The History of “Regina Mundi”
by Julien Durup, a student of Seychelles history
The “Regina Mundi” Convent with the School of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny at Mont Fleuri was officially opened on 27th January 1957. However, its initial place was on the site of the former Sainte Thérèse at Victoria. But the place was too small. The building of the Regina Mundi was in line with the Ten Year Plan of Walter Wilfred Elwin Giles the Director of Education. With the shocking low standard of education, Giles wanted major educational reform, new schools built and the present one improved. He also wanted the English to be the standard teaching language instead of the French. And above all he wanted a new system of education, humane and universal, for any colour or creed. Though a conservative, he was branded by the R C Bishop as a communist. He managed in December to do so with the 1944 Educational Ordinance which gave him complete control of education. He and his wife Hilda were scholars of Oxford. She also studied French at Sorbonne and Lausanne and became an employee in the Education Department. As most of the schools were in the hands of the French speaking Roman Catholic Church, she became a valuable asset in dealing with correspondences.
In 1945, a year after the Giles’ arrival, the Swiss Bishop of the Seychelles, Marcel Oliver Maradan of Cerniat in the Canton of Fribourg, made a dictatorial verbal decision to give away his domicile at Mont Fleuri for the Government to build a secondary school for girls. He did so with the objections of his four Swiss advisors: Fathers Jean de Dieu Vadi of Martigny, of the Canton of Valais, Justin (Joseph) Barman of Saint-Maurice-en-Valais, Eustache (Léon-Jules) Salin of Lussy in the Canton of Fribourg, and Claude Stampfli of Solothurn (Soleure) a German speaking Canton. Maradan’s domicile was the former beautiful residence of Mr. Marcel Lemarchand, who generously gave it to the Roman Catholic Church. It was in the same place that Symphorien (Paul) Morel, the first Seychellois capuchin friar, was consecrated in 1953. However, this former superb habitation has been immortalised in one of Émile Hugon’s paintings, a scholar of École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. This picturesque painting can be seen in Kantilal Jivan’s art collection.
On many occasions up to 1957 the Sisters contributed financially to the constructions at the request of Maradan and the Seychelles Government. In 1951 Maradan told the Sisters that he would not be giving the land to them for the construction of “Regina Mundi”; they would have to buy it from him. Maradan’s volte-face caused major discontents with the sisters and the government. He was summoned to Government House to be reminded about of his verbal accord of 1945. After the meeting he finally agreed to give the land freely.
In 1955 G. I. Michael, then Director of Education, proposed a new cost-saving plan as most of the cost came from the Colonial Development and Welfare Fund and the Local Government. Michael wanted the Sisters to share amenities with the two adjacent schools, Seychelles College and Modern School.
He suggested that only facilities that they do not have would be built. The Sisters will able to use the laboratory of the College etc and swimming pool and gymnasium at Modern school. However, the Sisters objected strongly to that; they wanted their “girls’ school” to be independent. More money had to be allocated and the Sisters contributed more to the fund.
Mr. Tomlin, the Government Architect, made the plan which was accepted by the government and the sisters. The construction started in 1953. The job was carried out by the Public Works Department under Doger de Speville. He initiated the use of breeze blocks for the first time in the Seychelles in the construction of the “Regina Mundi”. De Speville’s blocks were utilised in making the separation walls in the schooling block. It is also worth to note that cement was first used in the Seychelles in the renovation of the Roman Catholic Cathedral in 1930.
In 1955 the first part of the building allocated for the primary school was completed. They moved in from their temporary accommodation at King’s College (later School Meal Centre). Two years later the Secondary School moved in from Saint Mary in Victoria. A year later, in 1958, the Boarding-block was opened it accommodated 27 Boarders. The fee was R75 per month, and 75cts for lunch was charged for those who wanted to eat at school.
On 10th August 1964 the annex for the chapel was built. During the opening ceremony a sealed bottle was cemented in the foundation at the right hand side of the entrance. It contained medals, a coin and the names of the following persons:
- Father Aloyse (Louis Crausaz) of Romont, Fribourg Switzerland, parish priest of Mont Fleuri,
- Brother Cyrille (Séraphin) Morard of Ayent in Valais, Switzerland the architect and constructor,
- Sister Mother John Kernaham, Superior, Port of Spain, Trinidad,
- and the subsequent Sisters: Mary Casey of Ireland, Angele Courrèges, Meilham, Lot-et-Garonne, France, Francis Quesnel of Port of Spain, Trinidad, Juliana Burke of Dublin Ireland, Scholastica Malone of Dublin, Edna Hanley of Aramore, Ireland, William Kelly of Athlone, Ireland, Dominic Kavanagh of Lesson, Dublin, Lucie Belle of Takamaka, Mahé, Madeleine [Denise] Labrosse of Anse Royale, Mahé, Dolores Kelly of Castletown Ireland, Margaret Camille of Fort Hall, Kenya and Laurence Lynam.
Regina Mundi was closed by the government in 1980 and moved by arrangement to a former Oliaji property at Mont Fleuri. Since then it has been occupied by the Ministry of Education.
Students in a 1962 class picture
Sources:
1. Annual Reports of the Education Department 1945-1964. Seychelles National Archives.
2. Estimates: 1955- 1964 Seychelles National Archives.
3. Father Simon (Georges-Louis Ruffieux)’ Memoire.
4. Julien Durup: List of Roman Catholic priests Seychelles (Unpublished)
5. Julien Durup: List of Sisters of Saint Joseph of Cluny (Unpublished)
6. Julien Durup: The Story on Gordon Square.
7. Julien Durup: The Forgotten Schools and Communities of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny in the Seychelles.
8. Notes on Regina Mundi. Sisters Archives Victoria.
9. Plan of the “Regina Mundi” Seychelles National Archives.
10. Staff List. 1955-1964 Seychelles National Archives.
1I. Walter Wilfred Elwin Giles: Reports: Seychelles National Archives.
12. Photos courtesy of Regina Mundi on Facebook.com