SENIOR JESUITS HOME

Way back in the 1990’s there was a plan to have a Senior Jesuits Home at Mount St. Joseph but this did not find favour with a few Jesuits who thought that this place was not suited because the facilities for a good hospital were not available. With this view in mind, Pratiksha was built. Given the setup itself, the conveniences provided at Pratiksha were insufficient. There was no place for the Seniors to move around for their walks. Besides it was not very ideal for them to be placed amid all the noise in the heart of the city. The new roof at Mount St Joseph in 2005 provided extra space to the Novitiate. Space was thus made available to put this plan of the Senior Jesuits Home into action. Retired Senior Jesuits could thus move around freely because of Mount’s ample space. Interaction with the young and the old would healthily take place and the Seniors too could lend a helping hand in spiritual ministry, listen to and give talks and thus refresh themselves. Moreover, the number of Senior Jesuits increased in the Province and so this place became the best option for them.

The Senior Jesuits Home was inaugurated on 17 Aug 2008 by Fr. Simon Furtado and blessed by Fr. Vijay Kumar Prabhu, the then Provincial of Karnataka. Fr. Frigidian Shenoy was the first to occupy the new facility. In June 2009, Senior Jesuits from Pratiksha, Fr. Hilary Pereira and Br. Scaria Vadaparam moved to Mount St Joseph. Fr. Tom D’Souza was appointed as Minister of the Senior Jesuits Home.