Saint Mary's High School (Rajkot) is one of the oldest primary and secondary schools in Rajkot, Gujarat, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. It has a 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) campus

Campus

A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...

 located on the Kalavad Road of Rajkot city.

History

St. Mary's School opened on August 11, 1957 with 25 students. Fr. E. Gadea, the parish priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

 of Rajkot, was the founder and first principal. The classes were conducted in the premises of the Catholic Church at Mochi bazaar

Bazaar

A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...

. The school was granted official recognition by the Government of Saurashtra on June 11, 1959. Fr. Mateo Ramonell took charge as principal in June 1961, and in the same year Gujarati

Gujarati language

Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...

 was introduced as an additional medium of instruction.

In 1961, Fr. Ramonell bought the present property on Kalawad Road, 5 km from the city, and the foundation stone of a new building was laid in January, 1962. The next June the school moved into the new building but it took another five years for the construction to be completed. In 1968, the first batch of 46 students sat the SSC

SSC

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 Board examinations. Fr. Azcotia was the principal from 1970 to 1977.

In 1977, the management of the school was transferred from the Society of Jesus

Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

 to the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate

The Carmelites of Mary Immaculate is an religious order for men in the Syro-Malabar Church. It is the first Catholic religious congregation founded in India. The first monastery of the order was established on 11 May 1831 at Mannanam, Kerala, India...

. In the same year, the higher secondary section was opened, the English language

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 being used as the medium for instruction for both the science and general streams. Fr. John Naduvathussery started a separate building for primary education in 1978. This was completed by Fr. Mathew Bassus in 1983 and had an open air stage. An auditorium and the first floor of the primary school were built by Fr. Joseph Madhuravely in 1998.

Vision

Affiliated associations

• All India Association of Catholic School
  Catholic school
  Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
  
  s.
• AINACS (Rajkot Unit) – 53 schools in Saurashtra-Kutch region.
• Common syllabus and examinations.

Past Principals

• Rev. Fr. Gadea SJ (1957–1960)
• Rev. Bro. H. Rodrigues (1960–1961)
• Rev. Fr. Mateo Ramonell SJ (1961–1970)
• Rev. Fr. Azcotia SJ (1970–1977)
• Rev. Fr. John Maduvathussery CMI (1977–1979)
• Rev. Fr. Mathew Basus CMI (1979–1988)
• Rev. Fr. John Kodamkandam CMI (1987–1988)
• Rev. Fr. Jose George CMI (1988–1989)
• Rev. Fr. Joseph Madhuravely (1989–1999)
• Rev. Fr. Cyriac Kannezath CMI (1999–2001)
• Rev. Fr. Thomas Kolamkuzhiyil (2001–2005)
• Rev. Fr. Davis Manjaly CMI (2005–P2011)
• Rev. Fr. Wilson (2011-Present)