A TRIBUTE TO ‘DESI’ PINTO: A ‘FIRST CLASS’ JESUIT
“First class!” and “No problem!” – Fr. Desiderio Pinto (aged 56) would exclaim when asked about how things were. Even whilst bearing the immense pain of chemotherapy to fight AML (acute myeloid leukemia), ‘Desi’—as he was affectionately called—would say that there’s “no problem!” and that his health is “first class!” But, on hearing that his condition had suddenly deteriorated, when the Rector of Vidyajyoti College, Fr. Joe Sebastian, inquired about his health a few days ago and said that he’d be coming to see him, Desi said, “Father, when you come here I might be gone.” It’s hard to believe that Desi has passed on to that “new heaven and new earth” where “every tear will be wiped away” (Rev 21:4) with the unending joy of being in God’s loving presence.
Fr Desiderio Pinto was born on April 27, 1956 in Tanzania, East Africa. He joined the Pune Province of the Society of Jesus on June 24, 1974. He was ordained priest on April 6, 1986. Desi was blessed with a phenomenal memory and was a brilliant student-and-teacher. He was interested in interfaith dialogue and was inspired by his mentor, Fr Christian Troll, to specialize in Islamic studies. He would cycle everyday more than 20 kms from St. Xavier’s Jesuit community to reach the Jamia Millia Islamia to pursue doctoral studies in Sufism. The fruit of his labour was a much-appreciated thesis entitled “Piri-Muridi Relationship: A Study of the Nizamuddin Dargah”published by Manohar Publishers in 1995. Desi joined the Vidyajyoti College of Theology as a full-time lecturer in 1997 although he was earlier taking courses on Sufism, Christian-Muslim Dialogue and Sociology of Religion while doing his doctoral research. Another post which Desi took up in 2006 was that of Librarian of Vidyajyoti. Swiftly and silently he classified all the articles and books and made sure that the Library was competently administered, equipped with the latest publications and updated with the finest technology.
We will remember Desi Pinto for his exceptional talents. Three of them are unforgettable: (a) Desi could lecture for hours on Islam, and in particular, Sufism, without bringing any notes to class. He would have his students spellbound with his anecdotes or in splits of laughter with his quick wit; (b) Desi was a ‘self-made’ mechanic. He could fix anything from time-pieces to computer hard-disks with a “no problem!” assurance; (c) Desi never ever spoke ill of anyone. He saw the very best in everyone and would judge every student, every staff-colleague and every coworker as ‘first class!”
The staff, students and coworkers of Vidyajyoti College always found in Desi Pinto a quiet, simple, brilliant, approachable and committed professor-brother-colleague-friend. And, his sights were also set on doing pastoral work every Sunday in the Delhi parishes; Punjabi Bagh, Trilokpuri, Sacred Heart Cathedral and Defence Colony, in particular. He would drive on his scooter every weekend to these parishes and preside over a Mass with a remarkably ‘short-and-sweet’ sermon. So, Desi will be missed by many, many people: his 85-year old mother, two sisters and brother and their families, the members of the Vidyajyoti Faculty, parishioners of Delhi, many Muslim brothers and sisters whom he dialogued with. All these will remember that ‘first class’ Jesuit, Desi Pinto, who stood tall among us all.
From Hitguj
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