HISTORY (1818-1948) Excerpts from “An Historical Sketch of the Maltese Capuchin Mission” Silver Jubilee Souvenir (1923-1948)

An application for the convent school near church was made on the 13th October 1894 by St. Mary J. Patrick Brophy I. B. V. M. of Tara Hall Simla and this application on the 19th October of the same year was favoured by a grant of ground, 6 acres in extent at No. 67 Jhansi Cantt. On this site a building was erected between 1895-97 keeping the proprietorship of the estate reserved with all rights.

This school was finally opened in 1898 and entrusted to sisters Patricia and Teresa of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin May to educate the British Army residing in Jhansi.

The beginnings were indeed small and difficult; besides the two sisters having grown old and weak naturally could not make any progress. And hence the proprietorship of the school with its control management was on the 1st April 1913 formally made over to the Bishop of Allahabad. Fr. Patronus Gramigha, ofm Cap.,

In this state they remained 15 years until the congregation of the I. B. V. M. decided to take it over and in 1913 Rev. Mother Delphina with two Sisters Sr. M. Pauline and M. Aventine were sent there to take up the work.

At their arrival they found but the nucleus of the present establishment , which consisted of a hall with dilapidated furniture, the compound a jungle therefore they lived in the same Bogie in which they came, the funds a few rupees (only rupees 100/-), and the number of pupils thirteen.

Bogie in which Sr. Pauline and Sr. M. Aventine came

Then the work of progress began and after some years of trouble and hardship most cheerfully shouldered, Mother Delphine managed to enlarge the school building, at the right hand side, with a wing of several large and airy rooms, many smaller ones, a large chapel open for the public, and a high flagged verandah all round the house; and these were joined by a short corridor and a flight of stairs to the original building.

In 1927 further substantial extensions were made, and the impressive ceremony of the blessing and opening of the Chapel and new Convent on May 7th of the same year was a testimony of the dogged courage and perseverance of these first the large assembly of guests on that occasion, and drew a fitting analogy between St. Francis' ‘Convent and the “smallest of all seeds which soon became a great tree and sheltered all the birds of the air.

In 1935-36 Mother M. Immaculata made other additions to the original building, at the left hand side, and also in 1937-1938 extended the new wing of Mother Delphine with a few rooms and a verandah.

Then came the time of Mother M. Margarita Mary and in 1939-40 during the unforgettable time of the great war world II , she managed to re-roof the verandah and construct a cycle-shed and finally in 1941 a construction of a lunch-shed completed the whole of the present convent school of St. Francis'.

Old Administrative Block which is demolished in 2006

Succeeding years have borne witness to the great work of education being carried on. In fact, when in 1929 we took charge of Jhansi mission this school was already in possession of the rank of Middle school. In 1935, the school having stood the probation test was raised to the status of a high school.

On the 27th April 1938 the sisters, teachers and pupils of this school , once again extended a hearty welcome to His Lordship the Bishop of Allahabad, this time on the happy occasion of the silver jubilee of the congregation’s taking up charge of the school and forming a community. The Silver Jubilee of the school fell in Mother Delphine’s time viz., in the year 1923, the school being opened for the public in 1898.On that day His Lordship said Mass, administered Holy Communion and concluded the ceremony with benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. He expressed his keen appreciation of the work of the pioneers and his confidence in a still more fruitful future.

In these past fifty years, the noble work of progress, both in building and education has been so great that few looking on St. Francis’ Convent today would guesses its humble Beginnings.