The Christian Brothers, India
CENTRES OF ACTIVITY - SCHOOLS
St Mary's Orphanage & Day School, Kolkata
(1947)
Vince Te Ipsum
Conquer fear itself
The property at Dumdum was obtained to be a Retreat House when the Brothers arrived in India (1890), and it was only in 1947 that the old Catholic Male Orphanage from Moorghihatta (est. in 1848) was transferred to the Dumdum site. St. Mary's Orphanage (SMO) was established as a Christian Brother Institution educating children (boys) who had lost their parents and those who came from broken or marginalized families. To make the project feasible, day scholars were admitted subsequently. When the boarding section closed in 2004, the Brothers started other projects for vulnerable groups: NIOS Section for class XI & XII (2004); Mary Rice Centre for Special Education (2005); Lotus Project for vulnerable boys (2007) and an evening meal program for the homeless (2011). The Commerce section of St. Mary's Higher Secondary welcomed girl students from the 2012-13 sessions.