Father C. De Brouwer. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Sept. 10: For thousands of students of city's prestigious St Xavier's College, he is a source of inspiration. He has been a pillar of the institution, having been associated with it for more than 50 years and serving the people, especially the students, with a missionary zeal. The Belgium- born missionary has put in his entire life serving the people of the capital. Yet he feels that there are many more things to do and miles to go.

Meet Father C.De Brouwer, 78, a member of the Society of Jesuits (SJ), who has shaped many lives not only from St. Xavier's College but from other colleges as well. He has not only been a teacher but also as a friend, who would listen to their problems, counsel them and even run here and there to solve their problems.

A function was organised today to celebrate Father C.De Brouwer's 60 years of joining the Society of Jesuits. People associated with the school and those from other institutions assembled at the function and prayed for his long life.

It was an occasion which threw light on Father Brouwer’s long years of association with the society. A humble person by nature, he says what he has given is nothing and that he has to give more. ” There are many more things to be done, much to give. Life is all about giving,” he says.

However, others know what he has been giving is quite difficult for ordinary persons. St Xavier’s principal Nicholas Tete says the kind of service rendered by Father Brouwer is something unique. “He remains busy right from 5 am when he gets up. He goes to library, issues books to students. Then he goes to various departments of vocational courses and sees to it that everything is smooth. One can also find him at the university office which he keeps visiting to address problems of students and the college. He is always on the move on his old, but familiar motorcycle,” says Tete.

For students, he is a ray of hope. He is available and accessible throughout the day. Be it an individual problem or otherwise, one can easily meet him at his residence just adjacent to the college auditorium.

“Whenever, I go to him with my problem, he helps me out. I think he is the perfect example of the Guru-shishya tradition. He is an institution in himself,” said a final year student of the St Xavier’s College. His love for the poor and down-trodden is exemplary. He visits the Birsa Munda Central jail every Sunday without fail to meets the prisoners and share their problems. He even tries to help them in his little ways.

And he does all this very quietly, without any publicity. For him, serving is more important than letting people know about the service. “What you become in life is not that important. The most important thing is proximity with God. And service is the best way to be in commune with the Almighty,” he says.