Fr. Kevin Cronin (1929 – 2007)

(Principal Jun 1970 – Jun 1976)

          The school was only six months old when Fr. Kevin Cronin , himself a fresh youth, just six months in India, was appointed to St Xavier’s in May 1952, one of the pioneers of the school. It was the first of his three periods in the school. He was only to stay only one year and went off to Pune and later to Ranchi for studies.

          Fresh from Hindi studies and with B.A. (Hons) English from Bihar University, Fr Cronin was back in the school for two more years in the post of Prefect of Studies from 1959 to 1961. He was respected as a friendly and careful teacher. He was able to turn his hand to many subjects. In 1959 it was found that the school was in need of a Technical Drawing teacher, so Fr Moore asked Kevin to take it up. Without a demure he took the textbook, studied it in his spare time, and taught the subject in Std 10.

           He was to see the school grow while he was a teacher and finally under his own care: he returned once more to the school as Principal in 1970. It was during his term of six years that the Governing Body of the school began to reflect on whether, with rising costs and a shortage of Jesuit teachers, it was possible or good to continue taking in boarders in the future. Meantime he carried on his administration despite some serious health problems.

         Fr Cronin had a short period of rest and spent two years at the University of Scranton, USA for a Masters degree in English Literature. Subsequently he spent almost ten years as Lecturer in English and Vice Principal in St Xavier’s College, Ranchi. Despite failing health Fr Kevin kept up contacts with HOXA members and doggedly kept working mainly in Jesuit administrative tasks until his death in 2007.