Ronita Torcato
Campion School, one of the most sought after private educational institutions for boys in Mumbai, is turning 80 and is celebrating the milestone with year long activities.
Founded on January 20, 1943, by members of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order, the school began classes on rented ground floor premises at New Marine Lines with just 23 boys. Word spread, and Founder Principal, the late Fr. Joseph Savall enrolled 70 students by the year end in the school which is dedicated to the 16th century English Jesuit scholar and martyr St Edmund Campion.
In 1948, thanks to the phenomenal increase in the number of students, it shifted to its current premises, on Cooperage Road. Affiliated with the CISCE, there has been no looking back for Campion’s which has, at present, 794 students from kindergarten to class 10.
Notable alumni of Campion School
Principal Fr Dr Francis Swamy, Campion School says “The aim of the school to educate the students as a whole, training them to be Men for Others – intellectually, spiritually, physically, emotionally and socially and to form upright citizens. We work to turn out persons of conscience, competence, compassion and commitment, we will begin the year’s celebrations by thanking God for his blessings over the last eight decades.”
The Thanksgiving Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Oswald Gracias on the patron saint Edmund Campion’s feast day tomorrow, Thursday 1st December 2022, in the Cathedral of the Holy Name. After the mass, Cardinal Gracias will release the school’s 80th year logo.
On 3rd December, as part of the school’s Social Outreach programme, Campionites of Class 9 will be hosting students of a Jesuit run school for tribal boys in Talasari in a fun filled day of games and entertainment which will give the children of both schools an opportunity to interact with each other. The Campion School PTA body is also organizing visits to various parts of the city for the children on that day.
On 20th and 21st December, Campion School will present a play titled ‘Christmas in Oz’ at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) “We have ensured that each and every Campionite has the opportunity to get onto the stage and be a part of the annual school play” says Fr Dr Swamy.