Saint Mary's College (St. Lucia)
| St. Mary's College | |
|---|---|
| Summum Attingitur Nitendo The Top is Reached by Striving |
|
| type of school | High school |
| founding | 1890 |
| place | Vigie , Castries , St. Lucia |
| Country | St. Lucia |
| Coordinates | 14 ° 1 '25 " N , 60 ° 59' 57" W |
| management | Don Howell |
Saint Mary's College is a Catholic boys' secondary school in Vigie , St. Lucia in the Caribbean . The school is the alma mater of two Nobel Prize -carrier Sir William Arthur Lewis and Derek Walcott Alton . The lawyer and politician Sir Vincent Floissac and the former Prime Minister Sir John George Melvin Compton and the Ambassador to the United Nations , George William Odlum were also former students.
history
St. Mary's College officially opened on April 20, 1890, three weeks after the first classes were given in the building. In the first year the school had 27 students aged 6 to 15 years in the building, which today as Parish Center serves in the Micoud Street in Castries . The first principal, FE Bundy , was educated at St. Mary's College for Teachers in Hammersmith , England . His only assistant was initially a Mr. O'Neil Traynor .
The early days in college were extremely difficult for the teachers. At the end of 1890 the number of students had grown to 35. Of these boys, only a few were fluent in English, some understood but could not speak, and others spoke French and the majority spoke Patois (Antilles Creole). It was amazing that Teacher achieved so much with the little material available. Fighting was frequent and broken windows were a daily occurrence.
At the end of 1890 the college was € 385 in debt, € 90 of which had accrued since the college opened. To help reduce the debt, the Priests of the Sons of the Immaculate Virgin Mary (FMI) gave € 75 to the college. Beginning in 1893, the college received government grant-in-aid on the condition that 10 elementary school students received Science Scholarships.
No exams were held until 1895, but this quickly changed with the appointment of HJ Meagher as headmaster. In December of this year, the two students Cecil and Garnet Garnaway were sent to Barbados to take the Cambridge Preliminary Local Examination there, as there was no such thing in St. Lucia. A Cambridge Local Examination Center was established at the college in December of the following year . At the end of 1898, 53 boys were already enrolled at the school. At that time there were six weeks of vacation at Christmas, two weeks in midsummer, and two weeks at Easter. The school fees were between 3 and 6 guineas per year, paid in advance. There was also a regulation that younger brothers had to pay less.
At the end of 1899 the staff consisted of five brothers. At a public session in 1903, a resolution was passed requiring that an Advisory Committee be appointed to run the college and that the Government Grant-In-Aid be increased from € 200 to € 400. The demand was accepted by the government and the committee was set up.
Brothers Canice Collins , Macartan Sheehy and Lawrence Reynolds arrived in St. Lucia on Saturday, January 11, 1947, after sailing from Avonmouth , England, on December 28, 1946 on a 6,000-ton banana liner. They arrived in Port-of-Spain , Trinidad , on January 10, 1947 and stayed with the Holy Ghost Fathers . From there they flew to St. Lucia the following day. In Castries they were received by the French Brothers of the Sons of the Immaculate Virgin Mary (FMI). Ms. Harcourt was then Rector of St. Mary's College. They received support from the Joseph Sisters of Cluny .
In 1947 there were 80 students at the school, the building was dilapidated, the wooden components had not been painted for years, the equipment sparse and the school furniture in poor shape. The brothers only had a week before school was due to reopen after the Christmas break. Herman D. Boxill , who had taught the college for 18 years, helped with the preparations. The school year began on January 22nd with a mass and full halls. Canice Collins was introduced as a principal.
For the first few months after arrival, the brothers lived in the Presbytery in Castries and shared the premises with the FMI priests. In March they were able to move into the so-called The Brothers' House , 69 Micoud St. There they had their accommodation for four years until March 1951.
Many changes occurred in St. Mary's College during the early years under the brothers' administration. The buildings were expanded and the training reorganized.
1948-1952
On June 19, 1948, a large part of Castries was destroyed by fire. The work and courage shown by the brothers, staff and students in doing so were highly valued and officially recognized. One newspaper wrote of the brothers' leadership qualities:
“It is a beacon of hope for many struggling to foster a spirit of initiative and community action in the West Indies.
On the occasion of the New Year's Honors in 1949, Br. Canice received the MBE in recognition of his efforts on the night of the Castries fire. "
Over the next few years, the number of students at St. Mary's College grew rapidly and the premises in Castries became too cramped. Considerations were given to expanding and renewing the college at the same time, or to finding a new location.
At the same time, some military buildings from the time of the Anglo-French battles, in which soldiers of the West Indian Regiment had been housed, stood empty . A cluster of buildings stood in a scenic spot on the Vigie Peninsula a few miles from Castries. Although the buildings were over 150 years old, they were in good condition and after lengthy negotiations with the authorities, including the War Office in London , an agreement was reached for the purchase. The buildings were completely renovated and in late July 1952 St. Mary's College was moved to Vigie. At that time the school already had 275 students.
It was fortunate that a bungalow next to the main building, which used to be the Commanding Officer's home, could also be purchased. In March 1951, a second fire destroyed much of what was left of the old Castries, including No. 69 Micoud Street . The brothers, who were now five, moved into the bungalow in Vigie and this is the brothers' residence to this day.
1953-1957
With the additional buildings and the space that was available at the new location, new school subjects were introduced and the number of students grew to over 300.
In 1953 boarding school buildings were set up for students from the more distant rural areas of St. Lucia. One of the outbuildings was converted and equipped for this purpose. The so-called hostel served this purpose for over 20 years. In 1973 the need was no longer there and the building was used for additional classrooms for the sixth form classes.
In 1955 Canice was transferred to San Fernando , Trinidad , where Lawrence had previously been transferred. Macartan was succeeded by Dunstan Curtin Provincial Superior of the West Indies in San Fernando and with that all three founding members had left St. Lucia.
In 1957 Canice had to undergo head surgery. He was treated in Beaumont , Texas , but the operation failed and he died on March 20 at the age of 43. He is buried in Texas. St. Lucia Administrator JKR Thorpe conveyed his condolences.
Canice was honored by the St. Lucia Postal Administration in 1990, on the 100th anniversary of St. Mary's College, with a commemorative stamp showing his likeness in front of a drawing of the college.
From the mid-1950s, the number of brothers who came to the West Indies grew. Startups arose in Chaguanas , Trinidad , and there were numerous changes in St. John , Barbados and also in St. Lucia.
1974
In November 1974 the government passed a law establishing a Board of Management at St. Mary's College . This replaced the previous St. Mary's College Advisory Committee . It was clear from the wording of the law that while this Board of Management would have control over college affairs, it would have no responsibility for the college. It was also clear that the ownership of the brothers would be an obstacle to the smooth functioning of the body.
Fri Macartan received meanwhile the honor of Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the jubilee events on the birthday of the Queen (Queen's Birthday Honors, June 1974) in recognition of his life's work and the achievements of the brothers for education in St. Lucia.
After lengthy discussions at the parish and provincial level, the brothers formally requested in January 1975 that the Archbishop of Castries, Most Reverend Patrick Webster OSB , take ownership of the buildings and properties. The brothers only retained ownership of their apartment building and the surrounding three acres .
The new regulations came into force in September 1975 despite public protests. The Presentation Brothers had agreed to remain as faculty members, but for the first time since their arrival, the school administration had been with someone else. In this case Fr. TJ Stack , who had already taught there as a member of the Presentation Brothers before he was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Castries .
The college's patronage festival is still Presentation Day , November 21, and appreciation for the work done has been shown publicly over and over again. On College Speech Day on 21 November 1976, for example, the governor, said Sir Allen Lewis QC , a leading member of the Anglican Communion in St. Lucia, a former student of St. Mary's and brother of Nobel laureate Arthur Lewis on his assessment:
“The arrival of the Presentation Brothers in 1947 marked a turning point in the governance and growth of St. Mary's College. Her breath of vision, concern for the community's well-being, administrative skills, erudition, and dedication to the task and well-being of her students have brought great benefits to St. Lucia. I should take this opportunity to publicly express the appreciation and gratitude of the people of St. Lucia for the work that the brothers have done and that they continue to do. "
In 1979 St. Lucia became independent. The Prime Minister with a cabinet of 10 ministers has formed the government since then. The House of Assembly with 17 members and the Senate with 11 members pass the laws.
In 1979 Arthur Lewis (1915–91), an economist and graduate of St. Mary's College, received the Nobel Prize. He and Theodore W. Schultz (USA) shared the award for their work on the economic challenges of developing nations. Lewis had been a student at St Mary's in the 1930s. He was the first West Indian to win a Nobel Prize. Twenty years later, another graduate, Derek Walcott, was honored as well.
1977-1991
In 1977 the religious community in St. Lucia was reduced to two brothers, Br. Cyril O'Sullivan and Br. Macartan. Although Macartan was already retired, he supported the Ministry of Education by organizing the Cambridge Overseas Examinations .
In September 1979, however, Macartan fell seriously ill and had to go to Barbados for treatment, where he died on September 22nd in St. Joseph's Hospital . His body was brought back to St. Lucia and, following the Requiem Mass celebrated by Bishop Guilly , he was buried in Riverside Cemetery , the cemetery for eminent figures of Castries and St. Lucia.
For several years, O'Sullivan was the only brother in St. Lucia. Ms. Martin Walsh from Canada came regularly as a guest during the winter months. During the '80s the community grew again and in 1990 there were five brothers on site.
But in 1991 the community suffered another grave loss. On July 22nd, Ms. Ligouri O'Mahony died in her sleep at the age of 64. He had worked in the West Indies for 37 years and was the last of the Presentation Brother to be a Principal of St. Mary's. He is also buried in St. Lucia.
1992
In 1992, Derek Walcott, one of the older students at St. Mary's when the brothers arrived, received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Walcott had been a teacher there after graduating from St. Mary's. His work covers topics such as Caribbean experiences of slavery, independence and post-colonial identity.
1993: CARE - a new apostolate
In March 1993, Br. Dominic Brunnock joined the St. Lucia Fellowship. He had previously worked with the SERVOL program in Trinidad from 1989 to 1993. SERVOL provides support for socially disadvantaged teenagers, especially early school leavers.
present
St Mary's College is one of the best schools in St Lucia. In 2009, the school was only just behind St. Joseph's Convent on the Caribbean Examination Council exams .
The school also has an extensive program of work groups and offers. Highly rated projects were carried out for the National Science Fair and in 2013 the school won the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge . There is also a Young Leaders Program and, a Drama Club, Choir and a Cadet Corps.
Alumni
- Dunstan St. Omer , painter and muralist (wall painter)
School anthem
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SMC School Anthem In the past we've made our name, Step together, fight as one |
Translation:
Stand together, play the game We have made a name for ourselves in the past Stand together, fight like a |
Individual evidence
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↑ it is a beacon of hope to the many striving to promote a spirit of initiative and cooperative action in the West Indies.
At the New Year's Honors of 1949, Br. Canice received the MBE in recognition for his efforts on the night of the Castries fire. - ↑ "We are deeply conscious of the debt owed to him for his splendid and devoted work for this island, and he has an abiding place in our affection."
- ↑ "The advent of the Presentation Brothers in 1947 marked a turning point in the management and growth of St. Mary's College. Their breadth of vision, their concern for the welfare of the community, their administrative ability, scholarship and devotion to duty and to the welfare of their students have brought great benefits to St. Lucia. I should like to take this opportunity to express publicly the appreciation and gratitude of the people of St. Lucia for the work the Brothers have done and continue to do among us. "
- ↑ Sir Arthur Lewis Facts. nobelprize.org.
- ↑ UWI's Tribute To Sir Dunstan St. Omer. In: The Voice. May 18, 2015.
Web links
- St. Mary's College homepage
- govt.lc
- St. Mary's College investigating viral bullying videos: report. St. Lucia News Online, SNO Staff, stlucianewsonline.com October 1, 2019.