My Experience with Late Fr Ambrose Pinto SJ by Mr Ivan Fernandes

 The following is a talk given by Mr Ivan Fernandes, the Chairman of KE Global (Kanara Entrepreneurs), Serial Entrepreneur & Angel Investor, Founder of Regent Technologies Limited on Late Fr Ambrose Pinto SJ on January 17, 2024 at St Joseph's University Auditorium.

My Experiences with Fr. Ambrose Pinto SJ (in pdf) 

I first came across Fr. Ambrose in 1977 when he was appointed Asst. Headmaster of St. Aloysius High School in Mangalore. I was in 8th Standard at that time and he was my English teacher for that year. Incidentally, he was in Mangalore for just that one year but the love and respect that we built for each other that year remained for a lifetime until his sad demise on Jan 3, 2018. In fact, our last meeting was on his birthday on Nov 23, 2017 just a month before his passing away where I visited him at his residence with a birthday cake and celebrated what would become his last birthday here amongst us. In fact, that was the first time he told me that he wanted to come and spend some time with me in Dubai and wanted to complete some of his incomplete books. But that was not to be.

Obviously, we all come across several teachers in our student life – many of whom we cherish mainly for their teaching but it is very rare that we are connected with a teacher all through our life. I was connected to Fr. Ambrose all through his life from the day I got introduced to him and there are several reasons.

To put the context into right perspective, for those who do not know me, I came from a poor family where my parents struggled to give me education. In fact, after finishing my 5th standard in a convent school which had no further education for boys my mother wished that I be admitted to St. Aloysius Middle School. However, that was probably the first toughest challenge of my life. There were just 2 seats available that year and all applicants had to go through an entrance test. When my Mom & I met the then Headmaster, he could quickly understand our situation and he immediately said that he cannot give me an application for the English medium class but will be happy to admit me in Kannada medium. He questioned my Mom as if you cannot understand English, what is the big deal of your son going to English medium. I had to stand in front of his office door practically every day pleading for an application which he regretfully asked the clerk to give after 2 weeks and the rest was history. I came first in the entrance test and started my innings in St. Aloysius but that memory is etched in my mind even today. Two years later, the 2nd Jesuit that I come across is Fr. Ambrose. Quite contradictory to my first experience, Fr. Ambrose always had a soft corner for the underprivileged – he would encourage them to succeed at all costs. I was the class leader that year and was involved in several activities. Very rarely did any of my teachers know much about our family or financial background. Fr. Ambrose had a unique habit of surprising students by randomly visiting their homes. And so on one weekend, while I was playing outside he suddenly turns up at our gate and says –‘Ivan, I want to visit your house’. I said come Fr. Our house then was just a simple hut – no bedrooms or living room – just a room and kitchen. Fr. Ambrose was stunned in what he saw but did not utter a word. Just drank the coffee that my Mom gave him and left. However, next day he was right in front of his office waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he called me to his office and said – Ivan, tell me the truth – how are you paying your fees? Never in my life has anybody asked me this question. Life was tough for us but our parents had taught us not to complain but thank God for what we are today. That was the first day, I cried in school. He encouraged me never to give up hope and that I was doing great in school and just continue and he will support me wherever possible. Same year, we had our annual picnic and that was to Jamalabad Fort, Belthangady, which was the native place of Fr. Isidore Pinto SJ who was our Science Teacher. As a class leader, I organized everything and one day before the trip, I gave the entire list to Fr. Isidore and told him that unfortunately I will not be able to make the trip due to some family commitments but have done all the arrangements. Fr. Ambrose had already updated Fr. Isidore who told me that Fr. Ambrose has told him about it and there is no way you are not going to come and so for the first time I made it to the class picnic. These may be small incidents that made such a big impact in my life. They changed my attitude towards Jesuits – I would look at St. Ignatius of Loyola through Fr. Ambrose as he was his true disciple. I kept in touch with him all through except for a few years when he was in New Delhi. I tried to repay his debt several times but he always refused. He did not even take a pen from me. He always told me to help the needy children which I continue to do even today. During his term as Principal of St. Josephs Arts & Science College, he insisted that I help him as an Advisor on the Academic Council and I would attend every meeting coming down from Dubai. When he retired and was appointed by the Archbishop as Principal of St. Aloysius College – he again asked me to help him out as there were several needy students there coming from the slums. We were working on a plan to build entrepreneurial skills for these young students but unfortunately he soon got diagnosed with cancer and then things went to a standstill.

As mentioned in the gospel of St. Mark, Chapter 8 - For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul. Fr. Ambrose took this to heart and won his soul against the wealth of this world. He lived a very simple life – simplest in everything, even in his food habits. He always liked fish and would visit Mangalore Pearl Restaurant on a few occasions when he felt like eating rice with Mangalorean fish curry. But he would only order sardines or macerals as he was afraid of the cost of other fish. When I came to know of this, I told my friend who owns this restaurant that next time give him kingfish or pompret but charge him his regular price. During his next trip they did exactly the same – Fr. Ambrose refused to accept even when they told him that he will not be charged more until the owner disclosed to him that it was based on my instructions. Such disciplinarian – very rare to sight in today’s world. He would never take any assignments or be on committees unless it was for the upliftment of the downtrodden. He wrote several books for the upliftment of Dalits and the backward classes. He did everything without expecting anything in return and was always ready to stand up and fight for the injustice treated to such helpless people.

I remember very well his statement to my wife after cutting his birthday cake in 2017 – Father, what else can we help you with. Even though he was suffering heavily with his cancer at an advanced stage at that time, he responded swiftly saying ‘We Jesuits are rich and are well taken care off’. I do not need anything more.

Fr. Ambrose, we loved you for showing us what this world is all about. You practiced what you preached. We will remember your good deeds that you inculcated in us and will continue to follow in your footsteps. Continue to shower your blessings on us so that one day we also could be together with you in heaven. Amen.

(Note: Recently, I met Mr Ivan Fernandes. While talking, we came to know that we must have met in 2017 when Ivan and his family came to see Fr Ambrose Pinto on his birthday, which happened to be Fr Ambrose's last birthday on earth. Thanks to Mr Ivan for giving the permission to publish this above note on Fr Ambrose. - Fr Olvin Veigas SJ, the creator of this blog)

July 01, 2025

Christmas 2017

Ambrose Pinto, SJ, Christmas 2017 published in New Leader, December 16-31, 2017

Freedom for Faith by Fr Ambrose Pinto, SJ

“Freedom for Faith” is one of the last articles Fr Ambrose Pinto, S.J. published in print and online media. This was published in Irish Jesuit’s The Messenger magazine in the January issue of 2018. Published here with Editor’s consent. 

Tribute to Fr Ambrose Pinto, SJ

     



 

Why India Needs A Secular President by Ambrose Pinto

Source: http://www.indiancurrents.org/ (Published in Indian Currents on 24th July 2017, Volume XXIX, Issue 30)

A secular democracy needs a secular President. With the BJP government in power questions have been raised about the adherence of the central government to the secular tenets of the Constitution.

 Report on the attacks on places of worship of minority communities and their personnel, atrocities on Dalits and Muslims in the name of cow protection, rhetoric of “Ghar Wapsi” or reconversion, curbs on universities, colleges and NGOs, sedition charges on students for expressing their views, raids on the media and political opponents and public expression of intolerance on those who oppose the hidden agenda of the party in power have been reported in the worldwide media.

Re-Inventing Jesuit Mission by Ambrose Pinto

Source: http://indiancurrents.org/ - (Published in Indian Currents, on 24th October 2016, Volume XXVIII, Issue 43)

 “The white pope (Francis) and the black pope [i] are from Latin America," tweeted South African Cardinal Wilfred Fox Napier in reaction to the election of Fr. Arturo Sosa SJ as the General of the Society of Jesus on 14th October 2016. It was a historic moment for the Jesuits and the Church. In its 476 years of history, the Order had 30 Superior Generals - all of them came from Europe. The 212 electors on 14th October 2016 created history by electing a non-European from Venezuela, Latin America in the very first ballot after spending two weeks together in Rome.

Christian Contribution to the Freedom Struggle by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Smart Companion India: National Monthly for Christian Leadership, Vol. 8, No. 8 August 2017, pp.18-22.

Please go to this link to download: Christian Contribution to the Freedom Struggle by Ambrose Pinto 

No Fish to Eat-Impact of Liberalisation by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 30, Issue No. 4, 28 Jan, 1995
Commentary Ambrose Pinto, Berin Leekas, Latha Radhakrishnan
In spite of the now well known effects of mechanised boats on fish catch as well as on the economy of the traditional fishing community, the government of India has now opened Indian waters to foreign fishing vessels. Protesting against this invasion which will have a disastrous impact on the economy and the social life of fisherfolk, are both traditional fisherfolk as well as mechanised boat operators.

KARNATAKA-Lobbies Fuel Dissidence by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 28, Issue No. 35, 28 Aug, 1993

to note that the dissolution of the Karbi Anglong Council has been the second clear case of dismissal of a communist-led government since the toppling of the EMS Namboodiripad government in Kerala in 1959. Of course, there are very many major differences between a district council under the Sixth Schedule of Indian Constitution and a fulI -fledged state government and also between the contexts of Left-led governments in Kerala and West Bengal and the ASDC-led district council of Karbi Anglong. From the point of view of communist practice, the latter context is in fact more challenging in several ways

Fillip to Land transfers Land Acquisition Bill, 1988 by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 33, Issue No. 49, 05 Dec, 1998

maternal mortality in the index but cite lack of accurate data as the reason for not using the same. The exclusion of maternal well-being from the calculus of reproductive well-being reduces the utility of the RHI. With all the inherent limitations it would have been advisable to consider these other indicators of reproductive health like maternal mortality, proportion of women remaining childless at ages 45-49 to construct the RHI INDEX CONSTRUCTION An analysis of the computed RHI reveals that the variability among the seven variables is not uniform.

Caste Conflict in Karnataka by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 27, Issue No. 28, 11 Jul, 1992

Mukti programme extremely useful in order to evade the land ceiling act of the state government. Moreover, this apparently liberal attitude that is shown by the big peasants toward Laxmi Mukti certainly hdps them in earning the goodwill of Sharad Joshi and respect from others in the Sanghtana. The Laxmi Mukti programme is criticised by some of the noted women activists on one more ground

KARNATAKA-Institutionalised Corruption by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 27, Issue No. 35, 29 Aug, 1992

hostility and persecution has been allowed to continue. The government allowed the district babu to abuse her. Nothing was done to change her work conditions. She was kept a slave of the department. Why not? Was she not a Lodha? Was not she given a job? The university authorities did nothing to throw out the caste-baiter. And the commission appointed by the government submitted its report three days after her death.

Karnataka Pre-Election Scenario by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 33, Issue No. 6, 07 Feb, 1998

A CONGRESS state till 1989 as far as Lok Sabha was concerned, where the party had swept practically all the seats, the 1991 and 1996 elections in Karnataka were a departure. In 1991 the party won 22 seats out of the 26 it contested, the lowest ever since the first general elections. In 1996 the party's presence was still feeble when it won only five seats. The political scenario has considerably changed ever since. The state gave to the country a ruralite prime minister from the agricultural community of vokkaligas, the prominent Janata Dal (JD) leader, Harnahalli Dodda Gowda Deve Gowda, His clout in Delhi further added to the consolidation of JD in the state. Though prime minister of India, the saying that did the round was PM of Karnataka and CM of India. Knowing fully well that his tenure in the capital may not last long, the man kept a complete hold on the party and its leaders in the state. His arch rival Ramakrishna Hegde who wielded influence on the upper middle classes and the upper castes was expelled from JD as soon as Deve Gowda reached the Delhi darbar. Prepared to stand up to his tormentor, Ramakrishna Hegde, the ex-chief minister of Karnataka who had built up the JD party in the state, founded Lok Sakti recently, a political party of his own with his followers and admirers.

KARNATAKA-State Protection for Dalits by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 32, Issue No. 39, 27 Sept, 1997

The recent events in Chitamani taluk is evidence of the confusion in people's minds about where the sympathies of the state lie. The police force was attacked by both the dalits who needed police protection for going ahead with Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations, and the vokkaligas who in fact had called for police intervention to prevent the celebrations from taking place.

End of Dravidian Era in Tamil Nadu by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 34, Issue No. 24, 12 Jun, 1999

Tamil Nadu politics was for long dominated by the Dravida movement which emphasised Tamil identity, language and culture in opposition to north Indian attempts at integration. This was replaced by M G Ramachandran, a popular matinee idol and a populist in politics. Today the politics in the state has accepted BJP's hindutva and also globalisation, making a complete break from the Dravida movement.

Hindutva vs Ambedkarism by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 35, Issue No. 41, 07 Oct, 2000

Both the hindutva forces and the dalit leaders understand the liberating effects of the work of Christian missionaries, including conversions. For Ambedkar and his followers, conversion was a device of protest to gain social acceptance. Hindutva forces see missionary work as subversive - one that would provide equality to those marginalised in Hinduism.
For more: http://www.epw.in/journal/2000/41/commentary/hindutva-vs-ambedkarism.html

Atrocities on Dalits in Gulbarga-Upper Caste Hold on Police by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 29, Issue No. 16-17, 16 Apr, 1994

The resurgence of the daltt movement in Gulbarga district of Karnataka has resulted in growing upper caste violence on the dalit with the police playing a partisan role and ignoring dalit complaints.

UN Conference against Racism by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 36, Issue No. 30, 28 Jul, 2001

While strongly opposing the move by certain dalit activists and groups to raise the issue of caste discrimination in the WCAR scheduled later this year, the Indian government insists that caste and race are two dissimilar and anomalous entities. But successive constitutional insertions, legislative amendments and even judicial pronouncements show the case to be otherwise - in several instances, caste discrimination is indeed seen at par with race.

Karnataka Cabinet Reshuffle Unviable by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 29, Issue No. 25, 18 Jun, 1994

with the principles and practice of democracy would assign the role of a reformer to a judge. One may not have serious differences with the end result but that cannot be permitted to be secured by perverse means.

Karnataka University Act 2000 by Ambrose Pinto

Published in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 36, Issue No. 34, 25 Aug, 2001

The recently-passed new legislation tightens the hold of the government on universities, drastically reducing their autonomy and leaving no role for either teachers or other intellectuals in the management of universities. The irony is that most of the teachers' bodies in the state have failed to recognise how critically the new legislation affects the future of higher education and have been concerned only with their narrow professional interests.