In Memory

Fr. Michael Mulhearn, Sj

Fr. Mulhearn with students from the Class of 62 (courtesy S Lakshmipathy'62)

 

Fr. Mulhearn with a cousin in 1934 (courtesy David Green, great nephew)

Fr. Mulhearn's parents, Tom & Eliza, in 1934 (courtesy David Green)

A write up about Fr. Mulhearn, by his nephew Richard Mulhearn 

Fr. Mulhearn's gravestone at Sitagarha

 



 
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08/02/12 08:42 PM #1    

Nigel Callaghan (1967)

Fr. Mulheran commanded the deepest respect from all his students in Chemistry and Biology. His lessons were interesting and enjoyable, particularly Biology because it gave us all a blank canvas on which to express ourselves through complex drawings of disected frogs, flowers, eyeballs etc. What a turn on! (one might add). But, he knew how to "switch on" our  inquisitive minds, and make us what we are today.  

His unusual marks for homework may have been intriguing, but the psychology behind it did work. The gradings became more intriguing when marks went to two decimal places or more!!!

It's a  privilege to have known him, and to have been one of his students. Even though some of us may not be aware, we unknowingly strive for perfection, and continue to uphold his ideals in our daily tasks to this day. 

Honoured and remembered with respect and much affection. RIP.


09/02/12 06:58 PM #2    

Prasenjit Banerjee (1969)

It was Fr Moore perhaps who said Fr Micheal Mulhern's Father wanted him to be a Doc but Ma said become an Engineer while all the time Micheal wanted to be a Priest.  Keeping with his Papa & Ma's biding he became both and asked them "Are you Happy? Now let me do what I wanted to do from the beginning - become a Jesuit." 

In the annals here we know a lot how he taught us Physics and Biology, Chemistry was with Mr KP Verma.

Fr Mulhearn would sign his name MMSJ in long hand and this soon became Malcha.  Some boys used to unknowingly refer to him as Fr Malcha.  Actually most of the boys were scared of his perfectionist attitude as shown in his decimal marking for Homework and practicals.

I had come to know him from very close and helped him in any project that he would think up.  The range would be to repair the parts of the Ford Pick-up truck we had, radios, tape-recorders, cameras, hearing aids and also portable ECG machines directly imported from Phillips Holland by BPL.  In many of these projects I was there at his side brazing new parts, soldering and checking circuits with micrometer.  Fr Mulhearn was a brilliant photographer and could use the dark room for developing films, making contact prints and enlarging.

With his guidance I became very good at using the camera he would allow me to use.  Slowly I became known as Second Malcha because he would often refer seniors to me with their problems.  No there was no disregard but a sense of camradiere in searching for the truth and so the name Second Malcha.

In December, 1970 I visited the School and learnt he had been very sick for about three months because he had not been eating too well.  Without ado I went to see him and asked him how he was and he just said "Better".  Then he went on to tell me how he had put up a Photo Voltaic Electric Heater for hot water on top of the Balmoral building.  My quiriosity knew no bounds - "Father can you go up and show it to me without straining yourself?"  He got up immediately and did a round of the building to the stairs leading to the roof and climbed up the stairs.  Lo and Behold there was the Solar Water Heater.  We softly discussed the machine and water temperature is furnished and slowly came back to the his room.  Fr Mulhearn sat down in the rocking chair he had had in his room and said this was the first outing I have had in these months with a sigh.  I told him I was sorry to have coaxed him but he said " No it's OK it had to be now or never"  RIP


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