Amita Braganza –
It was when I received the notice for the Parent-Teacher Annual General Body Meeting in July 2023 handed to me by our youngest child that I realised that it was the twenty-fifth such notice that was being read through by me! (Of course, this calculation was prompted by my son who curiously asked just how many such PTA AGM’s I had attended, or else it would have never come to light!). Realisation dawned that the academic year 2023-24 would be the silver jubilee year for Mark and me as parents in this prestigious high school in Bangalore, run by the Karnataka Jesuits. The St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School (SJBHS) is renowned for its discipline and academic and sporting excellence, having produced not only umpteen students who are at the top in the professional, corporate and business fields, but also no less than ten Olympians and a Test cricket captain in its 166 years of existence.
We are the rather proud parents of six children – a daughter and five sons (or Paanch Pandavas, as I like to call my boys). All our five sons studied in SJBHS, during various years over 1999 to 2024, without a break:
The Braganza Boys: Lalit from 1999 to 2007; Rajat from 2005 to 2011; Vineet from 2010 to 2018; Amit from 2007 to 2021; Pranit from 2011 to 2024.
Mark and I, along with our children, were given the privilege and honour of celebrating these memorable twenty-five years at a function in the school to which were invited all the teachers, non-teaching staff, a few ex-principals, ex-vice-principals, students of class 12, and the support staff. As we entered the auditorium, we were met with colourful buntings and a huge stage backdrop of digital photos of our family, and the boys in their school uniforms as students. The proceedings began with a beautiful prayer by Ms. Akshita, after which a senior teacher, Mrs. Gowri Achanta, welcomed us and spoke about us as involved parents and as being always supportive to the school in various ways, as also about the boys being smart, sporting and successful students of the school. Our family was then invited to be seated on the stage, when each of us got an opportunity to speak from the heart. I spoke first, followed by each of the boys, then our daughter and daughter-in-law, and Mark closed with a thanksgiving speech. The boys recalled some of their cherished teachers, principles and vice-principles, and a few of their schooling experiences, each with his special brand of humour. Madhuri says that with her brothers being in St. Joseph’s School, and her own school, Sacred Heart Girls’ High School, being just a stone’s throw away, she felt like a Josephite herself.
It was an overwhelming experience to be felicitated on the stage of this beloved school with our five sons, daughter Madhuri and daughter-in-law Rachel, and to speak about our experiences as parents and students of the school. And all of this would not have been possible if it were not for our gracious principal, Rev. Fr. Sunil Fernandes, sj.
We presented a Gratitude Plaque to the Principal Fr. Sunil as a token of our appreciation for all that the school did over the last 25 years to form our boys into well-adjusted young men. (See picture). The plaque reads
From The Braganza Family
In Gratitude to St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School, Bangalore
1999 – 2024
Mark and Amita celebrate 25 years as Parents
SJBHS has provided not only excellent teaching and sports facilities, but also spirituality, community spirit, opportunities, values, direction, encouragement, and so much more over these years. Its three intertwined goals are Academic Excellence, Character Formation, and Social Concern.
The plaque was gratefully accepted by the principal, who then gave a moving speech.
I think it is fitting to reproduce the speech that Fr. Sunil Fernandes gave:
“Honour your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
Today we have come together to celebrate a couple and its family who are living embodiments of the family love that is described in the Bible. We see not only a loving family before us, but one which is filled with gratitude to our school for making it a second loving home for 25 years. It is indeed a unique celebration and for us Staff and Management it’s an inspiration and motivation to build the family unit and keep it centered in God’s love.
When I see the Braganza boys together, I am reminded of yet another saying/verse from the Holy Book: ‘A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.’ (Proverbs 17:17). To see all five brothers and their beloved sister bound in fraternal love is the best gift Mr. and Mrs. Braganza can ask for. On behalf of everyone here, I thank you for this wonderful gesture of celebrating this unique milestone with us. Thank you Lalit, Rajat, Vineet, Amit and Pranit for being exemplary Josephites and making us proud. May you all continue to be a source of strength and love for each other and our community at large. Thank you.
God’s Blessings on each one of us!
Indeed, Fr. Sunil’s warm, appreciative and encouraging words will forever remain in our hearts. Fr. Sunil as well as the previous principals, including Fr. Clifford Sequeira and Fr. Michael John, have done much to bring the school to the top in the state with their able, visionary and compassionate leadership.
As the time to close the ceremony approached, what happened next was pure nostalgia. We all rose to sing the school anthem, and our five boys on stage in their blue and white school ties sang out with pride and not a little emotion, “Ring out the Battle Call of Duty, Unfurl the Flag of Faith and Toil…”. They were joined by all present.
The principal then called for a photo session, and it was a time of smiles and joy. The boys were delighted to meet their past teachers, principals, vice-principals, PT sirs, and support staff, and for us parents it was gratifying to see the affection between them.
For our youngest child Pranit, this event was specially emotional as his peers in their final year of school were present, and as he recalled his days as school Captain of St. Patrick’s House.
We served snacks to all present; and Fr. Sunil, in his usual hospitable way, invited our family to the conference room for high tea and we were joined by the Old Boys’ Association and PTA presidents and other committee members.
As 25-year old parents, we have witnessed St. Joseph’s School change and grow in manifold ways. The old stone school building was demolished and a more modern, expansive, yet charming structure took its place (every classroom even got a fan!). This happened under the stewardship of former principal Fr. Michael John, who, endowed with the courage, faith and ability to discern God’s plan, and convinced of the loyal support of the Old Boys Association and the parents, initiated plans to construct a completely new school building with a floor area of more than three times the old school building and with all the facilities which children need for education today. We have seen the little tuck shop (Abu’s canteen with its famed samosas and lime juice, and surely Rajat’s favourite nook) give way to a bigger canteen; we have seen a grand and well-equipped Loyola Sports Complex come up for the children to enjoy (it was inaugurated by cricketer Rahul Dravid, an exemplar and a famed alumnus, and that same year, Vineet was the head boy and had the privilege of escorting Dravid for the inaugural ceremony); the school’s popular fest ‘Phenomenon’ took shape (I recall that Amit, our family’s ace footballer, fractured his foot at the football event in its early years); we saw heightened school security (no more could parents and visitors just walk in and out of the school at random); student and parent ID cards were given; and in the later years, the Karnataka state government made it compulsory for the students to sing the state anthem as well as to read the Preamble to the Constitution whenever assembly was held; smart boards and white boards made their way to every classroom; the school introduced nursery and primary sections; the ISC section of classes 11 and 12 was set up and our eldest son Lalit was a student of this first batch). This is when we instituted The Braganza Rolling Trophy and a cash prize for the best All-Rounder of class 12 (it happens that Lalit was the first recipient of this award); and a couple of years after this, girls were also admitted to the ISC section, so no more is the school an all-boys institution.
What has not changed is the value based education system of the school. The school’s motto, “Fide et Labore” or “Faith and Toil” will surely be carried forward by its students wherever they be.
The year 2024 is again an extremely nostalgic year as it is the year of the last school Valedictory ceremony that we as parents would witness.
This felicitation ceremony will forever be etched in our memories. It’s hard to say goodbye to a school so well-loved for so long. St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School will forever remain in our hearts and our prayers.