working on the hill, where I saw a tall person with flowing white robe supervising the work. Out of curiosity I went up the hill, greeted the father-like figure and introduced myself. He told me that NCL wanted the establishment of a good school similar to St. Vincent’s. Father Schoch had been assigned the task of laying the foundation of the building for a branch of St. Vincent’s there. I narrated to Father about my attempt to put my son in St. Vincent’s and sought his help and blessings for seeking admission in the school under NCL. Father told me it was too early and I should wait for a couple of years for this school to be founded. I started visiting the construction site frequently to watch the progress. One day Father Schoch was so impressed about my desire and advised that I put my son in St. Joseph’s High School for Girls (earlier a co-ed) for three years and try admission later at Loyola. Permission was required from the Municipal School Board to change from one school to another within the same Corporation limits. However paradoxically, the 12th July 1961 floods isolated our residence from Cantonment area. This came as a blessing in disguise and as I was in the western side of the city closer to Loyola, the Board granted me permission to admit my son in St. Joseph’s.

Later on, under very strict vigilance, a test was conducted and Arun was admitted to Loyola. Three years later, my second son Anil was also admitted under a similar test. Finally my third son Anup followed suit on the same lines. All the three were called 3 Musketeers by Father Schoch. I used to visit Father religiously every week to apprise myself about their progress which Fr. Schoch highly appreciated.