Today, on the occasion of the bicentenary birthday celebration of St. Don Bosco, I am happy to write a few lines of gratitude about a Salesian priest who was always the face of Don Bosco to me. Meeting him was like meeting St. Don Bosco at Don Bosco’s Panjim. When, I was seven years old, my parents got me admitted in class two at Don Bosco High School, Panjim. At Don Bosco’s Panjim, my school calendar was always full of application to studies remarks given by my teachers. I would get scared whenever a teacher would enter my classroom. Since, I failed in English for the preliminary examination in standard tenth, I was sent out of the classroom by my teacher along with my friend Saji John. I and my friend Saji went and sat in the oratory compound of our school. We saw an old and fat Italian priest Fr. Peter Gatti who was teaching English for the best division of class tenth in our school, limping towards the Don Bosco Past Pupils Hostel. He smiled at us, caught our hands gently and took us to his room. Once we reached his room, he smiled and said to us, “Sons, I left my home at the age of 17 years to be an ambassador of love. I gave up my Italian citizenship with a lot of pain only to dedicate all my life to be the face of St. Don Bosco in India. From that day, Fr. Peter Gatti started training me daily for life. I was instantly attracted to his style of teaching and I immediately decided to be a teacher like him one day. Fr. Peter Gatti trained me till my post graduation. Due to Fr. Peter Gatti’s extensive training, I was able to win the title of the best public speaker of S.S.Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, Panjim for three consecutive years. Representing the post graduate department of the Goa University, I also won the all Goa inter collegiate Orator of Goa contest organized by the Lions club. Fr. Peter Gatti also encouraged me and helped me to develop the art of writing English poetry during my college days. He also guided me in my spiritual growth and development. Once, I was eagerly waiting for the return of Fr. Peter Gatti from Italy, as I got an opportunity to work at Fr. Agnel Higher Secondary School, Pilar as a part time teacher for Secretarial Practice and Accountancy. But my favourite teacher Fr. Peter Gatti passed away peacefully in Italy before he could return to India. A few years later, I got the wonderful opportunity to work as a Grade I teacher for Accountancy and Secretarial Practice at Rosary Higher Secondary Navelim. At Rosary’s Navelim, I started training the students in public speaking and theater and drama. We secured the 2nd prize at the All Goa Inter Higher Secondary one act play competition organized at Guardian Angel’s Savordem. My pupil whom I trained in public speaking, Maria Ramona Almeida secured the first place at many elocution competitions. This was only possible as I was trained by the best teacher, the face of Don Bosco, Fr. Peter Gatti. St. Don Bosco said, “Education is a matter of the heart”. Fr. Peter Gatti always trained his pupils from the heart to make them great citizens of India. A few years later, it was a golden opportunity to teach English and Communication and Management at the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition.
