Mangalore: Bishop Dr Aloysius inaguarates centenary year of St Agnes Convent
Media Release
Mangalore, Jan 23: Monday January 21 was a day of great rejoicing and thanksgiving at St Agnes Convent, as the centenary year of St Agnes Convent was inaugurated amid much joy. It also marked the feast day of St Agnes.
Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore along with Sr Linette, Provincial Superior of Karnataka Province, and Sr Maria Kripa, Superior of St Agnes Convent lit the lamp to inaugurate the Centenary Year 2013-2014.
Fr Pius D’Souza, Superior of Infant Jesus Church, Bikarnakatte, Fr Antony Serrao, parish priest of Bendore, 15 priests and a large number of Apostolic Carmel Sisters, sisters from various congregations and other invitees were present on this auspicious occasion.
The late Mother Aloysia, the Second Superior General with her wide vision and deep apostolic spirit saw the need for opening a school for girls in Bendore which was then the suburban area of Mangalore and also an underdeveloped remote area.
A plot of “Hulli Mulli”, belonging to Sr Julia’s ancestors and the surrounding plots which were inhabited by 16 proprietors in clustered huts and cottages were bought on June 29, 1913.
February 8, 1914 was a memorable day in the history of the Apostolic Carmel when the late Bishop Paul Perini blessed the whole property and laid the foundation for St Agnes Convent.
The next day a Secondary English medium school, as it was called then, was opened with class I and II. There were 80 pupils on roll. The following day an elementary school for the poor was opened with 46 pupils on roll.
Mother Aloysia chose St Agnes as the patron saint of the convent and of all the institutions on the campus with the motto “God is our strength”.
Since there was no church in the vicinity, the clergy of the Cathedral and the people made an appeal to the convent for a portion of the land which the sisters had purchased with much difficulty. The large hearted Mother Aloysia made the sacrifice of that choice slice of land and gave over the best level portion along the road side for the church, which includes Bethany convent.
July 2, 1921 is a significant event in the history of St Agnes. Mother Aloysia’s dynamic leadership and far sighted vision was realized when a college was started at St Agnes for women. St Agnes a First Grade College was the only one for women in South India and the first in the whole of India to run by an Indian private management.
Mother Theodosia a dynamic personality, with practical experience and determination took the initiative in introducing Science into the Intermediate Course, an option till then not available to women. By adding subjects such as Mathematics in 1936, Natural science in 1937 and Chemistry in 1939, the college gradually blossomed. Through the years St Agnes College has grown with all the various UG and PG programmes.
The mission of the sisters in educating the youth from kindergarten to post graduation has attained fruition where 5,330 students illumine the campus today.