MSFS GUWAHATI PROVINCE

St Francis de Sales School, Harina

Harina is a small town in the South District in Tripura, the smallest State in India’s North East. St Francis de Sales School, Harina was taken up by the MSFS and Fr Tomy Thekkel was appointed as its Principal. The school was donated by Mr Subhashis. It was a village school up to class six.

The school was made by the late Mr Gour Kanti Goswami, a local politician, from his MLA fund for running a Bengali medium school. Later, the Bengali medium school was shifted to another location and a new building was constructed by the Government. The vacant school was occupied by Mr Subhash, a Bengali, and the Divisional Secretary of the Communist Party in Subroom in 2007. The School was managed by a committee called ‘renaissance’ consisting of 15 members. Mr Subhash was the in charge of the school.

Subhash wanted to handover the school to any private person who could build a good educational institution for the people. So he applied to the Forest Department for one hectare of land, including the place where the school was located. The MSFS at Sindukpathar was approached and, after proper negotiations, this plot of land was transferred to Fransalian Educational Society with the permission to change its name. Fr Tomy was appointed to take up the school which he made functional after adequate renovation. Once another building was renovated the sisters of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation joined the mission and engaged in the ministry of education.

Fr Joy Kaniyammattel succeeded Fr Tomy in 2013 and he undertook rubber plantation in the vacant plot of land. The school at present has 215 students and 12 teachers. Fr James Pezhathummoottil was appointed as the Headmaster in 2015. An extension of 3 class rooms to the school building was built and inaugurated on November 13, 2016.

Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC)

On August 2, 2011, Sisters of Franciscan Clarist Congregation, Ernakulam Province, began to serve the school.  They help the mission in education, pastoral and medical care as collaborators.