ST. TERESA’S CONVENT, KANNUR – 1867

Rev. Fr. Mary Louis Martelli OCD, the Vicar of the Holy Trinity Church in Kannur, sought to establish education for girls in Kannur. With financial assistance from Bishop Michael Antony, he erected a convent. The arrival of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition from Mangalore in March 1867 marked the beginning of St. Teresa’s Convent. The convent was incorporated into the Apostolic Carmel on 25th August 1871, and its name was changed to St. Teresa’s.

In March 1885, Malayalam was introduced in the school as a second language. Rev. Fr. Zanetti SJ generously purchased a house and compound near the convent for the Sisters’ use. In 1901, Mother Marie Des Anges acquired the convent, boarding house, and school hall from Bishop Cavadini. A two-story building was completed in 1905. In April 1941, a Teachers’ Training School was inaugurated, and in 1950, the school attained high school status. A Higher Secondary course was introduced in 2000, and the foundation for an open auditorium was laid by Rev. Fr. Pias Edezhath.

The Platinum Jubilee of the Teachers’ Training School was celebrated on 22nd February 2016, with Rt. Rev. Alex Vadakkumthala, the Bishop of Kannur, presiding. The Mother Veronica Santhwana Unit was also launched by Sr. Ancilla to support cancer patients and other deserving cases. The convent chapel was renovated and re-dedicated in 2017.

On 1st April 2019, Monsignor Rev. Fr. Clement Langen, parish priest of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Kannur, laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of the Training School, and the building was blessed by Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Alex Vadakkumthala on 22nd February 2020. Over the last 149 years, St. Teresa’s Convent has guided thousands of students, many of whom have gone on to achieve remarkable success worldwide.