St. Anne's Convent Hessaraghatta

Hessaraghatta is 29 kms to the North of Bangalore and 3 kms away from our convent at Tharabanahalli. The vast Central Government Poultry Complex is situated nearby attracting many officials from outside Bangalore. These people wanted an English Medium School for their children. The senior officer of the poultry complex approached our Superior General and requested the assistance for the establishment of a school. Hence Sr.  Ascension and Sr. Daisy Rani were deputed to teach there. These sisters were residing at our convent at Tharabanahalli. The school started functioning from June 1976 and was named ‘Jyothi Vidyalaya’. As the sisters found travelling & conveyance a problem, they requested the Director of the Poultry Complex, to provide accommodation for our sisters. They assigned a VI type house (Quarters) in the year 1979. There lived five sisters, and Sr. Sylvia was the superior. However, this project was not successful.

As Jyothi Vidyalaya had classes only up to 7th and the management of Jyothi Vidyalaya was not willing to upgrade the above primary into High School, the students from their school had to travel all the way to the city to continue their higher secondary education. And so Sr. Maria John, the then superior felt the need for high school and with the permission of Mother Margaret Mary the Superior General, and her team negotiated the suitable land at the entrance of Hessaragatta town. This land was purchased by the Congregation in the year 1988. Her successor Sr. Rita Sebastian continued working on this project, especially to get the land converted. In fact, the school started in a small shed in June 1988. The construction of the present High School building started on 1st March 1989.

The difficult task of bringing up the school which is about 2 kms from the Central Poultry Farm was entrusted to Sr. Agnes, the headmistress. Our sisters were travelling from Poultry farm by cycle or walking. Initially the school had only 18 students. Some of the problems faced by the sisters were the water problem, the levelling of the ground and opposition from the neighbouring schools. Under the leadership of Sr. Agnes, we started LKG in 1989. Gradually, the house at Jyothi Vidyalaya had to be closed down. 

On the 12th September 1990, on the feast of Holy Name of Mary, the second house at Hessaraghatta was blest, during the concelebrated Eucharistic Liturgy at 5.00 p.m., by Rev. Fr. Lazarus D’Souza, the then parish priest of Silvepura, Rev. Fr. George, the then Rector of St. Paul’s Society and others. Initially, our sisters were living in the school building. The first members of this community were Srs. Agnes (Superior), Jaya, Mary John, Jincy and Linda. In the same year, a tailoring institute was started to train girls in cutting and stitching of which Sr. Jincy was in – charge. After four years, the tailoring institute was closed due to decrease in number of trainees.

In March 1991, the first batch of 14 students appeared for SSLC examination and the result was overwhelming as 13 secured first class and one high second class. On 24th September 1992, the Foundation stone was laid for the convent building. In 1993 Sr. Sherline Thomas was appointed superior of the convent and Headmistress of the Primary School. It was during her term of office that the school got permission and recognition from the Government of Karnataka. On 19th March 1994, the convent building was blessed by Rev. Fr. Abraham, the then Rector of Society of St. Paul.

From 1994, a portion of the building was used as formation house for our Aspirants. During the summer holidays, when the Aspirants go for home holidays and then to Postulancy, the house was used to conduct pre-novitiate courses for a month. Sisters who were Formators here over the years are, Sr. Rose Mary, Sr. Nisha, Sr. Sacrecour, Sr. Kumari and Sr. Lumina. Presently, the community has only education apostolate.

St. Anne's School, Hessaraghatta