Loreto House - a Heitage school of Kolkata - first mission in SE Asia

In January 2017 Loreto House, a group of heritage schools based in Kolkata, WB celebrated 175 years of excellent services to the society. The grand ceremony was marked by a 'legacy walk' from the Muhammadan Sporting club to the Middleton House and later to the Governor's residence. About 2000 women participated in the long walk and the West Bengal Governor welcomed the gathering and their long march. He recalled the spirit and dedication of those nuns who established one of the finest institutions in India 175 years ago with one thing on mind - education and dedicated public services. The Loreto nuns set the mission out side their home ground Ireland. Concerned about the education of women from the Catholic community Chaplain Dr. Bakhaus made a trip to to Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham, Ireland to bring the Loreto nuns to start a mission in Calcutta (Kolkata) to engage them in quality school education. A team of 7 nuns and 5 postulants all in their 20s landed in Babughat, Kolkata on 29 Dec. 1841 led by Mother Theresa Ball and Mother Delphine Hart with a distinct mission. They sailed from Dublin on first of Sept, 1841 on a ship named Scotia.

Loreto House, Kolkata youtube.com

Loreto House was established in January 1842 in Calcutta, by the Sisters of Loreto belonging to the institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the beginning, they had 60 students. As part of the mission, some nuns visited the Portuguese Church in Moorgihata to teach poor children in that area. Thus came into being the first Loreto Foundation in SE Asia. The school instilled discipline and devotion to duty for which the Lorato schools became famous.

Lorato House, Kolkata, WBen.wikipedia.org/

Lorato House, main entrance, Kolkata tutorialathome.in

Loreto House Middleton Row, a nice 3-storey building became the home of these nuns and it was the garden house of the Gov. General who was kind enough to allow the nuns to stay there and start the mission. Besides famous occupants of this house, the second Anglican Bishop of Calcutta, Bishop Reginald Heber stayed here after 1820s. Unfortunately, he died on 3 April 1926 on a visit to Tiruchirapalli town, Tamil Nadu. A house for students was opened by Loreto in 2006 in this place, now a big city. The one in Kolkata is the oldest and the first Loreto institution to be established in India, besides, it was one of the few all-girls Catholic schools of that time. The old Loreto House was demolished between 1958 and 1961 as it became unsafe for occupation and the present building on campus is part of the old one.

The early students were taught at a house where nuns resided under Mother Delphine Hart, assisted by Sr. Teresa Mons and Sr. Martina McCann. The School was initially established for the education of Catholic girls. However, it has long admitted students of many religions
Tit-bits:

Siister Mary Ward, founder Loreto mission,

Founded in Saint-Omer by a dynamic English woman, Mary Ward, in 1609, the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary consists of members who are commonly known as the ''Loreto Sisters''. It is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women dedicated to quality education and their dictum is 'discipline and devotion to duty'. The congregation adopts its name from the Marian shrine at Loreto in Italy where Mary Ward used to pray. It was on 19 December 2009, Ward was declared Venerable by Pope Benedict XVI. The Loreto Sisters use the initials I.B.V.M. after their names.

Today the congregation is engaged in a wide variety of new ministries, catering to the needs of the society. Activities include: literacy programs, spiritual education, counseling, managing shelters for homeless women, etc. Being active across the globe, the Loreto Sisters operate some 150 schools imparting education to over 70,000 pupils irrespective of creed, religion, etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loreto_Houseious beliefs.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/kolkata-lo reto-celebrates-175-yrs-of-excellence/articleshow/56408588.cms