Ivan Kešpret, a native of Lokovica: photographer and teacher in India

Abstract

In Slovenian Church history, the time between the two world wars was marked by a special interest in religious, particularly ‘missionary’ communities in other parts of the world. In this regard, the Salesians of St. John Bosco occupied the first place among religious orders. Ivan Kešpret, born in Lokovica near Šoštanj, first met the community in Ljubljana, where he also became its member. He pursued his further professional training in Italy and after 1947 developed a variety of activities for educational institutions in different Indian regions. He was a professional photographer, a cameraman, and a teacher at professional schools specializing in media education. Although far from Slovenia, he maintained contacts with his native country and regularly published newspaper articles about his missionary activities.