Our society would have been different if Church schools had continued

Oct 08, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
The Marian Academy, thank God, has endured 10 challenging years in our society and education system amidst the challenges we, as a nation, undergo from time to time.
I thank God because these are not easy times that we’re living in. These are not easy times our young people are living in. And I can be rest assured that this lone Catholic school in our country has been disseminating quality education for the past 10 years.
The Roman Catholic Church has a rich history of education in Guyana — so I’ve heard. The high standards, the achievements and scholarships have been the mainstay of Catholic education in Guyana prior to the Government’s ownership of public schools. I read somewhere that Guyana’s education system was described as the ‘jewel of the Caribbean’ in the 60’s. So we had the top-notch education system in the region!
The name ‘Marian’ denotes the titles we use to refer to Our Lady and we know that Mary, the Mother of our Lord, has interceded on behalf of a school that bears her honour.
The Ursuline Sisters, who belong to the Order of Saint Ursula, as I’ve researched, pioneered the start of Catholic education since 1847.
It was to this environment of on-going development that, in 1847, six Ursuline Religious and two postulants (women who want to join the convent) came to British Guiana, even though their families were, very naturally, alarmed when they heard of this dangerous undertaking to a far-off tropical country, and used every argument to dissuade them. They left the Ursuline Convent in Athlone, Ireland.
The six professed Foundresses were Mothers Mary Bernard Perry, Mary de Sales Molony, Mary Magdalen Doyle, Mary Regis O’Brien, superior, Mary Stanislaus Hearne and Mary Alphonsus O’Beirne. The two postulants later would be known as Sisters Mary St. Rose Tierney and Veronica Gavin. Sr. Mary Rose died only five years later in the Colony, at the age of 25, and Sr. Veronica followed her six years later. These women often used the railway to Rosignol, crossing the Berbice River to New Amsterdam, where the second convent was established in 1897.
Saint Angela’s School was constructed in 1847, making it the premier Catholic school in the country. That was followed by St Mary’s in 1852, another in New Amsterdam in 1853 and many others from North West to Berbice to Dora to the Rupununi.
It is no wonder that there are numerous Catholic communities sprinkled across the length and breadth of Guyana from as far as the Pakaraimas straight down to Lethem. These communities are small but comprise of faithful groups of people who would travel miles by feet just to worship on Sundays.
Many persons today would recall being part of the St Therese Catholic Girls’ School and St Aloysius Boys’ School, both of which have been taken over by the government since the 70’s. Today, they can say with conviction that something good came out of being educated by Catholic nuns under a religious setting.
Views concerning the government’s take over of all public schools in the 70’s have been mixed over the past years. But I am convinced that our society, today, would be a different one had there been a continuation of Church schools in the system.
Well, there’s always a distant hope out there – hope as was expressed in the words of Bishop Francis Alleyene at a special Mass to coincide the 10TH anniversary of Marian sometime ago: “Imagine what else could be possible”.
Leon Jameson Suseran

Latest News

Our society would have been different if Church schools had continued

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Groups, schedule announced for One Guyana 3×3 Quest

2025 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League...

Virtual Meeting of Caribbean Boxing Promoters...

GBA AirBadminton Tournament spikes off with...

Briton John sets sights on another sweep with...

Waramuri stuns Vreed-en-Hoop 7-1, as Bush Lot...

Features/Columnists

Desecration, Disrespectful, and Disgraceful

The Caribbean: Destined to Grin and Bear the Consequences of Its Self-Created Vulnerabilities?

Radical left-wing lunatic

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Our society would have been different if Church schools had continued

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]