SMMI Salem

OUR LADY'S CONVENT SALEM - (1931)

MISSION OF THE COMMUNITY :

ORIGIN OF THE COMMUNITY :

Our mission was started on 31^st May 1931 as a secondary house of Holy Angels Convent, Kumbakonam. The house was dedicated to Our Lady of Sacred Heart.
We were invited by the first Bishop of Salem Most Rev. Henry Prunier, to open a house in Salem Diocese. The pioneers namely Sr.Marie Berthe, Sr.Mary Madeline, Sr.Xavier Joseph and Sr.Lucien reached this mission from Kumbakonam along with Mother Jane de Gethsemane. The convent, the dispensary, the school and the orphanage were put up to start the Medical and Educational activities.
On 15^th August 1932 the community of Salem was decided to be separated from the mission of Kumbakonam and will have its own Superior.
Mother Emma Mother, a Belgian, who had already been a missionary in India, was chosen as the first Superior. She knew Salem as she had worked for sometime in the Government Hospital, Salem during the First World War She took charge of the mission on 15^th Aug 1932. Mother Emma served as Superior till 1948.
A beautiful grotto was erected in 1938 under the guidance of Sr.Lucien.

THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION :

In the year 1931 Sr.Marie Louise and Sr.Helen from Tranquebar reached Salem and started the primary School. The school had classes from 1 – 8th (First to Eighth standards from 1940 - 1970).
In 1934 Mother Emma started the middle School, which later developed into High School.
In 1979 the Higher Secondary Course was started in St.Mary’s Salem.

St.Mary’s Nursery and Primary :

The Kinder garden School was begun in 1933. It was upgraded as primary school – English Medium in 1965. A well planned infrastructure was built in 1996.
Needle work section was started in 1935. Later for the welfare of women Sr.Margret Agnes began the tailoring section which continues to this day.
The Province planned to start a CBSC School in Our Lady’s Convent campus. The School was named after, “St.Mary’s Public School”.
The foundation stone was laid on 06.03.2019 by Rev.Sr.Flora Valan, Sr.Jeya, Sr.Francina, Sr.Carmelina, Sr.Mary Deepa and Mr.Karthik the Engineer of the Construction. Rev.Fr.Vincent, the Asst.Parish Priest blessed the place.

ANIMATORS