In the beginning of 1960 Barbil was under the Ranchi diocese. Rt.Rev. Dr. Nicholas Kujur, the Arch Bishop of Ranchi blessed a small chapel that was built on the land of a mine owner Mr. Fregrat. Bishop entrusted Rev. Fr. W. A Cook SJ to meet the spiritual needs of our Catholic officers and laborers who were working in the mines and living at Barbil. Rev. Fr. Richard Manuel SJ was in charge of Barbil. In 1966 he started an English medium school at Barbil.
"In your steadfast love, you led the people. Ex.15:13"
As the Balasore Prefecture was formed Msgr. Jacob Vadakeveetil CM, the apostolic administrator of Balasore Prefecture requested the Mother Provincial, Mother Mary Jerose to send sisters to Barbil Mission to teach in the English medium School. Accordingly, Mother Jerose and Sr. Salesia visited Msgr. Jacob and discussed the matter. They visited the place and accepted the offer. Rev. Mother Mary Espirith the Superior General of Adoration Congregation also gave her full support and permission for this new endeavor.
In order to take up the new task in the mission three of our dedicated sisters Sr. Felicia, Sr. Helen and Sr. Jessina started their journey to Barbil on 19 January 1969 and reached Jajpur Station on 21 January. Msgr. Jacob blessed and inaugurated St. Mary's Convent on 22 January 1969. Thus, began the second mission station of Changanacherry Province in the soil of Barbil, Odisha.
Remembering our founder's teaching we consider education as a golden opportunity to eradicate evils from society. Sisters started teaching in St Mary's School. Msgr. Jacob often said 'schools are the stepping stones for development'. As he was convinced of this fact, he started schools in various places retaining the existing schools both English and Oriya medium. In 1969 the sisters took up one more responsibility of managing a small nursery school at Bolani “Red Mount Grammina School" under the management of Rev. Fr. George Kuruttukunnel. On 19 September 1970 Msgr. Jacob purchased 45 cents of land with a building from an English man Mr. Aurelia James Thallok. It was a house with plenty of costly household articles of crockery items, furniture of various types and other utility items which he gave as gift to the convent. This house was blessed and sisters started to live in this convent building. On 26 September 1970 Rev. Fathers handed over all the documents of the convent land to the sisters.
In the year 1996 the school celebrated its silver jubilee under the able leadership of Rev. Sr. Annie Valiaveedu which was the result of the hard work of the silent majority of many committed people both living and the dead. Also, the school celebrated its Golden Jubilee in the year 2016 when Rev.Sr. Jess Maria was the principal. Over these years they have been building a unique culture and a new generation of students. No encomium of ours will sufficiently praise those dedicated people who made Nirmala Convent School what it is. Nirmala Convent celebrated its Golden jublilee in the year 2019. Many gathered together to thank the Lord because we celebrated the golden jubilee of our presence in Odisha and in the Balasore diocese.
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