Fr. Leo Cachat, S.J.

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

Born in 1933 in Cleveland, Ohio, Fr. Leo Cachat entered the Society in 1954. After novitiate, juniorate, and philosophy in the U.S., he came to Nepal for regency at Godavari School. He did his first year of theology at Pune and the remaining three years at St. Mary’s, Kurseong. After tertianship he returned to Godavari as superintendent of the hostel and teacher.

After the move of the high school from Godavari to Jawalakhel, Leo served as principal of St. Xavier’s School from 1970 through 1977. During these years he shepherded the school through a double transition – the transition from an all boarding school at Godavari to a largely day school at Jawalakhel and the transition from the original English medium Cambridge syllabus to the Nepali medium SLC syllabus mandated by the new educational plan of 1971.

The schools of Nepal thus became the first schools of Patna Province to effectively implement the Patna Province policy of vernacularisation. In 1974 Leo was elected a delegate to G.C. 32 where he helped to shape the blueprint of a new direction for the Society with its emphasis on faith and justice in the famous Decree 4.

From 1979 to 1985 Leo devoted his time to what in many ways has been his most important and satisfying work: giving retreats and counselling a wide variety of people both inside and outside the Society. During this period he developed the Godavari Ashram into a true spiritual centre and was often called upon to give retreats in various places In South East Asia, including Myanmar.

Leo was also one of the earliest directors of the Pre Ordination Programme (POP), two of which were held at Godavari each year. In 1985 Leo moved to Kamal Niwas to become the first superior of the combined juniorate and candidate house. Here for the next six years, he developed the juniorate programme and guided the young men of the Region and juniors from a number of provinces in the earliest days of their formation.

In 1991 Leo became the second regional superior of the Nepal Region. It was during this period that he was able to introduce and oversee several far reaching changes in the apostolate of the Region, including the development of St. Xavier’s Campus and the transformation of Godavari School into a day school catering to the local people of the area. At the conclusion of his term as superior, Leo was asked by Fr. General to take up a mission in Myanmar where he would work with Jesuits of the Indonesian Province to develop the Society in Myanmar.

For three years Leo has worked with the candidates and novices of Myanmar in addition to overseeing an English language programme for the general public and diocesan seminarians. Leo’s assignment in Burma will come to an end in March, 2001, after which he will make a visit to the U.S. and return to Nepal where he is sorely missed.