Sacred Heart College, Napier on
its present site in Convent Road was founded by The
Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. In 1867 the school
for ‘Young Ladies’ that would eventually
become known as Sacred Heart College was blessed and
opened. It was the first Catholic school and hostel
established by the Sisters in New Zealand.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Amazingly, the original buildings withstood the earthquake
of 1931. During the 1990’s, the whole site was
re-planned, new buildings erected and existing ones
upgraded. The new Barbier and Marian blocks were blessed
and opened, and Ross and Dennehy blocks were updated
and rededicated. The latest addition was the full-sized
gymnasium named after Sister Mary Rose Holderness. On
June 30 2001 the convent building, the chapel and a
section of the hostel were destroyed by fire. Since
then the hostel has been superbly restored and plans
are underway for a chapel replacement.
As well as a day school, there is a boarding hostel
for some seventy five girls. Both the College and the
hostel are administered on behalf of the Sisters by
the Mission College Napier Trust Board and the Hostel
Management Committee. The Board of Trustees administers
government funds and governs the school.
For its first one hundred years the College was staffed
predominantly by the Sisters. Sister Mary Rose who completed
her term in 1998 was the last Mission Sister to be Principal.
The curent staff of the College continue to uphold the
missionary spirit of the Sisters in today’s modern
environment.
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TYPICAL
CLASSROOM
Of 1936 |
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