Origin and Growth
St. Anthony’s Boys’ Sec. School (1922-2022)
Pahar Ganj, New Delhi – 110055
The History of St. Anthony’s Mission School, as it was called then, goes back to 1917 when Fr. James of San Marcellos OFM Cap (Capuchin) started to visit Paharganj area from St. Mary’s Church, Old Delhi, in order to cater to the spiritual need of the Christians staying there.
Fr. Luke Ernesto Vannucci, the Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Church, Old Delhi, first started St. Teresa Parish School, which is called today, “Presentation Convent School,” in old Delhi in 1921 and within a year he started St. Anthony’s Mission (co-ed) School in 1922 with just four students. This he could do it only with the blessings of His Archbishop Angelo Raffaele Bernacchioni, O.F.M. Cap., who was the Archbishop of Agra at that time.
When St. Anthony’s Mission School was started in 1922, it functioned under the tent in the St. Anthony’s Church Complex.
St. Anthony’s Mission (co-ed) School received official recognition on 5th of June, 1931 by the Municipal Education Office, Delhi and in the following year, which is 1932 the school received Grant-in-aid.
Fr. Luke Ernesto Vannucci,
Founder
In the year 1933 Fr. Louis Turcheschi, the then parish priest of St. Anthony’s Church and manager of St. Anthony’s Mission (co-ed) School built the first permanent school building on the main road (DGB road) (girl school photo) along with the staff quarters. He also built St. Anthony’s Orphanage which was inaugurated on February 19, 1934. In the year 1934 the school had a strength of forty boys and six girls. In all the letters that our school received from the department since 1935, our school is addressed as St. Anthony’s Boys’ Primary School. That makes it clear that in the year 1935, St. Anthony’s Mission (co-ed) school was bifurcated into boys’ and girls’ schools and started functioning separately under the names of St. Anthony’s Boys’ Primary School and St. Anthony’s Girls’ Primary School.
The immediate cause for the bifurcation of St. Anthony’s Co-ed School into boys’ and girls’ schools was the arrival of Clarist Franciscan Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament or CFMSS sisters. As there was no convent in existence at the time of their arrival, they were accommodated in St. Anthony’s Orphanage, which Fr. Louis Tucheschi, the Parish Priest of St. Anthony’s Church, Paharganj, had built in the Church property. After the arrival of CFMSS sisters on May 1, 1935 an eleven-year-old girl was deposited at the feet of Mother Benigna by an Ajmere Gate resident. The CFMSS sisters who were known for their love of the girl child and their education, started looking after that girl and gradually started St. Anthony’s Orphanage for Girls which was closed down in 2013.
In the year 1938 St. Anthony’s Mission was upgraded and became St. Anthony’s Parish.
In the year 1947 Sylvester Patrick Mulligan, O.F.M. Cap. the then Archbishop of Delhi-Shimla Archdiocese, decided to hand over the administration of St. Anthony’s Girls’ Primary School to CFMSS sisters who were already working in the girls’ school.
In 1954 St. Anthony’s Boys’ Primary School received the Government Recognition as a High School and in just two years of time, in 1956 St. Anthony’s Boys’ High School received Delhi Government recognition as a Secondary School and the CBSE affiliation was obtained in 1967.
The school which started in 1922 with just four students, has now 800 plus students. There is a huge demand for admission in our schools. But due to lack of space, we are unable to take in more.
