St. Britto High School

St. Britto High School is a Jesuit secondary school located in India in Mapusa, Goa. It was founded in 1946. It is one of the most prominent schools in the sub-district of Bardez, in this former Portuguese colony, and has an active online alumni network that also undertakes a number of activities both for its members and for the wider benefit of society.
==History of the school==
According to prominent Indo-Portuguese historian Dr Teotonio R de Souza, who himself was on the school staff in the seventies and a former Jesuit, this was the third institution set up by the Jesuits in Goa.
Actually, it was taken up, and built-up on, from a wine-merchant of the North Goa town of Mapusa, called Valentino Pinto. Goa was then still a Portuguese colony, with a lot of out-migration, including to the English-speaking world. At that time, the school was called the Sacred Heart High School, and its previous owner is believed to have lacked the time to run it, as well as faced problems with the staff. In these circumstances, Pinto decided to hand over the school to the Jesuits. Dom Caetano Menezes, who owned another local school called St. Mary's, also moved to hand over his institution to the Jesuits.
==Early days==
Dr Teotonio R. de Souza suggests that the reputation of the Jesuits in Goa was high, after they had taken over the Theotonio High School, which was run by the Goa Archdiocese.
Fr. Sylvester D'Souza was the first principal of the schools taken over. Both were co-ed. The Jesuits transferred girl-students from the schools to the Apostolic Carmel (AC) nuns, who have been active in the field of education in Goa, and who subsequently went on to form the St Mary's Convent, along the Altinho hilltop locality in Mapusa, where both institutions currently exist.
Initially, St Britto's functioned out of the site of the Bardez Gymkhana. Priests running the school, and boarders, rented houses atop the hill. It turned out to be an inconvenient arrangement, specially during Goa's traditionally torrential monsoons.
Cipriano da Cunha Gomes sold the current site of the school, whose large facade dominates the town of Mapusa from a distance too. Later, the building came up with a loan from the Goa Archdiocese.
Fr. Ubaldo de Sá, of Moira, is credited with the work of setting up the building.
==From the GoaJesuit site==
St Britto High School has a somewhat mixed pedigree; it is the progeny of two private schools; Sacred Heart and St Mary's, originally owned by two gentlemen.
In 1931, a brother of Mr. Ligorio D’Souza, Manager of Sacred Heart High School, Parra, opened a branch of that school in Duler and called it ‘Escola do Sagrado Coracao de Jesus’. It was the only English educational institution in Mapusa at that time. Some time later, however, a certain Mr. Santana Pascoal de Souza opened a ‘Colegio Anglo-Concanim’ which he directed until it was acquired on July 15, 1942 by Dom Caetano Menezes and renamed ‘St. Mary’s School’.
Not much is known of the history of St. Mary's during this time. The Sacred Heart, however, which now had 146 boys and 76 girls divided into eight classes, was acquired from the family of Alphonsus Liguori de Souza in 1943 by two local businessmen, Mr. Valentino Pinto and Mr M Cruz. An application was made to Bombay University for its affiliation which was granted on March 29, 1944.
The managers as well as the Headmaster, Mr N R Mahatme, tried to do a creditable job, in spite of the innumerable handicaps, at a time when the local government gave no financial help. Finding it difficult to run the school the managers approached the Archbishop for help, who in turn appealed to the Jesuits with a promise of financial assistance. Around the same time, Dom Caetano realizing his own inability to manage St Mary's also offered it to the Jesuits, on the condition that he remained a paid member of the teaching staff. We were ready to accept the condition but not run two institutions and both co-educational.
On July 22, 1946, the management of Sacred Heart High School was transferred to the Jesuits and on the following day Fr J A de Miranda, the Mission Superior, took provisional charge of the school. On July 25, Fr. Sylvester D’Souza was installed as the first Jesuit Principal of the school.
JESUIT MANAGEMENT: With the beginning of the new academic year 1947-48, the Jesuits launched into work in earnest. There were four Jesuits in the community, 13 lay teachers and 373 students in the school. The name of the school was meanwhile creating confusion, as there was another Sacred Heart School in Parra. The University required a change and so on May 18, 1948, the school was christened ‘St Britto High School’ in honour of the holy Jesuit who lived in Goa for 7 months to complete his theological studies at St Paul's College in Old Goa.
In 1955, after an intensive search and many negotiations, a plot was purchased with the help of a loan received from the Patriarch. On July 20 of the same year, the government approved of the construction plans and on October 11, the Patriarch laid the foundation stone in the presence of the Delegate of the Provincial, Fr Bernardo Gonsalves. Even though the building was not complete, classes began to be held there from June 1958, and the community moved in around 1962. The building as initially planned was competed in 1964. In 1967-68, a third floor was added to the front wing, followed by an entrance block.
Today St Britto's, after years of uncertainty, has developed into a well-established school. The school is well known for its excellence in studies and the various competitions held at the inter-school level. It provides a lot of opportunities to the boys to develop their talents through various activities. Hopefully, St Britto's will continue to guide many young boys to become worthy citizens of India and the world.
==Alumni==
Prominent alumni include vice-president of the Goa-based CMM Group of Companies Eric Menezes, former Goa minister and member of the legislative assembly Francis D'Sousa, Bank of Goa manager Salvador Pinto, musician Alex Braganza, Paulo Holiday Makers (a prominent local transport company) proprietor Mario Pereira, director of Resicom Builders Roy de Souza, Tourism and Travel Association of Goa chairman Ralph de Souza, De Souza Group director and musician Noel de Souza, among others.
==Principals of St Britto==
Following were the principals of the school:
* Fr Sylvester D'Souza SJ 1946-1949
* Fr Irineu Lobo SJ 1949-1950
* Fr Edward V D'Souza SJ 1950-1951
* Fr Peter Mendonça SJ 1951-1952
* Fr Edward V D'Souza 1952-1962
* Fr Lino D'Souza SJ 1962-1964
* Fr Mario C de Meyrelles SJ 1964-1973
* Fr Theotonio de Sales SJ 1973-1976
* Fr Vincent G Catao SJ 1976-1982
* Fr Anil Soares SJ 1982-1988
* Fr Joe Palliparambil SJ 1988-1990
* Fr Abraham Painumkal SJ 1990-1999
* Fr Apollo Cardozo SJ 1999-
==Letter from the vice principal==
LETTER FROM THE VICE-PRINCIPAL: What's coming up in Britto's (late 2006)
Britto old boy and current (2006) vice principal Fr Cecil sj cecfern at rediffmail.com reported in late August 2006:
* Ex-students have now started an online counseling to help those who need counseling . If any one has any problem and needs personal counselling you can contact Fr Savio Rodrigues, St Britto High School through phone number 2262248 or e mail address aviso_41 at rediffmail.com. Fr Savio was an ex principal of Loyola School, and is specially trained in counselling in USA. So I request you to take his help and he will guide you .
* Fr Provincial has allowed us to make use of a house given by an ex-student Eddie Lobo.This house is situated near the Peddem football ground. The committee will be going tomorrow to assess the house and accordingly decide what activities we can organize there. The house can be used by us but has to be given back the Jesuits when the Jesuits feel a need to set up some thing on that land. The committee has agreed to this and will chalk up plans for the same.
* There will be a sports meet on October 2, 2006, from 9a.m. to 2p.m. on St Britto school ground for all ex students. This will also be a day to register yourselves as members in case you have not done so. We will be charging Rs 100 which will be inclusive of lunch, snacks and prizes. Please confirm with any committee member if you are attending by September 20. When you pay the amount please give the house you were in when you were in the school. Contact Fr Cecil in the school office. Let us get younger on this day and come to meet each other. Please mark this date in your calendar. It is a public holiday.
* On December 30, 2006, we will be having a family get together in the evening from 5p.m. to 10 p.m. This get together will be for members only. It is opened for husband, wife and children and bachelors. Further details will be given later. Please mark this date in your calendar.
* On November 9, 2006 the committee will arrange a bus to go to Margaon to attend the session of the ex-students. This session will be addressed by Fr Hans Kolvenbach the general of the Society of Jesus who will be in the province for the superiors meeting. Ex-students from the Goa Jesuit schools will be attending the meeting. I request you all to come for this meeting and show our solidarity with ex students from other schools. Details will be given later. . Please mark this in your calendar. If you are coming give your name to
* Please get the registration forms from Fr Cecil or any committee member and fill in your membership. Please do not delay. The OBA needs many of you to get it alive and kicking. The OBA should have members from every batch. Variety is a spice of life and so variety will add spice to the OBA. The OBA is growing. The roots have to go deep. This can come only through your dedication, hard work and co-operation. Let it not be an OBA of a very few, but an OBA of many. My humble request to you all is to come, see and conquer. Keep the moot of Britto's "Deeds, not Words" as our charism. Let us not ask what the OBA can do for you but rather what you can do for the OBA. Will pray for each one of you, may God's choicest blessing be upon you and your family members. I request all of you to respond to this letter. Call me back.
==Alumni Network==
*Britto's mailing list on Yahoogroups
*Britto's alumni wiki
*Britto's old boys on Orkut
*Class of 1977
*Britto photos on Flickr.com
*Britto-Mary's-Xavier's alumni network
*Goanet Reader: An Africander in the Mapusa of the 'seventies (Benedict Faria, London)
*Britto on the GoaJesuits site
==Other Links==
*St Britto on the Wikipedia
==Contact Information==
Mapusa, Goa 403 507, India. Tel: 91-0832/2252 266 E-Mail: stbritto@sancharnet.in
Category:India
Category:Secondary schools in India
es:St. Britto High School