Opening of the Centenary... “St Mary’s School” Limassol 1923-2023

In the festive scenery of the closing of the 150th anniversary of our presence in the Middle East, another jubilee anniversary offers us the opportunity to recall the marvels that the Lord has accomplished through the educational mission of the FMSC in Limassol.

With the grace of God, the "Saint Mary’s school” of Limassol in Cyprus is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary. In fact, in 1923, the Sisters, at the request of the Franciscan Fathers of the Holy Land, gave life to the "Holy Land" school for the poor Catholic girls of Limassol, thus responding to the specific mission of the religious family: devoting themselves to teaching and educating some children. The number of students increased rapidly because, faithful to the spirit of openness and charity, the sisters did not limit themselves to the Latin or Maronite community, but welcomed students of all religions and cultures with joy. The quality and seriousness of teaching, the climate of discipline and benevolence, the spirit of generosity and understanding: fundamental elements of teaching have encouraged many families to entrust their daughters to the sisters.

In the 1960s, another more spacious, bright and functional building had to be built. On 11 February 1965, under the maternal gaze of Our Lady of Lourdes, the foundation stone of the new school was blessed, inaugurated on 19 June 1966 by Mons. Alberto Gori, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and was called the "Saint Mary’s school” and is still functioning until today. Around the year 2000, it was decided to welcome   boys as well and to evolve with the times.

In recent years, the school has seen almost a thousand students enter its walls in September, from kindergarten to high school. Pupils from all continents, nationalities and religions easily mix and create a very beautiful atmosphere of formation. The ideal choice persists, to teach a large number of subjects, of course, but with particular attention to languages: Greek, French, English and Italian. With its longevity and dynamism, the school continues to perpetuate both Christian traditions and spirituality. In fact, the pupils wear the uniform of the Marian colors. They gather every morning for prayer and sing the glory of the Lord. They all participate together in religious and non-religious celebrations. They follow the teaching of languages, of religion; they have the possibility of choosing between the scientific or the literary branch. They receive a basic education with the priority of essential values, such as charity, sincerity, humility, responsibility, hard work and respect for others. These principles and choices have allowed and still allow the school to shine and stand out among the other schools on the island, which now, at the height of its one hundred years, can look to the future with confidence.

On November 21, 2022, the liturgical feast of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the school patron’s feast day, with the Eucharistic celebration, presided over by Father Peter Ashton ofm, we opened the jubilee year of "Saint Mary’s school".  The presence of the Superior General, Sister Paola Dotto and her Council, the sisters who have come from different parts of the world, school leaders, teachers and students made the day memorable and significant.

With such simplicity, the students, both Catholic and Orthodox, animated the celebration with songs, readings and the offertory. The boys are always immediate, therefore, it was not difficult to understand the explosion of applause when the Superior General, Sister Paola Dotto lit the jubilee candle. One hundred years! The undertaking is indeed very demanding and arduous, but as Pope Francis indicates, education is the best way to humanize the world. The centenary certainly opens up this horizon for us, which for us FMSC is a matter of loving responsibility. The first sisters in the Middle East were attentive to the challenges of society, therefore, we too are invited to seize educational emergencies, collaborate to find solutions, propose new models that instill hope and make the world more human.

With emotion we can repeat the words of Father Teofilo, Apostolic Prefect of the East - "Believe that, God is glorified by this Work, which He Himself inspired..." At the end of the celebration, the feast was adorned with an artistic program performed by the pupils of all language sections.

The drawings of the little ones, exceptional and colorful, embellished the environment reminding us how beautiful our school is at the jubilee age of one hundred years. We appreciated the tireless work of the teachers and professors who are collaborating with great openness in the educational process that the school offers, thus embracing the essential values ​​of respect, fraternity and common home, in the spirit of Francis of Assisi and the first sisters. We hope that the centenary of "St. Mary" will reveal new strategies so that, maintaining the fidelity of the origins, we can look to the future with the same dynamism that has marked the educational spirit of the FMSCs in the Middle East over the centuries.