BR. NICHOLAS TOPNO, SJ
Born: 12.04.1952 – Died: 21.07.2025
Br. Nicholas Topno, SJ, hailed from the land where the Servant of God Fr. Constant Lievens had pioneered his movement of liberating the tribals of Chotanagpur from the oppressive system of the Zamindari rule under the British, and the parish was Torpa. The great-grandparents of Br. Nicholas joined the liberating movement of Fr. Lievens wholeheartedly, and consequently, Br. Nicholas appeared on the scene as the third generation in the Catholic faith.
Coming from Digri village under Torpa Parish of Khunti Diocese, he was the eldest of three brothers and one sister. His parents were Mr. Joseph Topno and Philomena Horo. After completing his Middle School and High School studies in Torpa, he travelled to Odisha State in search of livelihood and did any job available on a daily basis that would fetch him some money. Providentially, a certain Franciscan Brother, Sylvester by name, visited his place of stay. The Brother advised him that he should take some training to survive in life. Consequently, he proceeded to the Agricultural Training Centre, Namkum, to undergo training in agriculture. There, Fr. Theophil Moons, SJ, was his Superior and Director. Fr. Moons motivated him to become a missionary and serve others. His contact with him effected a total change in his life. From agricultural training at ATC, Namkum, he landed in the training of the Society of Jesus at Sitagarha. Fr. Moons was his mentor, guide, and godfather. He promoted him to the Society of Jesus.
On reaching St. Stanislaus, Sitagarha, to his greatest surprise and wonder, he was accepted and admitted to the Society of Jesus without any hitch. He had taken along with him literally no documents – no birth certificate, no school certificates, nothing – and still he was accepted into the Society. He could not fathom God’s mysterious ways of working. God can write straight even on the crooked lines in one’s life. Jesus also did not ask his disciples – Peter, Andrew, James, and John – about their fishing certificates, but rather asked them to leave them behind. He just told them, “Follow me.” Fishing certificates were not required. The only thing needed was their good and generous heart.
Br. Nicholas had no experience of the outside world of any kind. He was innocent of all that could happen in the world and in his life. He simply put himself fully into Jesuit training. In the meantime, he observed the religious life of the St. Stanislaus Jesuit community. All that took place there left an imprint on his mind of a happy, joyful, hardworking, prayerful, and service-oriented life of the coadjutor Brothers at Sitagarha, like Br. Angelus Xess, Suleman Dungdung, Br. Junas, Hilarius, Francis Tirkey, and others. He was deeply impressed by them. So, he made up his mind to become a Jesuit Brother, entering the Novitiate in 1974. Otherwise, he had absolutely no idea before about the vocation to priesthood or brotherhood.
After completing his Novitiate in Sitagarha and Juniorate in Patna, he gave his services to various national and provincial institutions: Tertianship in Belgaum, Karnataka; Pre-Novitiate at Tarunoday, Kanke, as Minister; St. Stanislaus’, Sitagarha, in charge of kitchen, field, and farm; Manresa House in the kitchen; Catholic Church, Bardih, in charge of house, kitchen, garden, hostel, and also taught in the school; Sarwada Parish as helper to Fr. John Guria; Berchmans Illam, Chennai, as Minister; in Noadih and Rengarih parishes as Minister looking after the garden, field, and farm; back again to ATC, Namkum, as Minister-cum-kitchen in charge; then to Prabhat Tara, Dhurwa; then Manresa House, looking after the house and kitchen. In 2015, he was transferred to St. Stanislaus’ High School, Lohardaga, as Minister looking after the garden and property. Towards the end of 2024, from the month of October, his health began to fail, and he was admitted to Constant Lievens Hospital and Research Centre, Mandar. From there he shuttled back and forth between Mandar and Manresa House, Ranchi, and on 21st July 2025, he breathed his last in Constant Lievens Hospital, Mandar. On 22nd July 2025, there was a burial Holy Eucharist in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Ranchi, and thereafter he was buried at Tamtam, Kantatoli Cemetery.
Br. Nicholas had his share of life’s woes and hardships. But he recalled how his Jesuit brethren alleviated and helped solve all of them. He experienced care, concern, cooperation, friendship, encouragement, guidance, spiritual help, motivation, consolation, hurt, anger, frustration, and more. In good times, he laughed heartily with friends; in bad times, especially while working in the kitchen when he could not please everyone, he took them as a cross and consoled himself.
Br. Nicho. had been quite severely ill toward the end of his life. But he was not seen grumbling about his sickness, food, hospital services, or the Society of Jesus. This is where he said that the Society of Jesus is a mystery. The Society does everything for its members.
Br. Nicho. had a passionate hobby of beekeeping, through which he served and delighted the hearts of many Jesuits with his pure honey.
Br. Nicholas was not an ordinary character—though perhaps not visible to many—but he was a many-sided personality, incorporating qualities like kindness, generosity, fidelity, openness, commitment to duty and service, joviality, hard work, and patience, to name a few.
May the good Lord give him eternal reward in Heaven!
Fr. Ajay R. Soreng, SJ