Recollections & Impressions of Sister Adrian

 Courtesy . L. K. Hettiatarachi/Aloysian Magazine

Fr. Peter Gomez has invited me to share with readers of The Aloysian, some of my recollections of the relationship that has existed between St.Aloysius College and Sacred i Heart Convent, the two premier Catholic institutions of the Galle Diocese as we liked to consider them.

These will be random recollections, very personal impressions, laying claim to no historical exactness and having significance only for the writer. They are necessarily limited to the years from 1950 to 1975.

Just to put things in perspective. The Sisters of Charity owe their presence in Galle (and later in other mission stations in the diocese) to a Belgian Jesuit Bishop, the Rt.Rev.Mgr. J. Van Reeth, who had at heart the education of youth. He appealed to our Mother House in Ghent, Belgium, for Sisters of Charity to work alongside the Fathers in the Galle mission. The records tell us that 5 Sisters accompanied by Fr. Cooreman S.J. and Fr. D'Hearde arrived at the foot of Mount Calvary in November 1896.

It is only to be expected that these early missionaries- Fathers and Sisters - worked in close collaboration and established a tradition which was to be carried on down the years by their successors. I became a part of this tradition when I joined S.H.C. in 1950, but I became aware of it chiefly as Principal from 1956 onwards.

When I came to Galle there were two flourishing schools which gave the impression of being unique of their genre. I gathered why later on when I became more familiar with Superiors, Rectors and Principals who belonged to a category apart and whose power and influence were felt well outside the walls of the schools. Those were the days of Fr. Gaspard as General Manager, Frs. Chiriatti, Perniola, Morelli, Pogany, Pieris and across the road, Sr.Mary Paul and Superiors like Mother Michellis and Mother Phillip.

I cannot remember having any personal contact with the College at that time since all transactions were carried out via those in authority. The rank and file did assist at College functions such as prize - distributions, concerts organized by Fr. De Burra, and garden - fetes. For the rest, we came to know the Fathers at another level - as Chaplains or Spiritual Directors. A Jesuit would come to the Convent for daily Mass, for weekly confession or for a Spiritual conference and our annual retreat of 8 days was preached by a Jesuit. I recall, at random, names of the Jesuit Community at the time - Fathers Chiriatti, Perniola, De Mattia, De Burra, Angele, Pogany, Pieris, Corera, Chianese, Morelli and of course Bros. Van Lierop and De. Noia. 

In 1956, to my dismay, the task of Principal devolved on me with the sudden departure of Sr. Conleth who had only recently replaced Sr. Mary Paul. Fr. Gaspard, as General Manager of Schools, proved himself a mighty stronghold at the time though he overawed me no end.

I have no recollection of anything outstanding in inter-school relationships in the years from 1956 to 1960. With hindsight I realised that we, at least in S.H.C., weren't alive to the signs of the time as we say nowadays or to what history should have been teaching us. Then the inevitable happened In July 1960 came the battle of the schools - ending in the take-over of assisted schools as from 1.12.60.

My memories of that period seem to be more vivid.

What stands out is that SAC - SHC decided to pull together and remain outside the national school system. We were supposed to sink or swim together.

From being self - sufficient and somewhat remote from our environment (I speak more for SHC) we were suddenly plunged into the thick of it. Parents, past pupils and well - wishers came to our rescue and seemed happy to feel needed & to be involved in the enterprise. Welfare Associations came into being and there was a united effort by both schools to support one another's efforts and to maintain standards of efficiency in the face of heavy odds.

Those were the years of fun - fairs, combined concerts in the College Hall with Fr. De Burra at his best, garden parties enlivened by Fr. Morelli and his O.B.A., Fancy Bazaars in the Convent grounds, raffles, in fact every possible gimmick for fund raising - to help towards the Staff salary bills at the end of each month.

Looking back on those years despite the stress and the strain, I seem to have only pleasant memories. 

There was an undeniable Community spirit, among College, Convent, parents and friends of our Schools.

It was a time of rich experiences of friendship, understanding and team spirit and a period of greater depth in human relationships. Pope John XX111 convoked Vatican 11 to open the windows of the church and let in some fresh air. I dare say we needed the Act of Parliament to make us (at least on the side of SHC) lower our walls, as it were, and unlock our gates so as to realize that we were part of the Church in the Modern World.

Yes, these were years of stress and strain and the burden was heaviest on the shoulders of Rectors, Superiors and Principals, such as Fr. Pogany, Fr. Morelli, Fr. Chianese as well as Mothers Barbara, Baptista and their successors. I know there were many sleepless nights as the end of each month drew near with the spectre of the salary bill looming large. A mini-miracle seems to have been worked each time when we managed to pay our staff. Even though responsibility for finding the funds fell squarely on the shoulders of Superiors - (not on Principals) it was the latter who were responsible in the eyes of the Education authorities.

In their eyes too, we were one institution, so the supposed mis-demeanours of one school were attributed likewise to the other. There was a case of a Convent girl in Form 11 allegedly subjected to harassment by some of the ladies of the Welfare Association, because she was in arrears with regard to "donations". ". Her father complained to his local M.P. (not Galle!) then collected signatures of discontented parents and a petition against us was sent to the Director of Education. There was the usual inquiry and the threat of a forced take - over of SAC / SHC.

The inquiry took place at the Education Office, Galle 

On the College side were Frs. Pogany and Peiris. For the Convent there were with me two daring members of the W.A. -Mrs. Cooray and Mrs. Sivam de Costa. As we waited our turn the latter recited non-stop the novena prayers to St.Jude! The case did warrant it as it looked hopeless enough. The M.P. in question was no mean politician. To make a long story short nothing came of the incident. The Senior Officer from Colombo evidently saw through the villainy. The Fathers were questioned as to what fees were collected in the College. Fr. Pogany's reply was 25 cts. a week in aid of the Home for the Aged! (At the end of every term dear Fr. Lermiseaux used to send a tidy sum to the inmates of the Home!).

It was during this period that I came to know better and appreciated many Jesuits, members of the SAC Staff as well as the Senior boys. (from another angle of course). Fr. Morelli was the link between the two Welfare Associations, Fr. Pogany as Rector and guide on so many issues, Frs. De Burra, Caprioli, Peter Gomez, Fr. Cramer, Fr. Buyser ...

Fr. Paul Peiris was in a category apart as Principal.

What he lacked in physical stature he gained in another. I used to think he looked down on S.H.C. In any case, he never got involved in our affairs. He was totally immersed in the life of SAC. I remember him referring to our 1st Science Lab as "Suruttu Kade". That was before the opening of our separate labs for Physics and Chemistry under the expert and discreet guidance of Fr. Pogany.

Fr. Paul Caspersz as Principal ushered in another era of College - Convent relationships. There was among many other interesting initiatives, an effort to economise on Specialist teachers to lighten the salary bill, mainly, but it had other advantages of give and take and, for the girls and boys an occasion of meeting in and out of classrooms and forming relationships which in several cases matured into marriages. A.L. Girls went over to College for Science and Maths classes and boys attended English Lit. and History classes in the Convent.

What a tussle there used to be trying to adjust time - tables. Sr. Mary Vianney laboured long with me at ours but when it came to fitting in Physics or Chemistry for example we were dealing with the Rock of Gibraltar in the person of Fr. Caspersz who would present us with his finished product and expect us to conform !! (some men try to get away with the idea that women have to bend all the time to their views!) In any case we were happy with the arrangement as we realised that our girls got the best. I cannot vouch for the impressions of the boys.

And so the years passed in a surprisingly satisfying and fruitful spirit of collaboration - with inevitable. ups and downs no doubt. Then it happened... we in S.H.C. got the stunning news that St. Aloysius College was to be handed over to the Government, as the expression went. I remember it was just when we were preparing for the Feast of the Sacred Heart and if I am not mistaken, the Feast of St. Aloysius too.

Disaster! That's how the event was experienced in the Convent. It was as if the bottom had fallen out of our world, but once we had got over the first shock, I remember saying to Mother Grace: "We'll carry on..." It's not my intention to dwell on the pros and cons of the decision made on either side or to pass judgement, but, on looking back, I think we Sisters saw the hand - over, as a let down. Nevertheless, the former relationship endured and we continued as of old.

But our loss was also our gain, for S.H.C. was once more at the receiving end in that Fr. Mark Perera, now transferred his services to the Convent. He was not only its Chemistry Master but supervised and improved the entire Science Department till S.H.C. was handed over to the Government in 1977.

Another outstanding advantage at this stage was also the transfer of Fr. Peter Gomez's very popular Evening Classes to the Convent premises and there began a further period of College / Convent partn-ership. Who profited most from this? I know that for us at SHC the profits in cash and kind were abundant.

Give and it will be given you (LK6) could easily be one of Fr. Gomez's mottoes. We were aware of how much he had to struggle to find staff and arrange time - tables, and how much energy he expended daily as he tripped between SAC and SHC several times in the course of an evening.

So much for the years 1950 - 1975. Now, back again in Sri Lanka after an absence of 12 years spent in Brussels at the service of my Congregation, I happily find the same close relationship with the Jesuit Fathers existing as of old. S.H.C. itself was handed over in 1977 and today both SHC and SAC function as Government Schools. But the old spirit of love and loyalty lives on in the hearts of the Jesuit Fathers, the Sisters of Charity and Old Boys and Girls of both institutions and I are convinced it will endure on into eternity when we shall all meet again in our Father's Mansion.

Sr. Adrian S.C.J.M.

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