Look,
your teacher is coming! This one line tends to send shivers down the spine of
students even today but for us, it used to be a welcome visit. Every student
who has passed out from St. John’s High School during Brother McCann’s time can
relate to him driving a bicycle down to his house and it used to be a pleasure
to receive him. It used to be a moment of joy for every student of his.
Brother
McCann, till his last breath, kept his ties intact with his students. He
believed that a teacher is a person of many parts. I recollect him telling me
during one of our conversations, “A teacher is a person who not only gives you
knowledge but is your companion too. He is the one who would always stand by
your side whenever you need him.” And all his students would agree that he
lived up to this his entire life. A fracture in the leg riddled him from
driving a bicycle but could not take away his spirit. He still continued his
visits to his students. The only difference was this that the school ‘Maruti
Van’ used to drop him to a student’s place and from there that student would
drop him to another’s place and this would go on till the time he got tired and
finally one of us would drop him back to the Brother’s residence on the school
campus.
So,
not only his students, all those who have lived In Chandigarh for long , and
ever saw a six-feet, fair, Irish gentleman, striding his bicycle on the roads
of the city beautiful, can certainly take that man to be Brother McCann. But
remember, he was never there to pass time, he used to be around on a very
special mission, a mission of visiting his old students and enquiring about
their well-being. I once asked him about his love for the bicycle and he
smilingly said, “It is not a mere mode of transport but also an exercise that
keeps me fit and fine.”
Brother
McCann was not only a wonderful teacher, he was also an elderly friend to many
a youngster in town. He is a person who will always remain an integral part of
the life of his students. His wonderful thoughts, wide perspective and moral
values will always help his students to surge ahead in life. He dedicated 57
odd years of his life imparting education and inspiring hundreds of students
across various schools in India being run by the Irish Missionaries. I wonder
if today’s generation would ever have mentors like him.
I am
proud that I have been one of his students. You do not come across such
wonderful teachers very often in life. If you have a teacher like him, then you
do not have to worry about anything because he is always there to guide and
help you out and to take away your blues. He was one of those few teachers who
dedicated his entire life preparing his students for facing the one final
examination called ‘Life.’
