The opening of St. Joseph’s College in Colombo 10 was considered a historic milestone not only in the annals of Catholic education and the Catholic church in Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was then called) but in general, in the sphere of education in the country. The Catholic community in the country also considered it as [...]

Education

St. Joseph’s College; The Triple Ceremony Opening

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The opening of St. Joseph’s College in Colombo 10 was considered a historic milestone not only in the annals of Catholic education and the Catholic church in Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was then called) but in general, in the sphere of education in the country. The Catholic community in the country also considered it as a fulfilment of a dream of that great educationalist Most Rev. Dr. Christopher Bonjean O.M.I., former Archbishop of Colombo, who mooted the idea of having a Catholic College in Colombo managed and conducted by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

There were three important functions to mark the beginning of the new College; the opening, the consecration and, the formal inauguration. St. Joseph’s College was declared open on Monday the 2nd of March 1896. Admissions were made and the classes were opened for students. Almost nine months later, on Friday the 27th of November 1896 the College premises were solemnly blessed by His Excellency the Apostolic Delegate and on the following day, His Excellency the Governor of Ceylon formally inaugurated the new school. And all three ceremonies were widely covered and reported in the Colombo-based broadsheets.

One of the salient features of the new school was that it showcased a fully-fledged educational institute from the time of its existence. There were Priests to guide the students; Rector, Vice-Rector, Prefect of Discipline, and Prefect of Games. There was a complete tutorial staff, lay and ecclesiastical, European and native to educate the students. There was a newly built building with spacious classrooms, a well-stocked library, a dormitory for boarders, and a playground. And importantly, there was also a Chapel, symbolising Catholic identity.

A few days before the College was opened to students, “The Times of Ceylon” carried a lengthy news item about the new school, portraying a graphical picture before its readers. A part of the article ran as follows:

“The Institution which has been established by the Roman Catholic community of Ceylon to impart sound classical education to their youth has advanced to such a state of completion, that it is proposed to open it on Monday next, although much more remains to be done and the building will not be completed for another two months. The building is, however, so far advanced as to enable one to judge its architectural beauty and to impress one with its vast size and the extensive accommodation provided in it. The building has been nearly fourteen months in construction and another two months will see the last finishing touches put to it. The southern side is not yet completed, but the northern end is fit to be occupied at present. The ground floor will be entirely devoted to classrooms, of which there are seven. The second floor, which is reached by a handsome staircase made of teak wood, has a hall on the southern portion, which is 85 feet by 60 feet, and will be capable of accommodating about 1000 persons. This is not completed yet and will take some time. It will be also used for prize distributions and other functions. The northern side of the second storey contains some more classrooms and a study hall for the boarders. It is very airy and commodious. The third storey (of which also the southern part is not completed) contains dormitories for boarders, about 150 of whom can be easily accommodated. It has a linen room and a lavatory for the boarders and is ventilated throughout. A magnificent view of the lake, Slave Island and Pettah is obtained from the top storey and even a glimpse of the shipping in the harbour can be had. Although the building reflects great credit on the architect who planned it, and on those who were responsible for carrying out the plan. The old building “Lake House” is utilized as the College library (which is stocked with a large supply of new books) and a small Chapel and quarters for the Professors and Bursar, while behind the old building have been run up bathrooms, kitchen, and a storeroom about 144 feet in length in all. The accommodation provided for the boarders and day scholars is ample and has been arranged with a view to assure the comfort and convenience of all. When all the debris which surrounds the building has been removed, the portion of ground behind the College bordering the lake will be laid out as a flower garden, while the extensive grounds in front of the building will be converted into recreation grounds including a good cricket pitch.”

With Darley Road in front and the Beira lake at the rear, the plot of land where St. Joseph’s College was built, originally was in extent of nine acres, three roods and thirty perches. The property was called and known as “Lake House”. Accordingly, the age-old mansion thereon was also known as “Lake House”. (This Lake House property is not to be mistaken with the newspaper publishing organisation which was not in existence in 1896.) The popular belief at the time was that there exists a lot of history and mystery hidden within the four walls of the old Lake House building.

It was on 13th April 1894, that the Roman Catholic Church of Ceylon purchased the “Lake House” property in the name of His Grace Most Rev. Dr. T. A. Melizan OMI, Archbishop of Colombo. The purchase price was a sum of Rs.60,000/-. Proctor John Caderaman watched the interests of the purchaser. He was associated right from the beginning with the activities that led to the opening of the College and it was he who seconded the all-important Third Resolution at the historic meeting held in April 1892 at St. Mary’s Church, Maliban Street in Pettah in connection with the “establishment of the proposed Catholic College.”  For the purpose of record, the aforementioned Third Resolution read as follows: “That this meeting do pledge themselves to heartily support the present movement and contribute by pecuniary sacrifices and all other means in their power to the building of the proposed College.”

Adjoining the Lake House property towards the northern end was the Captain’s Garden and the Home for the Aged property, once called Maradana House and later, St. Mary’s House. On the other side, next to the Lake House property was the College House where famous businessman Alfred Baur lived. The nearby properties were the Darley House, Bishop’s House and the Chapman House. At that time Darley Road was a highly residential area. It is said that the famed Orient Club had its first clubhouse along Darley Road. “The promoters of the new Catholic College to be called St. Joseph’s have secured one of the best sites in Ceylon for a public school” stated the “Ceylon Review” (1894) tabloid.

The Lake House property, at the time of its purchase, had only a single building – the Lake House building, standing thereon. The state of the building, as the “Catholic Messenger,” observed; “At the portico, one noticed that the floor was almost on a level with the earth. There was no ceiling; an old house revenges itself for this flaw by a full display of solid timbers, stout rafters and beams. Thick massive walls, hulking rooms, stone flags paving the inner verandas; great hefty door frames on whose hinges creaked heavy barn doors; inner verandas with tall rounded pillars, making a quadrangular compound; rats on the roof, spiders, and occasional reptile dangling from the roof waiting to kiss a passer-by affectionately – these were authentic marks of the old bungalow of early British style. It was known as Lake House.”

The first construction on the “Lake House” property subsequent to its purchase by the Catholic Church, was the “Clock Tower” building.

At the time of the opening of St. Joseph’s College, Rev. Fr. Charles Louis Collin OMI served as the First Rector of the school. He was from France. He was an expert in Catholic higher education and aptly titled as a “jurist, educationalist, theologian, architect and journalist” and above all a skilled and versatile organiser. Ireland-born Rev. Fr. Charles Henry Lytton OMI was the First Vice-Rector of the College. Among other Priests were France-born Rev. Fr. Emile Nicholas OMI who functioned as a Professor in the tutorial staff apart from other official duties; Irishmen Rev. Fr. John Lanigan OMI who was the Prefect of Discipline and Rev. Fr. Charles Fulham OMI, the Prefect of Games, and Rev. Fr. H. Boyer OMI, who was the first Bursar of the College. Among the original members of the lay staff were three graduate teachers (Professors they used to be called then) from Europe, C.M. Drennan, Pope, and E.J. Hughes, a product of London University. It was reported that a few more European teachers were to join the tutorial staff during the year.

When the informal opening of the College took place in March 1896, a total of 307 students were admitted; 211 were in the collegiate section and the remainder were in the Preparatory school. The junior section was then called St. Charles’ Preparatory School. (It was later revealed that the purpose of having a Preparatory School, being a brainchild of Rev. Fr. Collin, was to secure the future of the College from its beginning. This section was later named Primary School of St. Joseph’s College.) The admissions were conducted at the old “Lake House” which was situated almost in front (towards the southern side) of the new school building. A large room near the entrance to the Lake House “cut off by the swing doors” was used as the office room.

As per College records, Master R. R. de Soysa of Kalutara “joined as No. 1 on the Roll in 1896”. Apart from principal subjects, namely, English, Classics, Mathematics, and Science, other subjects such as Religious Knowledge, Latin, French, Greek, Geography, and History were also listed in the timetable.

In an article under the caption “Opening of St. Joseph’s College” the “Catholic Messenger” (March 1896) remarked: “The College which is built in the composite style of architecture is three storeys in height and supports five square towers, the central one being ornamented with a large clock whose bell will be a boon to the neighbourhood.”  In fact, the Clock Tower of the new building instantly became one of the most conspicuous landmarks of the city. Its “majestic aerial view of the city of Colombo” was often mentioned in the broadsheets.

In June 1896, “The Times of Ceylon” carried an interesting news item about the new school. To quote a few lines: “Architecturally it is the finest building in the island. It reminds one somewhat of what St. Bede’s College, Manchester, will be when it is finished, but although it has the towers, it has not the flat roof of St. Bede’s, which would be impossible in this climate, owing to the tropical rain-storms.” The evening broadsheet priced at 10 cents, further said that “there’s one very good feature about St. Joseph’s that must be chronicled, that is the Catholic principle of religious toleration”  and added that boys of all religions “are freely admitted to the College as day boys, and no attempt is made to influence their religion in any way. This of course, as it should be —.”

The following statement that appeared in the “Catholic Messenger” (1896) bears testimony for the standard of the infrastructure facilities of the school. It read: “We have personally visited the spacious dormitories and the refectory. The food provided for the boys is good and substantial; while the drains are very carefully laid, and flushed several times a day”.

It was the colonial period of Ceylon history. Understandably, all the public schools at the time in the island were modelled on the same spirit, pattern, and ethos of the English public schools. St. Joseph’s College was no exception. The administrative structure followed the English traditions and patterns, and even the master–pupil dress code resembled the English culture. This was evident even in the preparatory school, where students wore a closed coat, knee-long short trousers, long socks, shoes, and topee.

As Rev. Fr. George MacDonald, a staff member later revealed, there was an Entrance Exam for the boys when the school was open for admission in 1896, and the students were charged school fees “ranging from Rs.5 to Rs.10 per month, besides extra payments for optional subjects”.

The prize-giving reports of the formative years reveal that payment of “school fees was strictly enforced” at the beginning and only those who could “afford school fee payment were admitted to the College.” Anyhow, the Scholarship Scheme was to follow, irrespective of class, creed or nationality, to assist the needy students. Arguably, the first scholarship introduced by the College was the “Brito Scholarship”. It was introduced at the Patron Saint’s Feast day which was celebrated just a few days after the opening of the College. The recipient was 12-year-old Master Clarence Misso of Maradana.

Upon the opening of the classrooms, the College authorities were forced to face some unforeseen difficulties and inconveniences. As one of the European staff members mentioned, for months they had to continue with their teaching work amidst much noise emanating from the unfinished portion of the building “where the workmen were pushing on to the completion at a great rate.”

The Rector of the College Rev. Fr. Collin also echoed the same sentiments, but from a wider angle. According to him: “The building being then unfinished, only one half of it was thrown open to the students and for several months the noise of the hammer mingled with the voices of teachers and pupils. To this inconvenience, another and a greater one was added: masters and students were unknown to each other; boys had come from almost every school in the island and were deficient in that community feeling, training and knowledge which tends to create a public spirit amongst them and gives the masters a hold on the mind of their pupils. This state of things required no little tact, care and patience on the part of the masters, and, thanks to their wise and firm action, order and discipline were soon enforced; some unsuitable boys left of their own accord, a few were expelled, but their places were soon filled up, and a healthy tone began to reign in the College.” Touching the aspect of the parent-teacher relationship and the student discipline, Rev. Fr. Rector opined: “In order to carry it (discipline) into effect in the daily life of the school, we had at the outset to make use of some severity. Our efforts in that direction were not, however, appreciated as they should have been by certain parents, who, instead of giving us the support, we had a right to expect from them, though in their duty to side with their children against the College authorities. We wish these good parents would have a little more confidence in our judgment and would give up the idea that their dear boys are little paragons of virtue, never in the wrong and never deserving of punishment. May I add that if the home discipline was a little stricter the school discipline would not prove so unpleasant to the boy?”

Assuming office, Rev. Fr. Collin’s maiden official visit as Rector of the newly founded College was to the annual prize-giving ceremony (1896) of St. Thomas’ College, then at Mutwal. Thereafter, although the new College was barely a few weeks old, Fr. Rector was called upon by the Ceylon Educational Association to join its delegation that had an audience with His Excellency the Governor of Ceylon. The meeting was sought for the purpose of “laying before the Governor certain abuses of power on the part of the Director of Public Instruction”. Fr. Rector later wrote that his presence as part of a deputation of the Ceylon Educational Association was an “honour” for the College.

Before the commencement of the classroom work, the Lake House building was the quarters for the priests and the professors who arrived from Europe. But since the opening of the school, the premises was rearranged; the dining room turned to a chapel; another room became the library; the “swing door” large room was divided into two sections, the school office, and the visitors’ room. And the new entrants to the school called the old building “Fathers’ House”. After a few months since the opening, a couple of professors opted for outside accommodation. Mr. Pope became the first foreign staff member to leave the “Fathers’ House”. Referring to Mr. Pope, the College magazine says” Mathematics, it goes without saying was his forte, and in Algebra he had no rival in his day. He also taught Roman History.” Upon his marriage which took place at Philip Neri’s church, Pettah amidst a full “Josephian” gathering comprising Priests, staff members, and College Committee members among others, Mr. Pope went to reside outside.

Thereafter he came to the College on a bicycle. “There were few, if any, who had the courage to wish him ‘Good Morning’ as he rode into College on his bicycle at such a racing speed,” remarked the College magazine. Incidentally, carriages, bicycles, and rickshaws were the main mode of transport at the time.

The Englishman C.M. Drennan who was a great admirer of Charles Dickens taught English, Latin and Greek. It is said that Professor Drennan’s famous ‘Tea Parties’ feared his students; his ‘Tea Party’ meant afterschool long detention classes! On the playground, he was a member of the first football team (called St. Joseph’s College Football Club) produced by the College.

During this period, presumably towards the end of the year 1896, another historic happening was recorded when the whole of College staff members posed for a group photograph, for the first time. The historic photograph which was re-produced in the “Blue and White” magazine is undoubtedly one of the most valued possessions of the College. Apart from Rev. Fathers Collin. Lytton, Nicholas, Lanigan, Fulham, and Professors Drennan, Hughes and Pope, the others in the picture comprised Revd. Fathers Bershihand, MacDonald, Le Louet, Charuel and David Fernando and the tutorial staff members Wood, Aloysius Perera, Peter Perera, Arnolda, Wickremasinghe and Lionel Wright, the Professor of music.

The second phase of the opening of St. Joseph’s College occurred on 27th November 1896 when the His Excellency Monsignor Ladislaus M. Zaleski, Delegate Apostolic of the East Indies performed the blessing of the school premises. Their Lordships the Bishops of Kandy and Galle, namely Most Rev. Drs. Pagnani and Van Reith assisted the Papal Delegate during the imposing ceremony.

The festive scene that was at the College premises was extensively reported in “The Times of Ceylon” (28th Nov. 1896), under the title “Consecration of St. Joseph’s College – An Interesting Ceremony.” Published in between a row of advertisements of all sorts, “Christmas & New Year Card” – ad by W.L.H. Skeen & Co., “Restaurant” – ad by Grand Hotel Victoria of Chatham Street, “Tea Requisites” – ad by W.H. Davies & Co. and a news item on “Ceylon Gymkhana Club Dance at the Public Hall”, the news report vividly described the ceremony, stating inter alia: “The ceremony commenced shortly after 5 o’clock,  and was taken part in by the pupils of the College, a large body of choristers and over a hundred priests. Starting from Lake House, the procession moved on to the entrance of the College, the pupils leading the way followed by the choristers, after whom were the clergy; the Bishops and the Papal Delegate bring up the rear. At the main door, Monsignor Zaleski stepped forward and pronounced a blessing on the College, the while he sprinkled holy water over the portals, and the priests intoned a chant. The party then repaired to the Grand Hall upstairs, where the ceremony was repeated after which the Papal Delegate pronounced the Benediction. Proceeding next to the stage, on the centre of which the Papal Delegate was accorded a seat, having on each side of him the Bishops as stated above. Monsignor Zaleski had two addresses read to him, one by Mr. C. Brito, being an address from the Committee of the College and the other by Master de La Harpe (a senior student of the College) on behalf of his fellow pupils.”

In contrast to “The Times of Ceylon” report, the news report that appeared in the “Gnanartha Pradeepaya” (30th Nov. 1896) weekly (sister paper of the “Catholic Messenger”) about the same ceremony had given more attention to the decorative part of the event. According to “Gnanartha Pradeepaya” weekly: At the entrance to the College premises there was a large  beautiful pandal spanned the gate containing the word “Welcome” inscribed at the middle; the pathway through the grounds to the old house and the new Clock Tower building was lined with brightly coloured flags and streamers; at various points of the route there were coconut frond arches; the little Chapel inside the old house was artistically decorated with fresh flowers, palms, and plants; the doors of the school building were covered with colourful curtains; the red-carpeted stage was adorned with red coloured cushioned chairs for the chief guest and the guests of honour. Floating over the central tower was the College flag and the Papal flag.

The “blessing ceremony” procession which started with the singing of that powerful hymn “Veni, Creator Spiritus, mentes tuorum visita” (Come Holy Ghost creator blest, and in our hearts take up thy rest) ended up at the “Great Hall” of the College in the upstairs of the clock tower building, where the guests were gathered for the assembly. Master de LaHarpe was bestowed with the honour of making an address on behalf of the student community. Thus he became the first Josephian to achieve such an honour in the history of the College. During his address, he emotionally mentioned: “No more can we conceal the pride which we feel that we are the first students of St. Joseph’s College. This is no slight honour, and we assure Your Excellency that we appreciate it, and that we are resolved to carry higher and higher the colours of our Alma Mater.”

Addressing the gathering His Excellency said, for him, it is, in truth a joyful occasion, to be present at the inauguration of the Catholic Institution of which he had the honour of laying the foundation stone. He further said, “the inauguration of St. Joseph’s College signifies something more than the simple opening of an educational establishment; and the reason why I insist on the importance of the ceremony in which we are taking part, is my firm conviction that this institution is destined to become not only a centre of knowledge but also a centre of Catholic life.”

The following day, 28th of November 1896, the newly established College was formally inaugurated by His Excellency Sir West Ridgeway, the Governor of Ceylon, in front of a great gathering. Once again the College premises was tastefully ornamented with pandals, arches, flags and streamers, shields, flowers, ferns, and plants. Once again there was a very large gathering, some even standing on the stairway and outside. The assembly included not only the staff members, students and their parents and friends, prominent Catholics of Colombo and its neighbourhood but also had many non-Catholic well-wishers of the College. It is said that some of the visitors who arrived much earlier to the ceremony spent time admiring the majestic view of the new Clock Tower building, the old Lake House – the one-time temporary residence of that famous Egyptian exile Orabi Pasha, and the exquisite colourful Bougainvillaea plants, being the first of its kind in the island and planted by the Brothers de Worms, one time proprietors of the Lake House property.  As per the news item that appeared in the Catholic weekly “Gnanartha Pradeepaya”, there were “553 horse carriages and a similar number or more rickshaws” parked on the College grounds.

The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Band greeted the arrival of His Excellency around 4.45 pm. His Excellency was accompanied by Capt. Marque and Maha Mudaliyar Don Soloman Dias Bandaranaike, the aide-de-camp to the British Governor of Ceylon. On the red-carpeted stage was the Chief Guest the Governor of Ceylon, on his right the Papal Delegate and the Bishop of Galle, and on the left the Bishop of Kandy.

The opening address was made by Rev. Fr. Rector who whilst welcoming the Governor, inter alia, presented his explanation about the delay of the official inauguration. “Your Excellency, perhaps, is surprised at being requested to inaugurate a College which has already been several months in existence. This demands on my part a few words of explanation” said Fr. Collin, and added: “Amongst good Christians, it is a rule that a child should be baptised immediately after its birth. That rule, however, is sometimes exposed to exceptions. Excuses for delay are not wanting. It may happen that the godfather and godmother are absent, and their convenience must be consulted; or again the trousseau of the little new comer is not ready, and its parents desire that it should make its first appearance in the world in beautiful robes. Thus it sometimes happens that a child of six, of nine months is carried to the baptismal font. This is exactly what has happened to us. When we opened this College in March last, only one half of the building was ready, the other side was still in the hands of the masons and carpenters. The outside, unfinished, was not even plastered. This was not a becoming dress in which to present our new-born baby to the public. Besides, godfather and godmother were absent. Your Excellency was travelling and the Delegate Apostolic was far away in India. These are our reasons for having postponed till to-day the baptism of our College.”

During his speech, the Governor brought a sparkling atmosphere to the audience, with his witty repartee. (Later, his speech delivered at St. Joseph’s College was included in the book titled “Speeches of His Excellency Sir West Ridgeway” published in 1903 by Capper & Sons.) As per the published text of the speech, at the commencement, the Governor said: “Indeed, I should feel it was ungracious on my part if I failed to express my gratitude for the very cordial reception given to me to-day, especially after being introduced to this charming young lady, (His Excellency was referring to the new building which had been compared to a young lady by a previous speaker), whose introduction has been so long delayed through delay in the preparation of her trousseau; but I hope now that the introduction has been made, the acquaintance will be long and enduring.” Whilst saying so, he admired the “splendid buildings possessed by the school” and offered his congratulations “on the triumphs which the future holds in store for St. Joseph’s.”

The religious aspect of the ceremony which started with the singing of a hymn was also ended in the same manner. Meanwhile, in between the inauguration ceremony, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment Band played a good number of musical selections to bring a joyous atmosphere to the assembly.

Eventually, the grand celebration was concluded with a magnificent display of fireworks on the College grounds. (Since inception, and till the 1920s most of the celebrations of the College were highlighted by a display of fireworks on the College grounds in the evening. As per available records, the contract for the fireworks display has been given to the Grand Eastern Fireworks Company.)

By the time the fireworks display was over and the crowd dispersed, the Darley Road was seen illuminated by gas-lit lamp posts.

Thereafter, late in the evening an “At Home” – a civic reception was hosted by the College Committee at the Lake House building in honour of the presence of H.E. the Governor.

Thus the triple ceremony celebration marked the entry of St. Joseph’s College to the sphere of Public School education in the country. And Archbishop Bonjean’s dream of establishing a Catholic Educational College has now become a challenging reality in the hands of the administrators of the newly formed College.

(Extracted from Neil Wijeratne’s forthcoming book on the History of St. Joseph’s College.)

 

 

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