TEAM HERALD
BELGAUM: Distinguished Goan Jesuit scholar Fr Rui De Menezes (74) died on Saturday at Nirmal Nagar Hospital, Belgaum, following a brief illness.
The funeral services will take place at the Fatima Cathedral, Belgaum, on March 23 at 3.30 pm, followed by the committal at the Belgaum Cemetery.
Born in Cansaulim in 1939, Fr Menezes did secondary school at St Paul’s in Belgaum and joined the Society of Jesus in 1957. He had a brilliant academic career beyond the regular priestly studies: a Doctorate in Theology in Innsbruck (Austria), Licentiate in Sacred Scripture (Rome) and Diploma in Modern Hebrew (Jerusalem).
His life as a Jesuit was characterised by distinguished academic service and by the teaching of generations of students at the Pontifical Athenaeum, Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune, where he taught from 1979 until his retirement in 2004.
Fr Menezes was also visiting professor in many seminaries like the Morning Star College, Barrakpore (West Bengal), Vidya Jyoti (Delhi), St Peter’s Pontifical Institute (Bangalore), Pilar Seminary (Goa), Rachol Seminary (Goa). He also lectured regularly in the Archdiocesan Seminary San Luis Potosi in Mexico.
Fr Menezes was a multi-linguist and could speak English, Marathi and Konkani, besides French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Latin.
In Pune, he was at various times Dean of Theological Studies, Rector Magnificus of the Athenaeum and Rector of De Nobili College and showed himself as an effective fund raiser for the various construction and maintenance projects that he undertook.
At St Paul’s, Belgaum, Fr Menezes continued his biblical research and writing books on scripture. His scholarly works are used as text books in many seminaries.
Incidentally, his elder brother Fr Celso SJ, died in 1968 following a tragic road accident not far from De Nobili College, Pune, where Rui spent most of his life.
Fr Menezes was detected with colorectal cancer (also known as colon cancer) in November 2013, while teaching a course in Bangalore. He underwent surgery and then followed slow recovery at St Paul’s Belgaum. Further complications set in and he was shifted to the Nirmala Nagar Hospital, where he breathed his last.
