Did you know....

1. The Convent was basically started to educate orphan girls.
2. In 1904 a great fire burnt down the original, wooden building.
3. The main building, known to us as the parlour, was then constructed in 1913.
4. The property which was bought for the convent initially was called "WoodBurn"
5. The aim of the school was to train women to have high moral values so that they could become good housewives and mothers!
6. .Sister Clotilda has been at the convent for more than 50 years

The Purpose and its Aim

Here is an excerpt from Lala Shah's book Mystique of Murree:

1907
Photo contribution by Ali Jan taken from
A Glimpse Through The Forest

 

 

"The religious of Jesus and Mary, purchased a property at Pindi Point called "WoodBurn" in 1876. Their aim was to start a new convent for the education of orphan girls. Saint Claudine Thevenet, the founder of the congreggation of Jesus and Mary had laid down the
guiding philosophy a long time back:

Let us so form these children that they may become
serious minded, well balanced, home-loving women
that they may cast their blessing in every home they enter.


The school was started with this noble aim and a number of boarders were soon enrolled. With the aim to build a sound moral charachter, high ideals of morality and integrity were inculcatted.

In Victorian England, the family institution was of prime importance.The career of a girl was supposed to be adapted well to the roles of a good housewife and a mother.The orphan girls were trained with this goal in view.

 

 

Click picture to enlarge
A performance of The Mikado-1907
Photo contribution by Ali Jan taken from
A Glimpse Through The Forest

 

 

The school continued with this good work for nearly 24 years. Then, in 1904 a terrible fire broke out and the old wooden building of the school was razed to the ground. The students and sisters were shifted to St. Thomas college in sunny bank.

It took 2 years to build the senior dorm block. The Junior Dorm block was made in 1913 and the Chapel in 1924.The three elder daughters of John and Rebecca Burke attended this school and later on became sisters of the sacred order of Jesus and Mary and stayed here till 1917."


So who started it all in the first place?

The congregation of Jesus and Mary was founded by Saint Claudine Thevenet in Lyon, France during the year 1818.

Raised in a pious family. two of her brothers were murdered in the excesses of the French Revolution; they went to their deaths forgiving their killers and asking Claudine to do the same. Claudine worked with working class young women around Lyons.
In 1816, with Father André Coindre, she formed the Association of the Sacred Hearts. This Association in turn, led to the formation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1818, a teaching order dedicated to educating poor girls.
The first Convent came into being shortly after this and was located in Pierres Plantees.

Taking the name Mary of Saint Ignatius, she served as superior of the Sisters. The Order received papal approval from Pope Pius IX on 31 December 1847, and today runs boarding schools, colleges, and retreat houses in Europe, India and North America.

Claudine died in 1837 but the Sisters continue her work and are active throughout the world with members working on every continent. The Congregation was working in India as early as 1842.




 

 

 



This website and all its content is mantained and created by Sonia Farooq (1999).