Fr. Cornelius Curtin, S.J.

By Fr. John Locke, S.J.
(From the Nepal Region’s 50th Anniversary Book, 2001)

Fr. Curtin was born in Chicago in 1925 and entered the Society in 1943. After a long career in Patna where he served for many years in mission stations such as Darbhanga, he took up a teaching post in Khrist Raja High School in Bettiah.

Deteriorating health dictated a climate that was less severe than the heat of the Bihar plains, and Fr. Curtin came to Nepal in 1987 to take up the teaching of English at St. Xavier’s School. It was a new career for a senior citizen, and he coined himself a new name. He used to be called “Cornie” but he insisted now that his name was to be “Neil.”

Neil did yeoman service in Nepal for twelve years teaching English, giving the occasional retreat, and writing interesting articles for a variety of publications. He retired to Columbiere In 1999 where he still keeps his interest in Nepal and writes the occasional article.