It is said, “The best and the most beautiful things in the world, cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt within the heart”. These are my sentiments about Fr Lawrence Pinto Sj, my former Headmaster at St Aloysius High School, Mangaluru in the year 1975. The last time, me and few of my classmates of 1975 year met Fr Lawrence Pinto Sj was on 4 January 2020, after we all had a class reunion a day prior to meeting Fr Lawrence Pinto and Fr Denis Rasquinha Sj, (both who were Headmasters at St Aloysius High School) when they were residing at Fatima Retreat House, Mangaluiru. We all loved our school days at St Aloysius and we still cherish and have fond memories of those yester years. We still remember our strict and disciplined Headmaster in Higher Primary school-Fr Denis Coelho SJ, fondly known as “Shivaji” (because of his appearance) and in High school, Fr Denis Rasquinha SJ and Fr Lawrence Pinto SJ, whom we all loved very dearly.

Fr Lawrence Pinto’s funeral was held at Divine Mercy Church/Fatima Retreat House on 17 December, with mass concelebrated by Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha-the Bishop of Mangaluru Diocese, joined by Fr Dionysius Vas SJ-Provincial of Karnataka Jesuit Province; Fr Melwin Pinto SJ-Rector of St Aloysius Institutions, Mangaluru; Fr Maxim Misquith SJ-Superior and Director of Fatima Retreat House, Mangaluru; Fr Gerard Furtado Sj-Headmaster of st Aloysius High school, Mangaluru; Fr Cedric Prakash Sj- Social activist from Ahmedabad, Gujarath; Fr Francis Menezes Sj- the penegeryst; Fr Terence Farais Sj; Fr Norbert Fernandes Sj; Fr John Gomes Sj; Fr Alphonse Fernandes Sj; Fr Joseph Monteiro Sj; Fr Cyril D’mello Sj; Fr Pradeep Crasta Sj, among others.