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Welcome to
St Berchmans College

St Berchmans College is the first higher education institution of the Archdiocese of Changanacherry. This institution was founded in 1922 by Venerable Mar Thomas Kurialacherry, Bishop of Changanassery diocese. It was started, with the noble aim of the Universal Catholic Church, to mould young men and women who will strive for excellence in every walks of life and human service. The College is recognized under sections 2 (f) and 12 (B) of the UGC Act 1956. The College was first accredited with ‘Five Star’ in 1999 and reaccredited with ‘A+’ in 2006. In the third cycle of accreditation in 2012, the college was again graded at A. In 2017, the college was again reaccredited with ‘A’ grade. The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Government of Kerala granted autonomy to this college in the year 2014. In 1996 and 1997, it won the coveted “R Shankar Award” for the Best College in the State, instituted by the Government of Kerala. In 2004, the UGC identified the College under its “College with Potential for Excellence” scheme. The National Commission for Minority Educational Institution, New Delhi has granted minority status to the college in 2010. All the Science Departments are supported by the FIST of DST, Government of India. It has been ranked among the top 100 Indian colleges by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), MHRD, Government of India since 2018.

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ST JOHN
BERCHMANS

St John Berchmans (13 March 1599 – 13 August 1621), venerated in the Church as the patron of students. is the patron saint of our college.

He was born in the town of Diest in Flanders as the eldest son of a poor shoemaker. At a very young age, he wanted to be a priest. At the age of thirteen, he became a servant in the household of one of the cathedral canons at Malines. After his mother’s death, his father and two brothers followed suit and entered religious life. In 1615, he enrolled in the Jesuit College at Malines. A year later, he joined the novitiate. He was an enthusiastic student, an excellent actor and an orator. He has been described as a young man of exemplary life, of pure conscience and of great perfection. John Berchmans could not complete his studies. He died of a contagious disease on 13 August 13 1621.

He was beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1865 and canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1888. His spiritual doctrine was that sanctity consists less in unusual dramatic actions than in the loving practice of fidelity to God in day to day living. This appreciation of the value of ordinary things is the distinctive mark of his sanctity. He expressed his way of perfection in the phrase “Maximi facere minima” (Do the most with the least).

St John Berchmans is remembered today for his studiousness, faithfulness to the rules of his order, the holiness of his life, and his devotion to the Eucharist and to the Virgin Mary.

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College
Crest

The College Crest has four quarters, divided by the Greek Cross. The Dove represents the Holy Spirit, who according to Christian belief, enlightens and sanctifies. The Fleurdelis (Flower of the Lily) stands for purity. The two coconut trees are symbol of Kerala, the land of coconut palms. The waves are suggestive of the location of the College: the meeting point of land and backwaters. The open book at the centre of the Greek Cross is the symbol of wisdom. The dove, the fleurdelis, and the open book together suggest the ideals the College places before its students. Our coat of arms bears on top the motto of the College in Latin: “Caritas Vera Nobilitas.” Its Sanskrit equivalent is inscribed on the banner below the shield. The motto means that charity or love of one’s fellow man is true nobility.

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PRAYER TO
ST. BERCHMANS

Saint John Berchmans, my most loving patron, seraph of charity, I rejoice with you at the ardent fire of charity, which kept your pure and innocent heart always at peace and united to God; I humbly pray thee, obtain for me such ardour of divine love that it may remove from my heart every inordinate earthly affection, destroy my evil tendencies, and cause me in all my actions, to be prompted by the purest of intentions.

Prayer Song – Lead Kindly Light

Lead kindly light amidst the encircling gloom,
Lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home.
Lead thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see;
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

So long Thy power hath blesst me, sure it still
Will lead me on,
O’er moor and fen, O’er crag and torrent till
The night is gone;
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since, and lost a while

(Written by Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman)

College Anthem

Excelsior Excelsior Excelsior
To love the lord in unity
To serve the land in charity
We perfect the little things
We ascend to higher things
Excelsior Excelsior Excelsior
To light the lamp of true wisdom
To sing the song of God’s kingdom
May St. Berchmans be a light
And lead us all to the light
Excelsior Excelsior Excelsior