‘85 Batch of St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala: ‘We Can’

While enjoying a 150-year history St. Anne’s College, Kurunegala occupies a special place by inculcating knowledge at the correct age and correct time and by uplifting the spiritual segment and encouraging students to indulge in sport activities it has produced, ‘gentlemen par excellence’.   

St. Anne’s Church was built in 1861, and in 1864 an English medium school was begun in the church verandah for boys and girls.  

In 1867 the school with 101 students was registered by the Government. Until 1894 St. Anne’s was the only English medium school in Kurunegala.  

In 1934, Colombo’s then Archbishop the Most Rev. Peter Marque handed over the school’s administration  to the De La Salle brothers. It was then that Br. Hugh Farringdon with two other brothers thus started their mission. Under their guidance the school made rapid progress in studies, sports and discipline. The old boys association was begun in 1935.   

From that day onward with the assistance of De La Salle brothers, parents and past students this school has blossomed to be a role model among schools.   

St. Anne’s which is my Alma Mater has produced doctors, engineers, lawyers, educationalists many heroes who had sacrificed their lives for the unity and sovereignty of this country.  

The college motto is “Possumus” which means, ‘We Are Able – We Can’ and we the children of this school have proved beyond doubt that we are capable of performing many feats.  

I am writing this article today to point out about the children who live and study under trying conditions and whose lives are not happy at all.  

Can we express such sentiments about the students who study in urban areas? Dear parents, let us come forward to change the thinking of these students who live in this part of the country. These unfortunate young people often get isolated with their computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones and other paraphernalia.  

With every opportunity they get, these children keep on pressing the buttons of these devices. Even adults indulge in these activities, these days. We cannot save the adults, but we must try to salvage our children from these empty habits.   

Computers are essential to the modern world, which advances at a rapid pace. Let us not allow our children to be empty headed and get lost among these paraphernalia.  

So dear parents and elders let us thrive to create a world full of compassion empathy and kindness.  
The people who lived in the sixties, seventies, and eighties and before always led a meaningful life. Though we were not so advanced technically we led a somewhat contended life. There were ups and downs in our lives but yet we were not isolated.  

We mingled with each other to build our society. Like the motto of St. Anne’s we were able to serve and survive.  

By making the Sing-along project held on May 27 a very successful event, the batch of ‘85 has proved that it has the quality of overcoming all obstacles and forging ahead.  

The batch of ‘85 which felicitated its teachers will hold another felicitation ceremony for teachers on “World Teacher’s Day” on October 7. Rev. Brother A. E. Tarcisius the present principal performs a silent but yet a very conscientious duty of moulding students of St. Anne’s Collage into law-abiding duty conscious set of students who will serve our country sincerely and conscientiously.   

Chandana Fernando  
Kurunegala