Blessed Mary of The Passion
1839 – 1904
(Foundress of the Institute)
Helen de Chappotin, later to become Mary of the Passion, Foundress of the Institute of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary was born in Nantes, France in the year 1839. Even as a child she exhibited a great love for the poor. Her one ambition was to be true to herself and to God. This integrity of life moved her to proclaim truth through love in every corner of the world. Her life of contemplation and union with God was the source of her strength and courage to face trials and difficulties of every sort in order to spread truth, justice and love in every corner of the world. She would say in all sincerity “The world is my home”.
About the School
The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary is a Roman Catholic religious institute founded by Mother Mary of the Passion (born Hélène de Chappotin de Neuville, 1839–1904) at Ootacamund, then British India, in 1877.
Helen De Chappotin, later to become Mary of the Passion, was born in Nantes, France in the year 1839. Even as a child she exhibited great love for the poor. Her one ambition was to be true to herself and to God. This integrity of life moved her to proclaim Truth in every corner of the world. Her life of contemplation and union with God was the source of her strength and courage to face trials and difficulties of every sort in order to spread truth, justice and love. She would say in all sincerity “the whole world is my Home Land”. The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) are an International Religious Institute of women representing 78 nationalities spread over 77 countries on five continents. In India we are grouped into five Provinces. Calcutta comes under the Delhi Province which consists of 11 States.
The Providence Girl’s High School was started in 1947 to cater for the children of the Hindi-speaking workers in the city of Calcutta. During the years, hundreds of children have been given education and been empowered for the future. In 1994 it was possible to raise the school to become a full-fledged High school. The students were from the economically poor classes and the school was able to reach out to them in a very concrete way. As time went on, the parents of our Hindi Medium School requested that we upgrade the school and change it to English Medium. On the 2nd of May 2005, our long cherished dream became a reality!
We strive to fulfill the vision of our Foundress, Mary of the Passion, who continues to inspire us to read the signs of the times and launch into new paths for the uplift of the girls in our society. In a way, we try to be path finders and builders of a Society where gender bias and social inequality for women become our key concern. An integrated formation is given to young girls, so that they not only become literate, but also are endowed with skills and values for the future. We support the extra-curricular activities of the school, as we believe that these promote and generate a new momentum in the sphere of educational opportunities, which is “Beyond Examinations”.
The Convent of Our Lady of Providence Girl’s High School is an independent, all-girls private school which has a long history of academic, sports and cultural excellence. We are committed to developing the values of compassion, service, love and respect in our girls.
We aim at: Nurturing and inspiring responsible, young women to strive for excellence in all facets of life. Provide futuristic education of the highest quality based on our FMM tradition. Care for the whole person in order to develop in young people a love of learning.
The school has three laboratories for Physics, Chemistry and Biology and has recently refurbished the Computer Lab, Library and a new Audio Visual room for the use of the students.
Alongside scholastic and professional accountability, we provide Counselling if required, Drama, Dance, Music, Arts & Crafts, Basket Ball, Karate and other activities. Education is a journey that transforms not only how students learn but also how they work with others in our fast changing world.
May God be our guiding light and direct our every thought, word and action as we face the challenges with courage, strength and hope in this millennium and beyond.