St JOSEPH'S CONVENT CHAMPION REEF, KGF

 St Joseph’s Convent Champion Reefs, was established more than 165 years ago. I'm sharing below a writeup about the origins of St Joseph's Convent Champion Reefs from the Official website of the St Joseph of Tarbes Bangalore about the Origins and history of the Convent and School. As mentioned, in the official website, 2 schools (ie one English Medium and one Tamil Medium School) were started in the premises of the St Mary's Church in Champion Reef which was damaged in the Rock Burst of 23rd Jan 1952 which completely destroyed the Church and the Convent and  School. The Church was later rebuilt and renamed Our Lady of Victories Church, while the school was shifted to the Bungalow of Mr Arthur Taylor . This is the Link to the Official Website 

http://www.sjtbangalore.in/k-g-f-champion-reefs.html   

The impact of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Bangalore and Coonoor was felt far and wide like the fragrance of the rose. Calls came from everywhere. In the year 1904, there were Frs. J. Fraysse, J. F. Pesscin, and G. Lazaro taking care of the vast Catholic population in the entire K. G. F. area. Fr. Fraysse, the parish priest, invited our Sisters to Kolar to open a school for the children of the Mining Officers who were almost all Europeans and Eurasians. There were several local people who migrated from Dharmapuri and other places to work in the mines. Their children also needed a school.

Mother Marie Flavie, the Regional Superior of Bangalore at that time, responded to this call with the consent of the Superior General. Four European Sisters and one Indian Sister were selected to take up the mission. They were : Mother Marie Beatrix, Srs. Marie Dorothee, Marie Angeline and Teresa of Jesus – all three Europeans and Sr. Marie Anselmina ( Indian ). The community was blessed and inaugurated on the 9th of January 1904. Two separate schools were started – the European school for children of the Officers with 22 children and an Indian school for children of the mining workers with 6 – 7 children, in St. Mary’s Church compound, on January 15th 1904. 

Many Sisters, young and old, have worked in this Institution with great zeal.

In the year 2004 the Champion Reefs community and school celebrated the centenary of its foundation. Stepping into another century, the Sisters have envisioned not only to enlighten 4,500 students in the campus but also to empower women and to redress the pangs of the fangs left on miners. The toil of the Sisters has taken shape not only in education, but also in a boarding house for about 70 poor girls, medical care of the aged, the midday meal programme, house visiting and pastoral activities.