Founder - The Apostolic Carmel
Veronica of the Passion (1823-1906)
Mother Veronica (1823 – 1906) (nee Miss Sophie Leeves) Born on October 1, 1823, she was received into the Catholic Church on February 2, 1850. Education had always been her forte, and so, this committed and zealous English woman took it up as a challenge to found a new congregation to fulfill her dream; she would prepare well equipped sisters to impart education to girls, especially on the west coast of India. With deep faith in God, she pursued her goal and after much struggle, founded the Apostolic Carmel Congregation on 16th July 1868 at Bayonne, France. She herself was a person of sterling intellectual caliber, gifted in artistic and linguistic skills, above all, burning with zeal to fulfill her mission. In 1906, God called her to himself, to reward her for life of love, sacrifice and service. She has been declared ‘Venerable’ by His holiness Pope Francis on July 7, 2014. This year The Apostolic Carmel Congregation celebrated its 150 years’ service in India. We are grateful to God for the opportunity and grace given to us to serve the humanity during these past years.
The History of St Cecily’s English Medium Higher Primary School
St Cecily’s School which was opened in May 1918 with the first three classes had a steady growth over the years and it was a fully fledged High School in 1933. In 1946 Kannada was adopted as the medium of instruction. However the parents wanted an English Medium School for their children. In compliance with the request of the parents, a Private School of English Medium was started in 1959 in the campus with 24 pupils on roll from Classes I to III. Since there was an English Medium School at Manipal the permission was withheld. Timely intervention of Sri. M. Madhwaraj, the then MLA, made the cherished dream of having an English Higher Primary School possible.
In 1965 the School obtained permission to open Std. I to IV. In 1966 recognition was obtained from the Education Department and in the consecutive years other Classes V - VII were opened. Until 1978 the administration was looked after by the head of the High School and in 1978 an independent Headmistress was appointed. As strength increased a new block was constructed and blessed by Rt Rev. Dr Basil Salvadore D’Souza, the then Bishop of Mangalore on 20th December1991. This block was used as the English Medium School and the original block housed the Kannada Primary School.
The Golden Jubilee Memorial Block providing all the facilities for the students was blessed on 16.02.2010 by Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the Bishop of Mangalore Diocese and inaugurated by Dr.Sr M. Olivia A.C., the then Provincial Superior and Sri Oscar Fernandes, Member of RajyaSabha unveiled the Plaque.
In the year 2022 it was upgraded to class 8. During the academic year 2022 - 2023 the school was affiliated to CBSE Board, New Delhi on 23-03-2023 to start CBSE session from the academic year 1 April 2023.
The School has made a mark in the history of Udupi. Blessed with an excellent faculty, St. Cecily’s is progressing rapidly. The school provides a number of co-curricular activities such as abacus class, chess class, dance class, guitar class, karate class and keyboard class. Students have excelled in sports and have brought laurels to the school. The PTA collaborates and supports in every programme and activity, making the school a large family. The students who have moved out of this institution have made a mark in the society as loyal citizens contributing their share for the peace and progress of humanity!
