By Matters India Reporter
Shillong, October 14, 2024: Christian Brother Eric Steve D’Souza, a revered educator who taught Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, died, in Goa, at the age of 74.
The death occurred at 1:20 pm on October 13 at Shanti Niwas (a home for retired brothers), Vasco da Gama, in Goa.
The death was announced by Christian Brothers provincial Brother Edwin Stephen Fernandes in New Delhi.
Brother D’Souza, who suffered from an advanced stage of dementia, had been bedridden for around five years.
He was born on September 30, 1950, and joined the congregation on February 10, 1966. He pronounced his first vows on December 25, 1967, and the last vows on the same date eight years later. He had spent a total of 58 years in the congregation, the provincial said.
Brother D’Souza had taught at the congregation’s schools in Assam, Mangalore, Meghalaya, New Delhi and West Bengal.
Fondly known as “Dasu,” Brother D’Souza taught Khan during his school years at New Delhi’s St. Columba’s School. News reports said the actor was unable to meet his mentor despite social media appeals urging him to visit the brother.
Brother D’Souza taught the chief minister at St. Edmund’s School. Sangma had studied at St. Edmund’s School, before shifting to New Delhi’s St. Columba’s School.
Mourning the death on X, a social media platform, Sangma hailed Brother D’Souza as an exceptional educator renowned for his dedication to education and compassion.
“As a devoted Christian Brother, his pioneering spirit founded Providence School, a beacon of hope for underprivileged children. May Brother D’Souza’s inspiring legacy bring comfort to his family, the Christian Brothers congregation, and the countless lives he transformed through education and compassion. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”
With a teaching career that spanned several decades, Brother D’Souza was renowned for his innovative methods, using visual imagery, mind-mapping, and humour to engage students. He had reportedly left an indelible mark on students from all walks of life.
Brother Solomon Morris, principal of St. Edmund’s School in Shillong, said Brother D’Souza’s mortal remains will be brought to Meghalaya on October 15 and the funeral is likely to take place the following day, as per his last wish.
The principal said Brother D’Souza had left Shillong in 2014 after spending 28 years, nurturing generations of students.
Brother Morris said his confrere was instrumental in starting the Providence School on the St Edmund’s premises in 2000 to cater to underprivileged children.
“The idea of Br. D’Souza was to have an education system where students are able to sustain their life and hence, he decided to break away from the traditional school setup. He embraced the National Open School which has a flexible system that allows students to appear for their Class X examination as and when they are ready,” he told the Shillong Times.
Brother D’Souza also started vocational courses and introduced about 14 to 15 trades like bakery, candle and perfume making, sewing, carpentry, automobile mechanic and so on. Lots of children managed to set up their own bakery to earn their livelihood.
He was popular among the Edmundians since he started teaching ninth and tenth graders in St. Edmund’s School in 1986.
Brother Morris also said Brother D’Souza used to take extra classes for students of Loreto Convent and Pine Mount School during the winter break and train them to pass the ICSE.
Brother would never take money from the students of Loreto Convent and Pine Mount School and, instead, would have a bond signed by their parents that they would have to perform one month of social service at the Providence School.
Respectful farewell to Reverend Eric Steve D’Souza. The late educator was a nation builder. May his tribe increase. In Paradisum Deducant te Angeli.
Very inspiring life. May he enjoy his eternal reward. I also spent 8 years in boarding with these brothers from 1958 to 1965. My father passed out from the same institution in Nainital in 1914.
However, I didn’t have a pleasant experience with these Irish brothers. We lived in fear of their caning. Jesus was never mentioned outside the Catechism class, that I incidentally topped.