Mangaluru: Father Muller School and College of Nursing celebrated its triple jubilees of the GNM programme (60 years-Diamond), BSc and PBBSc Nursing programme (30 years-Pearl) and MSc Nursing programme (25 years-Silver) and the inauguration of the National Conference on Critical Care Nursing, organised by the Alumni Association of Father Muller College of Nursing on January 19 at the Father Muller Convention Centre.

The celebration began with a thanksgiving mass at 8 AM at the St. Joseph Chapel. Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore Diocese, was the main celebrant of the mass while Rev. Fr. Richard Aloysius Coelho Director FMCI, Rev. Fr. Henry Sequeira, Chancellor, Diocese of Mangalore and other priests co-celebrated the Eucharistic celebration.

The formal celebrations commenced at 5.15 pm with the procession of guests, alumni, faculty and VIPs led by the band of Father Muller College of Nursing. Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore Diocese & President of FMCI, Chief Guest Dr. Ani Grace Kalaimathi, Registrar, Tamil Nadu Nurses & Midwives Council, Guest of Honour Rev. Sr. Edmund D’Souza, former principal, Father Muller School of Nursing , Rev. Fr. Richard Aloysius Coelho, Director FMCI, Rev. Sr. Jacintha D’Souza, Principal, Father Muller College of Nursing, Jasmine Sarita Vas, Vice Principal, Father Muller School of Nursing and Darryl Aranha, President, Alumni Association were the dignitaries on the dais.

Rev. Fr. Richard Aloysius Coelho, Director FMCI, welcomed the gathering.

Addressing the gathering, the chief guest said, “Nurses need to be empowered so that like Florence Nightingale, they can reach towards greater success.” He also said that nurses could run their own clinics at the community level and can be nurse entrepreneurs, nurse consultants and nurse practitioners.

Dr. Ani Grace along with the other dignitaries, released the jubilee souvenir.

Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza felicitated the former and present directors, assistant directors, administrators, assistant administrators, chaplains, former and present principals of Father Muller School & College of Nursing and nursing staff who served the institution for more than 15 years and are still in service.

Merlyn Tauro, the first batch student of MSc Nursing, presently working as Senior International Accreditation Specialist at the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar shared her experience and reminisced about her days in Father Muller Institution. She was honoured by Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore.

Rev. Sr. Edmund D’Souza, former principal, Father Muller School of Nursing, expressed her happiness to be a part of the celebration where she studied and served for 41 years in various capacities. She expressed her joy that her Alma Mater has reached the state of maturity and has contributed remarkably to the society, to nation and to the world by forming good, trustworthy professionals.

In his presidential address, Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza congratulated all the nurses and said that nurses who were trained in Father Muller Institutions were wanted all over the world because of the standard of education and the values they receive and the way they care for the patients. The nursing profession has to be considered as a mission which Jesus himself has entrusted to each nurse, he enthused and motivated the nurses to be committed.

Jasmine Sarita Vas proposed a vote of thanks.

After the institutional anthem, a cultural programme was presented by the students of Father Muller School and College of Nursing and the College Anthem was sung by 60 alumni.