Mangaluru: A very short while after the much-welcomed announcement of Fr Dionysius Vaz SJ as the new Provincial of the Karnataka Jesuit Province, there was more good news. Fr Melwin Pinto SJ was appointed as the new Rector of the St Aloysius Institutions.
Fr Dionysius Vaz rendered selfless service as the Rector of the St Aloysius Institutions for around four and a half years. He left no stone unrolled to keep up the reputation of the institutions. The way he transformed the institutions’landscape was noteworthy. His love for the poor and the needy was always visible, Indeed it was under his leadership that tremendous relief work was done in and around Mangaluru city during the early months of the COVID pandemic. The manner in which he addressed the needs of the economically backward students was also exemplary. That he was an outstanding orator and counsellor only added to his contributions to the Institutions.
These specifics made it a herculean task to find a new leader for the St. Aloysius Institutions which was facing several novel challenges due to the COVID19 pandemic and its aftermath. No wonder then, Fr. Melwin Pinto was chosen as his replacement. It is indeed a blessing to have Fr. Melwin Pinto as the new Rector. He is a man with intellectual depth, extensive public relations skills, experience of working internationally and above all is a humane, jovial, approachable and compassionate person.
It was on September 22, during the Annual Governing Body Meeting of Mangalore Jesuit Education Society, that Fr Melwin Pinto took charge as the new Rector.
The St, Aloysius Institutions may and its students may feel the loss of a gifted Rector, the arrival of Fr Melwin Pinto has filled them all with lots of hope and assurance.
