KOCHI: SH College, Thevara, has paid tributes to Padma Bhushan Fr Gabriel, a man with farsighted thinking and great scientific temperament, in appreciation of his outstanding contributions to the college on his 103rd birthday.
Saluting his contribution, the Arachnology Division of the college named a new spider species, which is very colourful in its look, after Fr Gabriel-’Stenaelurillus Gabrieli’.
“Even at the golden age of 103, the post centenarian continues his successful journey with a sparkle of 33 years in his eyes motivating and inspiring the generations. “During his unpaid service in SH College, Fr Gabriel was always a wonder and gusto for all with his words and deeds and zealous personality, one of his colleagues remember the prophetic visionary,” a release said here.
Explaining the background for naming the new spider species after Fr Gabriel, P A Sebastian , director of Arachnology Division, said though there was already a mollusc species in Fr Gabriel’s name as Bankia Gabrieli, further investigations done on this particular species by foreign scientists questioned the existence of this species and revealed the truth that there is no more species named Bankia Gabrieli and it is a synonym of another species existed before.
At a felicitation gathering held at Amala Bhavan, Thrissur, under the leadership of SH College Arachnology Division, principal Fr Prasant Palackapillil presented a memento to Fr Gabriel.