St. Bridget's Convent, Colombo

Last updated
St Bridget's Convent
St Bridgets Convent Colombo emblem.jpg
Location
St. Bridget's Convent, Colombo
C. W. W. Kannangara Road

Colombo
,
07

Sri Lanka
Information
Type private
MottoGently and firmly
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic
Established1902
GradesNursery - Grade 14
Gender Girls
Color(s)Green, White
Website www.stbridgets.lk

St. Bridget's Convent is a private girls' school in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was founded on February 1, 1902 by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd order, making it one of the earliest mission schools of the Roman Catholic Church of Ireland in Ceylon. The school today consists of a Montessori school, a primary school and a collegiate school. It comprises 1324 students taught by a staff of 105 teachers.

Contents

History

On 1 February 1902, at the request of Dr. T. A. Melizan (Archbishop of Colombo), St. Bridget's Convent was established as the second house of the Good Shepherd congregation for the education of young ladies. It was the third school in the Colombo area opened by the nuns. [1] The first classes were held at a rented house on Turret Road (Colpetty) called 'The Firs'. [2] Two sisters, Sr. Mary of St. Francis Borgia and Sr. Mary of Our lady of Lourdes, came from the original Kotahena Convent school (Good Shepherd Convent) to undertake this work. With the opening of the school by the sisters of the Good Shepherd, the vision of Melizan became a reality.

Symbols

The Irish origins of the Good Shepherd sisters are seen in the school colours, emblem and unique traditions. [3]

Emblem

The school emblem depicts in essence the heart of the school. The rationale for its functioning and for its role within and without is reflected in the school motto ‘Gently and Firmly’. The other symbols include:

Patron saint

The patron saint of the school is St. Bridget, the patron saint of Ireland, whose feast is commemorated on 1 February of each year.

Houses

There are 4 houses in the primary school and the collegiate school:

The houses are named for Dr. T.A. Melizan, Mother St. Francis Borgia, Father G. Griaux and Dr. A. Coudert, who were involved in the development of the school from the start.

Notable alumni

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.
NameYear/degreeNotabilityReference
Chandrika Kumaratunga Chief Minister of Western Province (1993–1994), Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1994), President of Sri Lanka (1994–2005) [4]
Sirimavo Bandaranaike Member of Parliament Attanagalla (1965–1980), Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1960–1965,1970–1972, 1994–2000) World's first female Prime Minister. [4]
Sunethra Bandaranaike socialite, philanthropist (founder and chair of Sunera Foundation) [5]
Ezlynn Deraniyagala Sri Lanka's first female Barrister
Mignonne Fernando singer, songwriter and pianist [6]

References

  1. ↑ Wright, p.272
  2. ↑ Wright, p.582
  3. ↑ "School Emblem and Anthem". stbridgets.lk.
  4. 1 2 Jayawardena, Kumari (1995). The White Woman's Other Burden: Western Women and South Asia During British Rule. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-136-65714-6.
  5. ↑ Jayasinghe, Rajinda (March 2015). "Sunethra Bandaranaike". Life Times.
  6. ↑ "Mignonne - the pioneer of home-grown western pop". Sunday Observer . 18 May 2003.

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