MARY NILAYAM CONVENT, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – 1970

A house in the capital of the State was highly desirable, and Pangapara near Sreekariyam, Trivandrum, seemed most suitable. On 28th February 1970, the sisters arrived in Trivandrum and were welcomed by Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Bernard Pereira. On 4th March 1970, the Bishop blessed the little convent with a chapel, making the long-desired foundation in Kerala’s capital city a reality.

On 25th March 1970, Mr. T.N. Kuriakose, Accountant General, visited Mary Nilayam, marking a significant moment in the history of the foundation. He suggested a new house and site near the church, surrounded by a good Catholic population. Both the Bishop and Mother General, through the Regional Superior Mother Mary, approved the relocation to Pongummoodu, a site with potential for future growth. A plot of 50 cents was available for sale, and an adjoining three-acre area with a house was secured, despite the high initial costs and reliance on borrowed funds. Later that year, the sisters purchased Mr. George’s house along with half an acre of land, moving from Pangapara to Pongummoodu. Thus, Mary Nilayam Convent was born.

By the end of April 1970, the foundation stone for the first Apostolic Carmel School building in Trivandrum was blessed, and Mary Nilayam Rajiv Gandhi International Crèche was also established the same year. On 16th July, the Bishop blessed Mr. Krishnan Nair’s house to serve as the school. On 22nd July, Mary Nilayam was officially recognized for standards I-IV. In 1973, a boarding house and the Mary Nilayam Working Women’s Hostel were constructed to meet the accommodation needs of postgraduate students from Loyola College and lady students from the University Centre.

The school was upgraded to a CBSE secondary school in 1999, and the apostolate continued to progress, receiving much appreciation. On 12th November 2002, a new convent was built and blessed. By 2012, the CBSE Higher Secondary School was established, and the new school building was completed in 2018.