Born on 1927 is the 7th son of Mr Jules and Mrs Eliza Van Wallenghem. A young man who was only 24 when he first came India, has now spent 73 years in India. Fr Van was originally from Canada but he left his luxury life there and decided to come to India and serve the people of India. When war broke out between India and Pakistan in 1971 (war for the Bangladesh Independence), Fr Van tirelessly led the relief efforts in the refuge camps established for Bangladesh refuges in the foot hills of Darjeeling.

Fr Van had a dream to establish a school at Mungpoo since 2006 and he was in position to start a school, he decided to use a very old and traditional building material-Bamboo. Therefore, Fr Van is also renowned as the founder of a school named Bamboo School.