Noted educator Charles A. Law passes away

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept, 10: Father Charles A. Law SJ, 70, a long-time educator at both St. Xavier's School and St. Xavier's College, passed away yesterday evening while undergoing treatment at B&B Hospital.

Also a poet, author and a social worker, Law had worked in Nepal for 43 years. Born on September 22, 1931 in the American City of Chicago, Law was admitted to the Hospital Sunday afternoon after he complained of weakness and breathing difficulty. He succumbed to what is believed to have been a massive heart attack at around 9 P. M. that evening.

Law had attended Loyola Academy and Loyola University before entering the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Fathers) at the age of 20. He had celebrated his Golden Jubilee as a Jesuit only last month.

Upon completing his initial training as a Jesuit, Father Law came to Nepal in 1958. For three years he worked at the newly established St. Xavier's School in Godavari and helped give a real shape to the School before going to Kurseong, India to study Theology. After his ordination to the Catholic priesthood in 1964 Father Law returned to Kathmandu as a teacher at the school which became his mainstay till he died.

Fr. Law was instrumental in the founding of the St. Xavier's School. He served as acting principal of the I. Sc. Programme when the St. Xavier's College began as an extension of the School in Jawalakhel. Fr. Law had also worked tirelessly to set up the first-degree programme in the College.

Fr. Law was also a very good social worker. The establishment of a training programme for social workers was the fulfillment of a long cherished dream of Law. From his college days in America, he had been involved in social activities. Even while employed chiefly as a teacher and administrator at St. Xavier's, his avocation was to set up adult literacy and skill-training programmes, especially for Nepalese women.

Along with his interests in science and social work, he had a lifelong love of literature. He was an accomplished poet. His literary works reflect his deep commitment to justice and his concern for the poor and disadvantaged. The literary journal "Spiny Babbler" and the Society of Nepalese Writers in English single him out as one of the nation's brilliant modern poets.

After a funeral service conducted by Monsignor Anthony Sharma, his body was taken to Teku for cremation today.

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