Very few people know that a part of the St. Xavier's College building on
Park Street, adjacent to the College building proper, above the main
Chapel, houses a treasure which has been practically unknown. The
treasure was inherited by the Jesuit Fathers of St. Xavier's in 1908
from the then Archbishop of Calcutta, Paul Goethals, S.J. Archbishop
Goethals, a Belgian who was Archbishop of Calcutta from 1886 to 1901,
donated to the Jesuit Fathers his precious collection of books with the
expectation that they be preserved as a separate library.
collection deserved to be protected as a special Library even during the
Archbishop's lifetime, can be felt if one scans the catalogue published
by him in 1898. In 160 foolscap length pages plus a three page addenda,
are listed titles and authors which testify both to the range of the
owner's interest and his keen sense of collection which is scientific to
a great extent.
A sampling of the catalogue's classification reveals the range and
special interests of the collector: Ancient India; the Portuguese in
India; the Dutch; the French; the Muhamedddan period; the British
period; Gazetteers; the States; the Tribes; Archaeology; the Arts;
Religions; Philosophy; Ideology; Natural History; Travels; ........
The travels and travelers section dating from the 17th century and
in several languages has been described by specialists as unique.
Another noteworthy treasure is the six large volumes of oriental scenery
each containing 24 views, colour engravings by Thomas and William
Daniell, from March 1, 1795 to June 1, 1803. There are also a number of
curios, marble Buddha statues and an exquisite dagger collection.
A catalogue marked 1931, shows an interest extended to India's Asian
neighbours : Tibet, Mongolia, South Asia, China, Japan and East Asia
down to the Malay. Archipelago and the Philippine Islands, Central Asia
, Persia and Egypt. The Sanskrit section merits a separate catalogue,
and noteworthy additions are Economics, Education, the Census,
Government and Administration. The library contains a collection of
17,663 volumes of books and periodicals.
Among outstanding assets of the present library is a rich collection
of hard bound Eastern periodicals reaching back to their founding days.
The list includes Bengal Past and Present (commencing July 1907) , the
Calcutta Review (158 volumes); Modern Review (1907-1978); Light of the
East (complete series, October 1922 - December 1946) and journal of the
Asiatic society of Bengal (from Volume 1, 1832). In the case of some
newspapers and periodicals the series in this library are more complete
than in the publications' offices!
About 50 manuscripts of the Bengal Mission historian, Fr. H. Hosten,
are stored, besides a few of Fr. W. Wallace and the pioneering
educationist, Brahmabandhav Upadhyay. A former Deputy Librarian of the
National Library, Calcutta, Mr. Avinash Lal, has listed in this
collection the titles published before 1799. They total 1,000, an
extraordinary number when a collection of the size and status of the
National Library is about 1,700.
The Library has been completely renovated. And we have made this
treasure now more easily accessible to research scholars, who are most
worthy of its inheritance. To help the users, the Goethals library has
been modernized in its facilities: A scientific cataloguing of the
books, periodicals and plates has been done. Computerization process is
going on. It has now been designated as a Research and Reference Centre.
There is a spacious, airy and well-lit research section with an oval
table at the centre for a group of persons doing common research.
Xeroxing facility is available in the library it self. A Quarterly
Newsletter is being published. The library is ready to meet the needs of
all scholars and researchers.
We want to continue the great and rich tradition of scholarly
Jesuits like Frs. Johannes and Dandoy (Hinduism), Courtois (Islam),
Lievens (Tribal rights), P. Fallon and Robert Antoine (Indology).
We welcome research students and scholars to make use of the library. We
are at their service to encourage and support their scholarly work.
A Directory has been published to provide an overview of the library
to its users and the Directory is in the web-site. A list of some
selected books, plates, periodicals and documents in the collection of
the library is provided for the benefit of researchers and the serious
We hope the library serves its purpose of disseminating knowledge and
providing the information for your needs. This alone makes our every
BY : FR. FELIX RAJ, SJ, DIRECTOR
The Goethals Indian Library and Research Centre
has a three fold
A Research Centre
A Minor Archives
division on St. Xavier's College and the Jesuits and Christian mission
in India, particularly West Bengal.
A list of materials in our Archives:
Album of photos of Vatican
by Mr. Alph Mullender, 14th April 1924
Catholic Mission of Chota-Nagpur
(typed script) 1951
Correspondence of Fr. Hous SJ (Leon Hons) - Belgian
Documents donated to St. Xavier's college by the Asiatic society of
Bengal, on the Missions in India.
Documents of Missions in India, donated by ASB (Asiatic Society of
Bengal) to the Goethals Library, and St. Xavier's College.
Fr. Dandoy's typed copy of "Blondel" 1956
Fr. Dandoys's Jubillee in Kurseong 1915-1940
Fr. Francotte SJ - Observation readings
Fr. P Johanns manuscript
Le mysticisme de L'advaita
Historical notes on 24 parganas collected by Fr. S. Poderzaj SJ
History of the Catholic Church in East Bengal - an outline by Fr. Courtois SJ
Mission documents collected by Fr. Hosten
North point Memoires - photo album - 1956
Photo album presented to Dr. Paul Goethals by the Provincial of
Belgium in 1878
Photo plates (glass) of the Fathers of St. Xavier's College
Photos on St. Xavier's 100 years celebration & other albums.
Souvenir - golden jubilee of Fr. Dandoy SJ, ordained 1895
St. Xavier's college Magazine photo-album 1933
St. Xavier's College photo album 1860-1952
St. Xavier's College strike - 1938 (articles)
St. Xavier's Jesuit Fathers - an old album.
St. Xavier's Old Album of photos (large size)
The church in Bandel - photo album - 1832- 1952
Writings of Brahmabandhab Upadhyay and Animananda
Writings of Fr. A Gille SJ when he was the Editor of the Catholic
Herald of India from 1917-1924
Writings of Fr. Blanche SJ (French)
Writings of Fr. Constant Lievens, sj, and his life
Writings of Fr. Hosten S J on various Indiological topics
Writings of Fr. Knockaert SJ and his "life among the Santals"
Writings of Fr. P Johanns sj on the Vedanta, Chaitanya & Ramayana
Writings of Fr. Van Der Schuren, SJ and the Belgian Mission in India
Writings of Fr. William Wallace sj on Hinduism
Zinc blocks of photos which were published in the early St. Xavier's