 |
| |
|
 |
|
| THE CONVENT IN SINGAPORE |
| Rev Jean Marie Beurel of St Brieu (Brittany), was in the Mission in Singapore from 1839 to 1869. As early as 1849, he wrote to Governor Butterworth to say that since St Joseph's Institution was ready to be established, it might be worthwhile to found another charitable organization for the girls next to the church in Victoria Street. The Governor disagreed, as did his successor Governor Blundell in 1852. |
|
|
| |
| On 18 August 1852 however, Father Beurel used his own money to purchase a house at the corner of Victoria Street and Bras Basah Road for $4,000. The house was built by a famous architect at that time, Mr Cdnan, for Mr Caldwell. This was the beginning of the Convent building, covering a space larger than that of any ecclesiastical body in Singapore, and having a large open space with grass and trees in the centre. In 1840, Father Beurel bought four lots of land for $3,150 from the Trustees of Raffles Institution, then in need of funds. By 1860, he conveyed it as a gift to "the Reverend Mother St Mathilde and her successors in office". It was Father Beurel who had applied to the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in St Mau in France for Sisters to run his convent in Singapore. |
| |
 |
|
THE NUNS IN SINGAPORE
One year after establishing a convent in Penang, Rev Mother Mathilde came to Singapore and served as Mother Superior of the Convent for 20 years. When Rev Mother Mathilde and her Sisters arrived in Singapore, they were greeted with very spartan facilities - one bed, two mats, two chairs and two stools to share among the four of them. |
|
| |
| The Sisters quickly got to work and within 10 days, took in orphans, did needlework for the town's ladies to support them financially and taught 14 fee-paying children. There were fewer than 200 Europeans in Singapore and very few were Catholics. It was very slow over the first few years, but as the number of pupils increased and the school became better known, help was sent from the parent house in France and a new batch of Sisters arrived. |
| |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
