The city around it has changed dramatically, but the story of Fort Catholic Girls’ School in Visakhapatnam has unfolded across the decades. Even before the city had its steel plant or naval base, the school witnessed generations of students pass through its classrooms. Today, as the school celebrates its 175th anniversary, its history offers a glimpse into how education for girls in Visakhapatnam has evolved.
“Celebrating 175 years is not something to be taken lightly,” says Sr. Fathima Mary, principal of the school. “It is a significant milestone.” She shares that the jubilee year runs from March 1, 2026, to March 1, 2027, and that the celebrations were formally opened on August 5, as the early months fell in the summer holidays and the examination season. The closing ceremony is planned for January 2027, she adds.
The school’s history began when a small party of sisters from France established a primary school for girls near St. Ann’s Cathedral at Fort area in the Old Town in 1852, which was then described as a little fishing village.
Rich legacy
The school in its jubilee note traces its lineage back to 1650, when Father Jean Pierre Médaille founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph at Le Puy in France, dedicated to humble service, particularly the education of the young and the care of those in need. The link to this coast was Father Sebastian Neyret of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS), who later became a bishop and reached Visakhapatnam in 1846.
He appealed to Mother Aloysia, Superior General of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy, to send sisters to India. The first party of four sisters set out on February 24, 1849, and, after a turbulent journey at sea, arrived at Yanam in Puducherry on December 5.
The chapel in the new building of Fort Catholic Girls' School in Old Town, Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: V. RAJU
A second group of six, led by Mother St. John Boissart, sailed from France on June 30, 1851. Yanam was their intended destination, but they landed at Visakhapatnam on December 9, 1851. The school’s history documents this halt as a significant turning point.
The sisters, who were warmly welcomed by Bishop Neyret, met with sights of poverty, illiteracy, and the plight of orphaned children on their arrival. In March 1852, the MSFS entrusted the historic Fort House, near St. Ann’s Cathedral, to them, and it became their first convent in the city. Soon afterwards, they opened the first Catholic primary school for girls at Fort, with an orphanage attached.
Despite limited resources, the effort won the community’s confidence. The school received government recognition in 1856, and in 1884 Father John Mary Clerc acquired a larger building to house the rising numbers.
The years that followed brought several changes. The school received recognition up to Class 7 in 1987, and for Classes 8 to 10 in the following year. The management then decided that the school should follow the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) syllabus.
An inspection was held in April 1992, and the school was affiliated with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi, on October 23, 1996. The first batch had written the examination in 1995 as private candidates.
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