St. Mary’s College, Kegalle celebrates its 150th Anniversary

Nestled in a small hill by the side of the Colombo - Kandy main road is St. Mary’s College, Kegalle. As a premier seat of learning in Sri Lanka, it marked its 150th anniversary on March 1 this year. St. Mary’s College, which was founded in 1867, is the fifth of its kind in a chain of Catholic schools established by the Benedictine missionaries.

Though the exact date of commencement of the school cannot be traced, the documents available at the National Archives shed some light on the history of the school.

The founder of St. Mary’s College was the Benedictine missionary Rev. Father Domilio Cingolani, who was instrumental in getting the school registered as an English medium school.

In 1885, classes were held only up to VII standard and the year 1887 witnessed the students of St. Mary’s College sitting for public examinations for the first time. Rev. Father Paul Neut, a Jesuit priest (1895 - 1910) who showed a keen interest in Catholic education, rendered an invaluable service to bring the school into prominence.

In 1902, Mr. Lucian van Langenburg took over the reins as Principal. During his tenure of office, classes leading to the Cambridge Certificate Examination were conducted with the unstinted support of Rev. Father Vestraeten and Rev. Father Wijethunga.

The administration of the school was assigned to Rev. Father Beerneart in 1921, as Rev. Father Vestraeten left for Galle after being appointed as the Acting Vicar General of the Diocese of Galle. By 1922, the school had on its roll 110 students and the staff consisted of five assistant teachers. Rev. Father Spillbout who assumed duties as an assistant teacher toiled hard to raise the standard of the school. The student population by that time had risen to 250.

Rev. Father P.M. Baguet was compelled to take over the reins of administration as Rev. Father Beerneart had been ailing for some time. In 1933, Sir Edward Stubbs, the then British Governor, visited the school on his way to Kandy.

The records available at the school confirm the fact that the first prize-giving ceremony was held on December 16, 1937. Rev. Father Bastenier took the initiative to start a model farm in 1939. The road leading to the farm was named “Paul Avenue”.

The house system was reintroduced to the school in 1947, after a brief lull. It was decided to rename the houses Red, Blue, Green and Gold. In 1947, St. Mary’s College was elevated to a secondary school and the classes were held from Grade 2 to the Senior Certificate Examination in Sinhala, Tamil and English medium. Rev. Father F.M. Battaglia should be commended for his initiative to bestow the school with a solid and elegant building.

The school was elevated to a national school in 1995. The junior school at Meepitiya was annexed to St. Mary’s College in 2001, with the sole intention of accommodating more students in the primary section.

Mr. N.A.D.R. Hemantha was succeeded by Mrs. Hema Wickramarathne in 2014 as Principal.

The college observatory which had been lying idle for some time has now been repaired and restored so that students can explore the mysteries of the universe. The telescope, “Broadhurst Clarkson” which has been installed at the observatory is the oldest in Sri Lanka and is still in working condition. The Astronomical field centre in collaboration with the Astronomical Society of the school has been imparting knowledge to hundreds of children in the area.

Students have been given the option to study a few selected subjects in the English medium under the amity school project, introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2002.

St. Mary’s College has made its presence felt both in academic and extracurricular activities. Marian athletes and cricketers have won numerous accolades at national and international levels.

The motto of the school is “Non sibi sed patriae” which means “Not for self but for country”. The illustrious old boys of the school who represent all walks of life are the true embodiment of the school motto.

St. Mary’s College has stood the test of time and has been successful in grooming young boys of the country into valuable citizens. The school has made great strides over the last decade or so in terms of physical development and academic achievements. The incumbent Principal Mrs. Hema Wickramarathna and the academic staff should be commended for their indefatigable courage and dedication shown in executing their duties.

The Old Boys’association, which is one of the strongest in the area, is indeed an asset to the school. Its members were behind the anniversary celebrations, which included an educational exhibition and a trade fair on March 1 at the college premises.

St. Mary’s College has been a beacon of light to thousands of young boys over the years and will continue to remain as such. Long live St. Mary’s. (The writer of this article is the Sectional Head of the English Medium unit of St. Mary’s College.)