Fr. Lawrence V. Brooks, S.J.

The One Whom All Should Look Up To

Fr. Lawrence Brooks, S.J.

Even though he is the youngest among the American Fathers, he is the most noticed one among all the Jesuits in Nepal. If you are standing on the ground, regardless of your age and experience, you have to “look up to him.” Yet there Is someone who constantly complains, “Larry gives me a sort of pain in the neck even after having a pleasant chat with him.” Now, Fr. Larry passes the same complaint when he has to chat With the same person whom he has to “look down upon,” as he puts it humorously. However, the problem is rather physical and can easily be settled if both agree to “sit down” and talk. Well, we can’t blame in any of them for all these complications. Fr. Larry is about seven and a half feet tall, and his friend is only about five feet, that’s where all these differences  begin. Being very friendly, humorous, and a fantastic counselor, Larry is one of the most loved persons by the students whom he works with.

His full name is Fr. Lawrence Virgil Brooks. He born on 22 October 1938, together with his twin brother, George, in Chicago, Illinois. He also has an elder sister, Barbara, and two younger sisters, Susan and Dorothy.

He studied for his Bachelors degree at Loyola University, Chicago. There he came across many Jesuits who were on the staff, especially in his own Department of Classical Languages. He wasimpressed by their way of life. He also had the chance to live for over a year in a house with a Jesuit doing a prefect’s job. He made an eight-day retreat for three years continuously, and at the end he decided to apply for the Society. He was accepted for the 1 September 1963 batch. There were 34 of them in the class, seventeen from high school,
seventeen from college, including himself. He was just short of 24 years by then.

Since he was older than most of the rest, and perhaps for other reasons, he was selected along with a lawyer who was his classmate to be sent ahead in his second year of novitiate to the juniorate. Both of them then went to philosophy after two years, skipping some of the usual two years of juniorate.

After two Years of philosophy at North Aurora, Illinois, he went to Georgetown University, Washington D.C., to do his Masters in Linguistics. Prior to that, he had applied for the missions, while he was in philosophy, and was accepted right away. In 1968, he had to wait for a visa that never came. So he taught for a year at Brebeuf Preparatory School in Indianapolis, Indiana, before being sent to Nepal at the end of December, 1969.

He arrived in Nepal, after a long journey, on Thursday, 12 February, 1970, and in Kathmandu itself on Friday, 13 February, driving in from India with Fr. Ed Kaciur, S.J.

He did his regency for a year arid half in Jawalakhel as an assistant hostel prefect while waiting for his visa to go to India for theology. He began theology in Pune from June 1971, and completed two years in 1973. He then requested a transfer to Vidvajyoti, Delhi, so that he could meet more Jesuits as well as be closer to Nepal. Thus, he finished theology in 1974 and was ordained in Kathmandu on 21October the same year. He was the first one in the region to be ordained in Nepal. He did tertianship in Bangalore ( 1975-76).

He spent three months in language study before he became assistant to the principal at Jawalakhel for about six months then principal In February 1977. He was the principal for four years, after which he remained in the school in various activities until 1987, when he became the rector of Godavari. He finished two years there, then fell ill from burnout. He went to America for treatment and a rest, for Iwo years. He returned to Nepal In January, 1991, and was assigned to the Campus where he worked until 1997. After that, he was assigned to Godavari as principal for three years. Now, he is reassigned to St. Xavier’s College.

In between, he was director of the Godavari Alumni Association for three years and a member of the first Kamal Niwas formation team in the mid-eighties.

When he reached Nepal in 1970, he was the only young Jesuit regent around the place for several years. Talking to the young Jesuits in formation he said “You are privileged because you are so many. You can get together and share your feelings, likes and dislikes with one another.” He remembered that, in his time as a regent, he would feel very lonely at times, and had no other companion to understand and share himself at the same wave length. However, he said, “I kept on going and doing all that I could.”

Larry was born a leader. People around him recognized this extraordinary gift in him and benefited by letting him play the role of the leaden No sooner had he joined the novitiate than he was given all kinds of responsibilities. He even taught Greek to his co-novices. Such responsibilities carried on all throughout his formative years as a Jesuit. Even today he is actively Involved in leadership training programs and other administrative tasks. He also cousels people in different walks of life. Even though such activities demand a heavy investment of time and energy, he seems to enjoy his work. He says, “I seem I be good at it, and people seem to appreciate what I am doing.”

Fr. Larry with students.

”My vocation to the Jesuit life is the best thing that has happened in my life, and I am very grateful to God for giving me this opportunity,” he says. Larry joined the Jesuits when he was 24 years old, and once he joined the Society his perspective on life was never the same again. He said that he could do so much for the people as a Jesuit and reach out to them whenever they needed him. He began to open himself up, which made him accept people and their situations. Knowledge about the diversity of culture and people had a reciprocal effect on him, which made him rich intellectually as well as spiritually. He realized that joining the Jesuit Society was the right thing that happened to him at the right time.

He also adds, “Of course, there were times when I had to experience difficulties and challenges, but such experiences have made me more mature. They made me look deeper into myself and acknowledge my humanness. Reflecting and accepting my nature was a liberating experience. Such were the graces of God for me, and I accept them wholeheartedly.”

Talking about his points in Nepal, “High points were many. Being the principal at St. Xavier’s Jawalakhel. Starting the Leadership Training for Service Movement in 1982. Giving many retreats to our kids and others. Spending five years at Godavari and seven years at the Campus, etc. Of course being the first to be ordained in Nepal was also a big thing, especially because my parents were able to be present. Moreover knowing and caring for so many of the youth of Nepal, meeting and interacting with so many parents, meeting so many others through workshops, seminars, Education Testing Director for 24 years, etc. were also enriching experiences. Another high point was earning a B.Ed in Nepali medium.”

“There were not that many low points. The most prominent one was being subjected to a burnout in 1988 and having to take two years off to recover. It was worth it, but it was hard being far away from Nepal for so long.”

“Being present at the death of Tom Downing, as well as the death of Tom Gafney were also very low points.”

“What I cherish most, I think, is the people of Nepal, their willingness to believe in us, their spirit of spontaneity and their openness to what we have to offer them. I love the mountains, the climate, and, up to recently, the atmosphere in Kathmandu (now quite polluted).

Sharing his expectations of the young Jesuits he said, “Be as educated as you can. Education Is not just accumulating degrees, it means much more. Primarily what it means is to be open to the world. Education comes from opening yourselves to people, their culture, and their situations. It will earn you more acceptance and respect than many of the degrees you hold, and you will be much happier. Being a ‘professional’ has It;s place (indeed a very important place) in the life of a Jesuit, but being ‘personal’ always involves deeper human relationships.”

He also suggested that we, the young Jesuits, be what we are rather than pretend to be what we are not. Living in the world of reality is much more easy and healthy than living in the world of pretense.

Commenting on the future perspective of the Nepal Jesuit Society he says, “As I enter into the era of change in society, it is important for the older Fathers to step back and give the younger onces a chance to learn. We need to give them our support in every way we can.”

“At the same time, it is crucial that we consciously make the effort to support, encourage, and affirm one another in our efforts. We are like people in a submarine, constantly rubbing against each other; so there is a real need for care and affirmation. We also need to expand outside the Valley and try newer, more radical types of work if we can. We do not want to get stuck in the Valley doing only a few traditional things.”

“We also need to educate our men to their furthest ability, for only then will most people respect us. Many have also stressed the need to identify more with the people and learn from them. I agree. Language is a start, but spending time with them is also important. The people have many faults, of which we are all aware, but they are basically good people and deserve our respect.”

Fr. Larry at the farewell party for Fr. Bill Schock.

Fr. Larry stays at Maitigarh and is busy with the L.T.S. counseling, Dean of the B.Sc. of Environment Department, and other managerial tasks. He aims to work with the people of a high educational and intellectual level, because he believes that if these people are given proper motivation, they can move the wheels of change in this century. One of his dreams is to start an institution in which he could combine management, psychology, sociology, leadership training, etc., as a two year course, so that when students finish their academic courses they will be able to go into the field not just to work in the field but to be leaders.

Larry has a gift, and surely he is using it to produce men and women with quality for the good of the country of Nepal and her people.

Two friends were watching a play at the Campus. One said to the other, “Look at that poor lady on the right. She is struggling to see what is on the stage. That gentleman in front of her seems to be wanting to stand all throughout.”

His friend replied, “Oh! No, it’s that lady’s mistake. She shouldn’t have chosen that seat behind Fr. Larry. He is actually sitting.”

(Text and Pictures from the Nepal Region’s 50th Anniversary Book, 2001)