We are journalists too, says Fr Lobo

BANGALORE: As members of Radio Vaticana, Fr Lobo and his 360 colleagues have press cards and are accredited journalists. "As reporters do, we too visit places scouting for information," he points out. "My typical day begins with morning prayers, Mass and then work at the radio station, which is 12 minutes away from our residence. After lunch, I'm back at 4 for a couple of hours.
From Our Father to friend
As principal of St Joseph's College of Commerce and also Arts and Science College, Bangalore, Fr Lobo was and remains popular among his students.He misses those days on campus. "I do miss them a lot. Of 28 years that I worked in college, 22 years was in administration. I was pretty close to my students and was told that in Commerce College, my nickname was `Our Father'. Whether it was a joke I am not sure, but I was always the first to be informed in times of good tidings and tragedies. Today, these students have added me as their friend on Facebook and post their messages regularly," he chuckles.
FOODIES ALL
Deeply rooted to his coastal Karnataka upbringing, Fr Lobo meets up with his compatriots at least six times a year. "We have a Konkani group and celebrate our meetings over typical Mangalorean food. Our cuisine is very popular among colleagues from other parts of the world too, and it's fun cooking our favourite recipes together," he says. He has a constant flow of visitors from Mangalore and across the globe.
Content with his small role in broadcasting the message of peace over the airwaves, Fr Eugene Lobo looks forward to a younger and more technically experienced lot donning the headphones at Radio Vaticana.