30 Dec. 1938 – 2 Dec. 2010
Fr. Thomas Ambrose, SJ, Manager of St. Vincent’s Night College, Pune, breathed his last at St. Vincent’s Jesuit Residence, after a brief illness at 11.00 a.m. on December 2, 2010. The funeral Mass held at St. Xavier’s Church, Pune, on December 3, at 9.30 a.m. was well attended by Priests, Religious, staff members of different Institutions where he worked, friends and students both past and present. Fr. Ambrose was thereafter laid to rest at St. Sepulchre’s cemetery, Hadapsar.
Thomas Ambrose was born on December 30, 1938 at Miraj in Maharashtra, to Abraham and Katherine. He was the seventh child in a family of eight siblings. At the young age of 17, he decided to dedicate his life as a religious, serving the poor and marginalized. And so he joined the Society of Jesus in June 1955. After undergoing his Novitiate and Juniorate at Vinayalaya, Mumbai, and completing his Philosophy and Theology at De Nobili College and Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune, he was ordained on March 17, 1970 at St. Xavier’s Church, Pune. His final incorporation in the Society of Jesus was on August 15, 1974.
Fr. Ambrose had a string of degrees attached to his name, and yet, he was humble to the core. He held many important offices right after his ordination as Director/Teacher, Principal, Professor, Dean of Studies, Vicar-General, Parish Priest, Minister and finally Manager of St. Vincent’s Night College, Pune. He had a flare for languages and was a good linguist. Besides being proficient in the English language, Fr. Ambrose also knew French, Marathi, Hindi to some extent, Latin, and of course Greek.
A man of few words, Fr. Ambrose was very faithful to his prayer life and prepared his sermons well which were meaningful and inspiring. He was simple, committed, dedicated, responsible, disciplined, and a man of principles. He was very straightforward and never compromised on his principles to suit his own interest or to please people. His health was never his priority. On the contrary, he paid little or no attention to health matters. He worked tirelessly serving the community and carrying out his responsibilities faithfully and efficiently. His outlook was very simple. But his spirit of poverty was remarkable; he possessed literally nothing – except a few books and the bare minimum clothes. His austere lifestyle was one of the hallmarks that distinguished his personality. He lived an authentic life and remained true to his call.
As a true disciple of Jesus, he always did what was pleasing to God. For those who knew him more closely, he was a man of humour and his intellectual conversations provided food for thought. Fr. Thomas Ambrose no doubt has inspired and influenced many, and, with his humble
outreach has left a lasting impact on the lives of those who knew him and worked with him. God Grant Him Eternal Rest.
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