Media Release
Mangaluru, Jun 8: The students of Lourdes Central School bid farewell to Fr Robert D'Souza, principal of Lourdes Central School on June 3, in the school campus. It was a bright sunny day but for the students and staff it was a gloomy day where the air was filled with emotions. The programme was graced by the honourable dignitaries; Manager of LCS Fr John Baptist Saldanha, the principal, Fr Johnson L Sequiera, outgoing principal Fr Robert D’Souza, vice principals Belita Mascarenhas and Anita Thomas, Ashok Pinto and Avita Cynthia Pinto, vice president and secretary of Bejai parish pastoral committee, Fr Norman Mathias, assistant parish priest, Bejai, Fr Arul Joseph, member of the faculty.
The programme began with the students as well as the staff welcoming the outgoing principal Fr Robert D'Souza and the esteemed guests. He was ushered in with the school band and was escorted by the honourable guests towards the stage. The programme began with a universal prayer and a soulful prayer song led by Pranav, Gautham, Evani, Dallen and Anirudh.
Havish of 10A welcomed the gathering, followed by heartfelt words of gratitude by the teaching, non-teaching staff and student community
Harshita Shetty from the teaching faculty spoke about her experience as a teacher under the guidance of Fr Robert. She thanked Fr for the continuous words of encouragement and guidance given to the teaching faculty thereby enhancing their skills and knowledge. She read out a poem of gratitude penned down for Fr Robert D’Souza.
Sudhesha T from the non-teaching faculty expressed his gratitude in Kannada. He spoke on the positive vibes that always radiated from Fr making him a person abounding in care, love and commitment.
Skanda of Grade 12B shared her opinion about Fr Robert D’Souza regarding what she learned from him and the cheerfulness and smile on his face which brightens up all the students. All the words in this universe won’t be able to express the feelings of the students.
The outgoing principal Fr Robert D’Souza was felicitated by the dignitaries on the dias as a token of gratitude and a beautiful citation was read by Shaila Pereira.
As Hans Christian Andersen said 'Where words fail, music speaks'. Students came up with a farewell song led by the LCS choir.
Lovely wishes were showered on Fr Robert through beautiful live plants by the students.
The silver jubilee school magazine souvenir LOURDITE 2023-24 was released by the dignitaries.
The new principal Fr Johnson L Sequeira shared his mixed feelings of gratitude and commitment. He appreciated Fr Robert’s great effort and exceptional leadership in providing all-round education to students. Fr principal expressed his honour at being chosen as the new principal of this premier institution, promising to give his best in the role. Fr Principal wished him well in his new mission.
The school manager delivered an impressive speech and recalled the nine years of the unparalleled service of a remarkable leader and a true visionary during his tenure as a school principal. He said that Fr Robert’s dedication, passion and unwavering commitment to the betterment of our students and staff has been commendable. Under his leadership the school has seen an immense growth both academically and culturally. He thanked Fr Robert for fostering an environment where excellence is not just encouraged but achieved. His presence would be greatly missed, but his influence would remain here forever. In conclusion Fr manger wished him good luck in his future endeavours,
The outgoing principal Fr Robert D’Souza in his farewell address thanked the Lord Almighty for the bountiful blessings showered upon him. He expressed his deepest gratitude and shared a few reflections of his time as principal of LCS. He said that joining LCS has been the transformative experience for him. He reminisced his joyous moments. From the very first day he felt welcomed and was supported by the management, faculty, parent community and students which helped him navigate challenges and achieve shared goals. During his tenure he said that he had the privilege of working on several initiatives that he believes contributed positively to the school community. He further added that as he moves on to the next chapter of his career, he would carry with him countless memories and experiences from LCS. He said that as he hands over the baton to the new principal Fr Johnson L Sequeira, he is confident that the school will continue to thrive and reach greater heights under his visionary leadership. The dedication and hard work of the entire school community will undoubtedly lead to many more achievements and milestones. In closing he once again thanked everyone for the incredible opportunity to have been a part of the school and a privilege to have worked with an outstanding team. He wished the entire community continued success.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Anushka Bharatraj of Grade 10B.
The programme marked the end of a significant chapter and the beginning of a new era at Lourdes Central School underlining the institution's commitment to Peace Through Knowledge.
The programme was beautifully compered by Natasha Joshi of Grade 10C and Pranav of 12A.