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05 February 2010

CHIJMES Singapore

History Chijmes is a wonderful mosaic. It shows beautifully that love really conquer all. His Odyssey from struggling convent school to resplendent living history was never easy, but then most interesting trips is always challenging. Chijmes was once the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ), established in 1854. The order of the Holy Infant Jesus was founded by a Frenchman, Father Nicholas Barre. Born in Amiens, France in 1621 and educated at a Jesuit college

In his hometown, Nicholas Barre decided to consecrate his life to God. He came to the monastery des Minimes, one of the strictest orders in the church and was appointed professor of theology. Despite his success, he was a man of humility and the idea of improving education in France hit him.

Young women volunteers in Rouen ran the first "Charitable Schools" in their city to teach poor children. They went every morning to teach, collect the children from home to home if necessary. Father Barre realized the necessity of a spiritual bond among sisters to counteract the increasing resistance from the other "writing masters" or teachers at the time. Thus he began a new religious congregation. As membership increased, schools multiplied. In Paris, he named his school simply as "School of the Holy Infant Jesus." In 1678 he founded a novitiate for the Sisters on the Seine.

But in May 1686, his health declined and on 24 May, Father Barre soul back into machine. By the end of this century, less than 25 years after the opening of the Mother-House in Paris, Father Barre's congregation searched 80 businesses with free training and 40 boarding schools in the French provinces. The term of office of the Rev. Mother Faudoas (1837-1877) experienced a major growth in its activities. The Institute developed rapidly after the official approval from the Holy See in Rome was given. It spread from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea to the Far East - from the U.S. to England, Spain, Malaya, Japan and even Thailand.

The first missionary trip to the Far East was made in 1851 by five nuns, but it was a fiasco. Top of the Party who died at sea, another caught brain-fever and a third returned to Singapore. Only two nuns were abandoned, and another party can be sent. Sister Mathilde was selected as the top of this new series of four sisters who finally reached Penang October 28, 1852 after an arduous journey of six months.

Monastery in Singapore:

Rev. Jean Marie Beurel St Brieu (Brittany), was on mission in Singapore from 1839 to 1869. As early as 1849, he wrote to Governor Butterworth to say that since St. Joseph's Institution was ready to be established, it would be appropriate to find another charity for the girls next to the church in Victoria Street. The Governor disagreed, as did his successor, Governor Blundell in 1852.

On 18 August 1852, however Beurel father used his own money to buy a house on the corner of Victoria Street and Bras Basah Road for $ 4,000. The house was built by a famous architect at the time Cdnan Mr., Mr. Caldwell. This was the beginning of the monastery building, which covers an area larger than any ecclesiastical body in Singapore, and has a large open area with grass and trees in the middle. In 1840 Father Beurel bought four lots of land for $ 3150 from Trustees of Raffles Institution, so the use of funds. In 1860 he sent it as a gift to "Reverend Mother St. Mathilde and her successors in office". It was Father Beurel who had used the monastery of the Holy Infant Jesus in St Mau in France for the sisters to run his monastery in Singapore.

Nuns in Singapore:

One year after establishing a convent in Penang, Rev. Mother Mathilde came to Singapore and served as Mother Superior of the monastery for 20 years. When the Rev. Mother Mathilde and her sisters arrived in Singapore, they were met with very spartan facilities - a bed, two blankets, two chairs and two chairs which can be exchanged between the four of them.

The sisters quickly got to work and within 10 days, took in orphans, to craft the city's women support them financially and pay school taught 14 children. There were fewer than 200 Europeans in Singapore and very few were Catholics. It was very slow during the first few years, but since the number of older pupils and the school became better known, help was sent from the parent house in France and a new batch of Sisters arrived.

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