[7] Historian George Menachery stated that Palocaren played a key role in the construction of the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours, the largest church in India and the tallest in Asia.
[4] Eknath Easwaran (1910–1999), whose writings on the spiritual life have been translated into more than 20 languages,[8] recalled that Palocaren "taught only one class, Shakespeare.
[9]: 111 Easwaran stated that: During the four years I spent at college, without calling attention to what he was doing, Father John managed to work a great transformation in me.
[10]: 11 Raised a Hindu, Easwaran stated that "it wasn't a creed or religion I was drawn to, but the sheer nobility of the man himself.
Namboodiripad (1909–1998), former Kerala Chief Minister,[12] recalled that during his student days at St. Thomas College, There were many teachers who had endeared themselves to us ... One among them deserving special mention was Principal Fr.
[13]: 88 Similarly, another former Kerala Chief Minister, C. Achutha Menon (1913–1991), recalled that "When Fr John Palocaren began his speech in Malayalam, all of us in the audience were surprised – since he was considered a brilliant scholar in English.