Pandoraspace

Maryknoll my Maryknoll

I was told that, their neighbors had asked the Maryknoll sisters to tutor their children. As many more parents wanted their children tutored by the sisters, they were forced to put up make shift classrooms for all the children they were tutoring. Later, without intending to, the sisters found themselves running the Maryknoll convent school (or Marishan as it was later called).

I was fortunate to have studied in Maryknoll convent school. Unlike the pressure they put on today’s children, I do not recall being given any homework or taking too many tests. At school, we played a lot of sports and practiced all the time for class assemblies (shows where our parents were invited to see us sing, dance and act). Our classes were from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. only. Even if we were not bombarded with purely academic subjects, my Maryknoll friends and I turned out just fine.  Most of us got into good universities and colleges and went on to have stable jobs.  More importantly, most of the people I know who have graduated from Maryknoll turned out to be good people.

Credit should be given to the sisters and the teachers of Maryknoll who focused on teaching us the more important things in life like respect for others. Years have passed since my Maryknoll days but I still recall our school hymn, which sums up what the school was all about. It goes -

To make this world a better place, Maryknoll my Maryknoll.
For every man of every race, Maryknoll my Maryknoll.
This is our aim, our sacred call, to help Christ’s life be lived by all.
God give us strength to seek his goal.
Maryknoll my Maryknoll.