St. Mary’s College Negombo celebrates its 150th jubilee
View(s):Perceiving a great need for spiritual guidance, St. Mary’s College Negombo was established on the 7th of October 1871.
This year, amidst the struggles of the Covid-19 pandemic, the college celebrated 150 years of faith and knowledge.
Rector/Principal, Rev.Fr.Jayantha Wickremasinghe organised a festive High Mass at St.Mary’s Church, Grand Street, Negombo.
Adhering to Covid-19 regulations, the High Mass was held with the participation of few old boy priests, two Rev.Sisters, Deputy Principals and teachers of the staff, Old Boys and present boys. It was also live-streamed on social media for students and past pupils who wanted to take part in the festive High Mass while social distancing.
Festive High Mass
A beautiful and spiritual celebration of the sesquicentennial jubilee, the festive High Mass was held at St.Mary’s Church, Grand Street, Negombo. The event took place with chief guest Very Rev. Fr. Cyswan De Croos, The Episcopal Vicar for Negombo region; Rev. Fr. Nishantha Rodrigo, the Parish Priest of St.Mary’s Church, Grand Street; Rev. Sr. Mary Sajewani, the Deputy Principal and Rev. Sr. Niranjala Santhiyago, the Sectional Head of Grade 8 and 9; Zonal Director of Education, Mr B.C.P. Fernando; President of the Old Boys’ Association, Mr Placidus Peter and the Mayor of Negombo, Honourable Dayn Lanza.
Mass and hymns were conducted in English and Latin, followed by a papal blessing for the occasion read by the chief guest, Very Rev. Fr. Cyswan De Croos, The Episcopal Vicar for Negombo region. Live-streamed onYouTube and Facebook to those who couldn’t attend, the Mass will be ingrained in the hearts of the College community for a long time.
Blessing Grotto Of Our Lady Of Lourdes
The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes was blessed on the 7th October 2020 on which date the declaration of the Sesquicentennial Jubilee Year was declared.
History
The first boy’s college established in Negombo, St. Mary’s College was founded with the intention of giving a comprehensive educational experience to the students of Negombo.
Established in 1871 by the late Parish Priest of Grand Street Church, Rev. Fr. John Visthrini, St. Mary’s College Negombo celebrated its sesquicentennial jubilee on the 07th October 2021. It was also elevated to the rank of a National School.
A respected and flourishing educational institution, St Mary’s College has nurtured the spiritual, cultural, academic and sporting lives of many thousands of students.
Leadership
A visionary and pioneer, Rector/Principal, Rev.Fr.Jayantha Wickremasinghe has paved the way towards a more technology-based teaching-learning experience to prepare children for the Information Age. Implementing changes when he was joined in 2013, such as introducing an English stream, establishing a Past Students’ Cricket Association and empowering the Brass Band Association, increasing the number of admissions and strengthening infrastructure to provide a better learning experience for the students, Fr. Wickremasinghe has embraced a growth mindset.
VIAM SAPIENTIAE MONSTRABO TIBI.
“Show us the path to wisdom” is the vision that Rector/Principal, Rev.Fr.Jayantha Wickremasinghe aspires to instil, to produce a dignified generation of children with the calibre of wisdom, knowledge and cultural inheritance in a religious atmosphere.
Future Plans For The College
Focused on a holistic, long-term strategy to improve school community and teaching practices, construction of a proposed new building with a canteen, smart classrooms and conference room is underway in celebration of the jubilee.
The COVID-19 pandemic thrust educational technology into the spotlight as schools focused on offering distance-learning options. St Mary’s College adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic early on by moving to virtual learning, and it is now ready to welcome its students back into a safe space for learning once the restrictions are lifted. Introducing the concept of a smart classroom, teachers will no longer need to carry teaching aids as classrooms will be equipped with smart boards, making a plethora of online teaching materials accessible for the teachers.
From its humble beginnings, the commitment to the tradition of excellence in Catholic education continues.