The Trust of Nano Nagle School History
NANO NAGLE of noble Irish Catholic background, had courageous Catholic Faith to disobey the British colonial educational laws, in order to educate the poor slum girls of Cork Town and also the slum boys of Cork Town. When Nano Nagle was writing the Rules for herself and her companions, she was inspired by the Rule of the Hospitallers of St. Thomas of vallanova of France. These Hospitallers, besides the three Vows, ALSO TOOK A FOURTH VOW, which was to serve the poor till death.
By the year 1802, when Bishop Moylan of Cork Town-Ireland, drew up a personal petition to Pope Pius Pius VII, asking for stability for the Presentation nuns of Nano Nagle, it became very evident to the Sisters of Nano Nagle that they had TO TAKE A SPECIAL FOURTH VOW to instruct poor children of Ireland and Bishop Moylan wrote to this effect of Pope Pius VII:
“A fervent prayer of the Sisters of this Congregation has been included.
Whereas they were want to make three simple vows of religion, they
now entreat permission to make solemn Vows for the future with the
addition of a fourth Vow to instruct poor children “(Cf. Pg 177 of “Nano
Nagle and the Presentation Sisters” by T.J.Walsh).
On 9th April 1805, Pope Pius VII gave his papal approval and his blessing to the Rule of the Presentation Sisters of Nano Nagle and they were allowed by the Pope Pius VII to take THE SPECIAL SOLEMN IV VOW TO EDUCATE the poor children of their world.
When late Fr.Pedro Arrupe SJ was the Jesuits, he desired “OPTION FOR THE POOR” within the leading education Jesuit institutions all over the world.
The “OPTION FOR THE POOR” orientation of Fr.Pedro Arrupe SJ, so inspired some Jesuits in Latin America- that they chose to be “worker-Priests”! A Jesuit Priest in Goa, India – WITH PERMISSION of his Provincial (Fr.Leslie Almeida SJ) started living in the slums of Mangor – Vasco (harbour town of Goa) and working as a coolie in Marmugao harbour.
Eventually the Goan coolie Jesuit-Priest was offering Mass for the neighbouring nuns of “Presentation Sisters” (Sisters of Nano Nagle) running St. Theresa’s High School at Mangoor – Vasco, Goa. The then Superior of the Vasco “Presentation sisters” – Sr. Fatima Gomes (later Mrs. Fatima D’Mello) gave the coolie – Jesuit the book – written by TJ Walsh – NANO NAGLE AND THE PRESENTATION SISTERS.
The coolie – Jesuit working in the harbour town of Goa, was charmed by the ORIGINAL EDUCATIONAL CHARISM OF NANO NAGLE AS APPROVED BY THE POPE PIUS VII.
THE original educational Charism of Nano Nagle as approved by Pope Pius VII, had inspired Edmund Rice his Christian Brothers; from 1822, the fork Town MERCHANTS COMMITTEE, who were also running eleven schools for the poor – two of which were for GIRLS ONLY, combined to work for the “Foundation Charism” of Nagle as approved by pope Pius VII.
The Foundation Education`` Charism of the then Presentation Sisters working in Ireland and also in the slums of England –so inspired the Goan “Coolie-Jesuit-Priest” that he wrote a booklet about the Original Educational Charism of Nano Nagle. The name of this unpublished booklet is – “NATION REVIVING EDUCATION EXPERIMENT OF NANO NAGLE OF IRELAND”.
Besides writing the above booklet, the coolie-Jesuit-Priest nearly forced the Presentation Sisters at Mangoor-Vasco, to start the first “Nano Nagle School” in 1981- for the slum children of Mangoor slums of Vasco – in English medium. The second “Nano Nagle slum School” was started in 1982 for the slum children of Zuri Factory (Birla) –Sancoale in Birla Nagar Vasco, under the leadership of the Sr. Jane, General Family Sister.
The unpublished booklet of the Goan-Jesuit-Priest inspired late Sister Rose Marie Coutts M.A.B.ed of the Margao Presentation High School-belonging to the Franciscan hospitaliers, that she joined the “collie-Jesuit-Priest” and they together started the third “Nano Nagle School” which was for slum children of khareband, Margao; the Margao slum school was started in the “Santa Cruz” Chapel in Khareband, slum, on 15th August 1983; But some Catholics of khareband brought objection that the slum “Ghantis” were using the same benches on which the Catholic Goans were also sitting – Because of the objections of some Goans of khareband – Nano Nagle school as shifted to the premises of Loyola High School in Margao, Goa, after a written agreement with the Goa Jesuit authorities and with Sr.Rose Marie Coutts FHIC as the Principal of Margao Nano Nagle School, now in the premises of Loyola High school, Margao.
But gradually, parents of the regular morning section of the Loyola High School also brought objection that the same benches used by the slum children, have to be used by their children!! This objection by the parents of the regular morning section of ( Goa Board ) Loyola High School, led to the “expulsion” of Margao Nano Nagle School’s from ( the Goa Board ) Loyola High School Premises!
After The “expulsion” from the socio-economically CLEAN “Loyola” Jesuit School – the Margao slum School was housed in the residence of the brother of Mr.Narasimha Naik, and later to the property of MRS.Auda Vigas, in Margao.
When our Margao slum School was thrown out of “Loyola High School”, be housed in its own place and own building!!
All the three “Nano Nagle School” in Goa, were started for the slum children (1) of Mangoor—Vasoc, (2) of Birla Zuari factory at Sancoale and (3) of Margao. All these slum schools were ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOLS.
But a time came in Goa, when the local language KONKANI was made the medium of instruction in the PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF Goa! At this “KONKANI language stage” –Archbishop Raoul Gonsalves – asked all the Goa Diocese school – including the schools run by the nuns, to be in KONKANI medium! Obediently, our nuns in Mangoor – Vasco and in Sancoale also changed the slum schools to Konkani medium schools.
Only Margao “Nano Nagle School” remained in English medium. This Margao slum school which was started in 1983, was financed INDIVIDUALLY by Fr. Fermin D’souza SJ.Only to keep this school not to come under the Archbishop of Goa, THE TRUST OF NANO NAGLE was formed and registered in Marmugoa-Gao, on 19th March 1986 with Reg.No 97/86 Thus with the formation of the TRUST OF NANO NAGLE SCHOOL (TNNS-Goa), the Margao slum school got its own legal independence.
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Since TNNS – Goa was registering our Goa slum children with the Delhi based Central Govt.,’s “National Open School” – the name of the Margao slum school was changed to NANO NAGLE NATIONAL OPEN SCHOOL. But the name of the registered Trust remained the same – no change was made in the name of the Trst of Nano Nagle School.
Though the trust was an independent legal – entity, TNNS-Goa was financially very very weak. Because of the financial fragility of TNNS Goa, the Jesuit founder of TNNS – Goa, gave the Margao slum school to the then Jesuit Provincial of Goa (Rev.Fr.Patrick D’Mello SJ). The Jesuit Provincial decided to take up the Margao TNNS-Goa on one condition, that the name of the Margao slum school should was changed to LOYOLA NATIONAL OPEN SCHOOL, but NOT, the name of the Trust!
Financially weak TNNS – Goa got help from “JANUGAHI”, a registered organization focused more on development of women workers of the slum areas in south Goa. Jan Ugahi in turn made TNNS-Goa to get in touch with the International Organization – Netherland based – “TERRE DES HOMMES-NETHERLANDS” (tDh-n1), which is running a huge school, in Horus, Tamil Nadu for the poor children.
The secular minded officers of TdH-N1, came to Goa and concretely inspected the education work for the TNNS-Goa; they were so impressed by the education work for the slum children by TNNS – Goa that they at once decided –
(1) to add the first floor to the ground floor of the school building
(2) gave a ten seater car
(3) to raise the compound wall of the property all around
(4) took all the teachers to Hosur for training; the TNNS – Goa teacher’s training continued for four years, annually for 15 days/yr. and
(5) the monthly Honorarium was increased and for the next years with 5 % increase per year; TNNS-Goa teachers were paid through their bank accounts only.
Archbishop Filip Neri Ferrao and Senior Secondary in TNNS-Goa
The Secondary (std X) students were registered with Naida (UP) based National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). When TNNS-Goa registered their student for Std XII or Senior Secondary for the first time in NIOS, our Archbishop Filip Neri Ferrao was invited to celebrate TNNS – Goa becoming a Junior College.
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Though TNNS-Goa was legally and educationally making progress, financially it remained very weak. During the Cuncolim Catholic church crisis, the founder of TNNS-Goa became friendly with the Redemptorists of Goa who were also involved in the education of the slum children of Goa. Now the moment came when Ex-Presentation nun, Mrs.Fatima Gomes alias Mrs. Fatima D’Mello spoke to her Redemptorist nephew Fr. Gregoury Noronha CSsR, who was the Vice-Provincial of the Redemptorists.
One of the Subjects with Practicals chosen by NIOS registered children of TNNS-, was computers. Since TNNS-Goa did not have a Computer laboratory, the children were going to the neighbouring Rosary Collage once a week for the practicals. Later, Jan Ugahi gave TNNS-Goa a few computers. Now NIOS registered TNNS-Goa children were practicing daily on the “Jan Ugahi donated” computers, but two of our students had to practice on one computer. On the other hand, in Rosary Collage, each child was getting one computer each to practice.
When Fr. Theodore D’Souza CSsR, heard that TNNS-Goa children were going to the Rosary collage for practicals, he told the founder of TNNS-Goa not to repair all the TNNS-Goa computers, and would give more computers, so that each NIOS student of TNNS-Goa would be able to practice with one computer each student.
Further, Fr. Theodore D’Souza through their “MUKTI SOCIETY” started paying the honorarium of the teaching and non-teaching staff of TNNS-Goa. Consequently, Fr.Theodore D’Souza and Fr.Henry Fernandes of the Redemptorists became the TRUSTEES of TNNS-Goa and later a resolution was passed stating that all the trustees of TNNS-Goa should be Redemptorists, meaning that one day, the school will be given to the Redemptorists, meaning that one day, the school will be given Redemptorists.
During the following year, Fr.Rithesh Rosario CSsR was made the Principal of Margao TNNS – Goa slum School. Currently, there are three Redemotorists in the Trust, but the Trust, but the founder member of TNNS-Goa, Rev. Fr. Michael A. Fernandes is still the chairperson of TNNS-Goa.
The Jesuit founder of Margao slum school, was always praying to God, with the prayer written on the wall of Margao slum school, for a huge endowment in the name of TNNS-Goa. Almighty Goa answered this prayer for huge endowment in His way, not by giving the huge endowment, but by sending the Redemotorists of Goa to take over the Margao slum school of TNNS-Goa. PRAISE THE LORD….Amen.
Dr. Khristanand Desai
Member, Trust of Nano Nagle School