Diocese: Chikmagalur
Pioneers: Sisters Eliza Pinto, Severine Barrows, Raphael Pinto, Placid Saldanha, Anicetus Souza and Cleti D’Costa
Even swift glance at the fifty-five years of existence of the Ursuline Fransican Sisters at Koppa makes one speechless in amazement at the blessings the Lord showers on those who are ready to receive them. This applies to both the Sisters and the people. It refers to the people because they lived in a place which was damned as ‘tappu mâdidavarige Koppa’. It refers to the Sisters as they had to deal with overtones of this label: lack of transport, torrential rains, unhygienic surroundings, and above all a band of followers of Christ scattered all over the coffee estates, who were as a result tepid in their faith. Addressing these concerns to the best of their ability was the principal focus of their mission at Koppa.
The book of Wisdom points out that God grants joys alongside sorrows. Otherwise than in most other initial stages of their life in a new place the Sisters in Koppa, were blessed with a primary school already established by their predecessors and four acres of land to boot. This was an unexpected gift from the part of the Sisters of St Joseph of Tarbes, who had pulled themselves out from Koppa for personal reasons. The gifted land was located centrally on the brow of a hill. As the Tarbes had no residence of their own, the Ursuline Fransiscan Sisters at their arrival in Koppa had to rent a house of Mr Jerry Pinto, a coffee planter. Unexpectedly, though, the pioneers were made to struggle with might and main before they could take possession of the awarded land. Even then they could obtain merely a part of it.
The Sisters focused on educating children, which they perceived as the key approach towards the empowerment of the powerless. As the number of students increased and as they faced the problem of space, a generous Fr KA Matthew placed at their disposal the parochial house as well as the parish hall. The Sisters owe him much gratitude for his cooperation in the smooth working out of the mission of the Kingdom. Sr Basila Lobo along with the community members erected a school building for both primary and high school sections in 1965. In fact the Sisters could put up a convent building only in 1963.
Over a span of fifty years of the Sisters’ life at Koppa, the face of Koppa has changed. The pioneering spirit of dedication has asserted itself right through the years. A new convent building was inaugurated on May 23, 2004. On May 26, 2008, St Joseph Convent celebrated its golden jubilee. The Convent celebrated also the golden jubilees of Sisters Adelfi D’Souza (May 29, 2001), Benedicta Pinto and Gemma Pinto (May 25, 2009). It was privileged to surrender its members to the Lord: Sr Nonnita Pinto after an intense suffering due to cancer for six months, on July 28, 2002, Sr Zita Saldanha with a massive heart attack on August 5, 2004 and Sr Adelfi due to acute diabetes and blood pressure, on September 21, 2005. The Sisters of St Joseph’s are blessed to have among them the graves of their Sisters belonging to the Region of Chikmagalur: a cemetery was established at Koppa in 2002. The initiative of Sr Jyothi Fernandes and her team in this regard is treasured with gratitude.
Infinite thanks are due to the little but heroic steps of the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters in the field of education way back in 1958 in the face of overwhelming odds. On December 31, 1991 the Kannada Medium High School studies were shifted to the newly constructed building. On December 7, 2001, an open ground stage was constructed and inaugurated. On June 2, 2003 permission was accorded to start Kannada Medium Unaided Primary School. In 2006-07 permission was obtained to start classes 6 and 7 in English Medium School. On the occasion of the fiftieth year of the Kannada Primary School, (December 3, 2004) a playground was launched; the amount was collected by appeal to the general public. On June 3, 2006 and June 3, 2008 the first and second floors of the English Medium School buildings were inaugurated respectively. The school building has been put up in the playground premises. The English Medium School was upgraded to high school on April 28, 2008. The occasion was marked by initiating a new batch of forty-four students on June 2, 2008. The school is the most sought after in the area. The efforts of Sr Gertrude D’Sa in shaping the St Joseph Kannada Medium High School to its present status and Sr Irene Brian D’Souza in establishing the English Medium School are to be recorded in the history of St Joseph, Koppa.
St Joseph Kannada High School has brought out the best in return to the best Sr Nonnita Pinto put in. She was awarded the ‘best teacher’: District award on September 4, 1998, State award on September 7, 1999, and the National award in 2001.
As the Mysore Province occupied too large a geographic area, administering the houses existing in Chikmagalur was too laborious. Hence, a Region was erected on April 30, 2008. One of the first units of the Ursuline Franciscan Lay Association was started in Koppa comprising 12 members in the year 2012.
