Media Release
Bengaluru, Feb 2: The glorious occasion of Gulabi Girls High School celebrating golden jubilee was celebrated by the Gulabi Alumni Association recently.
Bloom forth in love for love is the motto of Gulabi Higher Primary School and Gulabi Girls High School, Jayamahal Extension, Bengaluru. Started with the intention of realising the vision of the founding Fr Msgr RFC Mascarenhas both schools have been offering education that fosters fullness of life at all levels especially to the poor, marginalized and girls. While the primary school celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 2010, the high school turned fifty in 2017.
Asma Naseer, noted journalist and social activist and alumnus graced the occasion as the chief guest while Sr Bonita, provincial superior was the guest of honour.
Former teachers of the school, Bethany Sisters and distinguished alumni were honoured. The audience was treated with a cultural fest by the present students of the high school. A great teacher who has given three decades for the school and students, Mabel was honoured and merit prizes to students were distributed. For the alumni it was a moment of reconnection and nostalgia-an opportunity to express gratitude to the Alma Mater.
The Gulabi Alumni Association was started in 2006 with a primary aim of bridging the gap between the past and the present. It was a conduit to facilitate interaction between the Alma Mater and the Alumni. The Alumni is presently managed by the President, Syeda Meher Taj and the Founder Secretary, Dr Latha Srinivas Tantry with support and guidance by the Chairpersons Sr Joylet (Headmistress, Gulabi Girls High School) and Sr Sevrine (Headmistress, Gulabi Primary School).The Alumni Day and the Golden Jubilee celebration was held in the school auditorium.
It is impossible to elucidate about the school without the mention of Mgr Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas, the ‘Servant of God’ and the founder of the congregation of the Little Flower of Bethany, Bendore, Mangaluru. Born on January 23, 1875 at Shimoga as the seventh child to Joanna Castelino and Lazarus Mascarenhas, Raymond had an inclination towards religion and service right from his childhood. He completed his schooling at Milagres Church School and received his first Communion at Milagres Church in 1885. At the age of 16 on February 23, 1891 he entered St Joseph’s Seminary and was ordained as a priest on March 4, 1900. He began his journey of service as an assistant priest in Milagres Church and also served as assistant parish priest in Mount Rosary Church, Milagres Church (Kallianpur), vicar of Udyavar parish and church of the Most Holy Saviour (Agrar) and the parish priest of Bendur. Msgr Mascarenhas was a celebrated vicar general of the diocese of Mangalore and is one of the pioneers of education for girls and the poor.
The founding father started the congregation of the little Flower of Bethany at Bendore on July 16, 1921 incidentally the Feast of the Patron Saint; Little Flower-St Therese of the Child Jesus is also celebrated on the same day. At her deathbed St Therese promised to shower her blessing in the form of roses and when the school was started in Jayamahal it was named Gulabi which means Rose in Kannada. The Congregation of Bethany Sisters initially comprised of four devout nuns Sister Martha, Sr Clare, Sr Lourdes and Sr Gertrude. This humble beginning bore a lot of hardship and suffering and required consistent hardwork and dedication to realise and spread the vision of Msgr RFC Mascarenhas. The immense struggle in the initial years with just four sisters soon saw the Congregation growing and today there are 1383 Bethany
Sisters working tirelessly in 178 convents all over India, Europe and Africa. The congregation is providing quality education to 84,581 students spread over 134 school throughout the country alone. Along with Primary and High Schools, the Bethany Sisters are managing Balwadis, Degree Colleges, Study Centres, Vocational Training Centres, Community Colleges, Production Centres, Health Centres /Clinics, Palliative Care Unit, Homes for Senior Citizens and Pilgrim Centres.
Mgr Mascarenhas translated the four Gospels into Konkani and published it in 1949 followed by the translation of the New Testament in Konkani in 1952.On June 20, 1955 he received the honour from Pope Pius XII as Domestic Prelate to the Pope and on June 3, 2008 as a prelude to the pending declaration of his Sainthood, he was declared Servant of God. This pillar of Roman Catholic faith in India slept in the Lord on December 23, 1960.He was laid to rest before the High Altar at St Sebastian Church, Bendore.
Gulabi school owes its existence to the pioneers Sr Anysia, Sr Lourdes and Sr Julitta who with the help of the then finance secretary to the Government of Karnataka, Gregory Mathias, procured a rented accommodation for the school and convent in Jayamahal. The Archbishop of Bangalore laid the foundation stone for the school on April 15, 1961 and 21 little children began their schooling here. By 1963 the strength shot up to 400 and in 1967 Sr Fides upgraded the Primary School into high school with the addition of Std VIII. The class was housed in the premises of the Archdiocesan Social Wing Centre and was relocated to the second floor of the present school building post construction.
The arrival of Sr Agnella June 9, 1973 harked a new beginning for Gulabi Girls High School. Lacs of students have crossed the portals of the school in the last five decades. State and National level sportsmen and women, eminent scientists, financial experts, Chartered Accountants, doctors and engineers, scientists, Gulabites have left no stone unturned. The school has grown from strength to strength with a constant flow of achievements both by the students and teachers.