History
The History of St. Patrick's High School
St. Patrick's School Ode |
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Shortly following the appointment of the late Father John Collins SMA to the Bishopric of the Catholic Church and assignment to Liberia as the Vicar Apostolic in 1934, he established St. Patrick School. At the time, the population of Monrovia where the Institution was founded was very small. Therefore, the majority of students attended schools built by immigrants, which were meant for their children.
With the coming of St. Patrick’s many of the native boys around especially from Kru Town, the dwelling township of the Kru people located just below Snapper Hill matriculated there. This mass matriculation was necessary because it was very difficult for them to obtain entrance to immigrant institution. Because of the dominance of Kru children in St. Patrick’s, it was nicknamed “Kru Boys School”.
In 1936, a SMA Priest, energetic, dynamic and youthful, the late Archbishop Francis Carroll, joined Bishop Collins in his Missionary endeavor in Liberia as a young SMA Father. He was placed in charge of St. Patrick’s which Bishop Collins had founded.
The school progressed under his principalship so that by 1939, the
Institution was well on its way to secondary level. A few years thereafter the
Catholic Church was proud to set forth five well-schooled, nurtured and
educated young men as the first High School graduates of St. Patrick’s in
1943. The Principal, the Rev. Father Francis Carroll, created history when on
graduation day he presented the five novel graduates to Bishop Collins and the
Liberian Nation as Liberia’s First Catholic High School graduates.
Four of the graduates are deceased, but their importance will ever remain with
us as their input within the nation have left an indelible print that will be
remembered throughout the history of this country. The names are prominently
recorded as follows:
· Dr. Martin Karpeh, a prominent surgeon and one time physician to the President of Liberia.
· Mr. Lawrence Sawyer, one of Liberia’s top expert surveyors whom once headed the Department of Surveys at the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
· Mr. John Lewis Bing; Major General of the defunct Militia of Liberia and one time Superintendent of Sinoe County.
· Mr. Alphonso Sharpe, a scholar who went to Ireland to study medicine, but had to abandon the studies due to illness.
Mr. Augustus Hare, a successful Civil Servant, educator and businessman in the
community is the only surviving member of that class. Mr. Hare is presently
living in the United States.
Following the first graduates, there was a succession of graduates every year
right up to April 6, 1996. When the student population in the city of Monrovia
began to increase; Bishop Collins with support of his SMA Priests who were
working with him on the Mission decided to transfer the High School section of
St. Patrick’s to a more conducive area.
Upon completion of the new edifice of the school on Capitol Hill, the High
School Division was transferred to the new site in 1953. Nevertheless, the
management of the Institution was still under the responsibility of the SMA
Fathers.
After the principalship of Rev. Father Francis Carroll, the following priests
have intermittently served as principal of St. Patrick’s High School: Father
Thomas Lakins, Father Joseph Guinan, Father Michael Rooney and Father
O’Donovan. Other principals - Brother James Newberry, Sister Shirley and
Richard Goodlin.
The Rev. Father Francis Carroll under whose principalship, St. Patrick’s
became distinguished as one of Liberia’s most prestigious High Schools, was
revered as an outstanding prelate of the SMA missionaries.
When the country was divided in 1950 into ecclesiastical jurisdictions, Father
Carroll was appointed Prefect of the Preference of Cape Palmas with the title
of Monsignor. When Bishop Collins died in 1961, he succeeded him as Vicar
Apostolic of Monrovia.
Being the first Principal of St. Patrick’s High School, Bishop Carroll had the
Institution foremost on his heart.
A year following his consecration as the succeeding Bishop of Monrovia, he
made arrangements for the Brothers of Holy Cross to come to Liberia and take
over the management of St. Patrick’s High School in 1962.
The Brothers contain and maintained the venerable prestige of the school right
up to the fracas of April 6, 1996, when the Catholic Authorities mandated all
catholic institutions to be closed until further orders.
Since then the premises of St. Patrick’s High School have been transformed
into the Nation’s first Polytechnic under the sponsorship of the Catholic
Education Secretariat and the Don Bosco Religious Order.