St. Columba's School & Parish History
The Presentation Sisters' story begins with Nano Nagle (1718-1784), born in BaIlygriffin, Ireland, during the persecution of Irish Catholics under the English Penal Laws. Having received her education in France, she returned to Ireland only to be confronted by the squalor, ignorance and accompanying social ills which surrounded her, especially in the city of Cork. She saw as the immediate need of the children of Cork that they be educated. On Friday, 20 July, 1866, a small group of Presentation Sisters left Ireland, their homeland and friends, to make a three month journey by boat to Tasmania. When this group of four professed sisters and five postulants arrived at Hobart they opened the first Presentation convent and school in the Southern Hemisphere at Richmond. In May 1874, five sisters arrived from Kildare and started the Presentation Congregation at Wagga.
The Presentation Sisters came to Berrigan from "Mount Erin", Wagga in 1904 at the request of the Parish Priest, Rev. Father Vaughan. The five Sisters, Sr. M. Alacoque (Superior) Fogarty, Sr. M. Aquinas Cunningham, Sr. M. Catherine Kerrigan, Sr. M. Patrick McMahon and Sr. M. Anthony Sweeney arrived by train on the 30th September, 1904, and were accompanied by Rev. Father Michael Slattery, the Parish Priest of Wagga, who also stayed for the opening of the School.
Before the coming of the Sisters, there had been a Catholic School in Berrigan, opened in 1898, staffed and run by a lay teacher. Berrigan was not unique in having a lay-administered School, as this was the pattern in Australia until sufficent religious were available from overseas first and then from amongest the Australian people, to take over the Schools. The last lay teacher at the school at Berrigan at the time of the Sisters' arrival was Miss Cecilia Flanagan who had previously been on the staff of St Joesph's School in Wagga.
At first the School classes were from kindergarten to seventh grade. A secondary deprtment was later added and continued until the "Wyndham Scheme" forced it to discontinue in 1968.
During the 1960's Father O'Donovan made extensive improvemts to the classrooms. With the completion of the presnt church, the old church building was converted into a classroom and hall in 1970.
In 1976 with financial assistance for the Commonwealth Government a staff room was built onto the hall, and a Principals office was also added to the existing classroom building.
In 1978 Sr. Clare O'Reilly retired as School Principal and in 1979 Mr. Michael Jones was appointed Principal of School. The Presentation Sisters continued to work in the School and parish until 1989 when they were farwelled on 10th December. Srs. Clare Gaynor, Pascal Hayes and Leo Kennedy were the last members of the Berrigan community. Bishop W. Brennan was Principal Celebrant at Mass with Fr. R. Fitzgerald P.P.
In 2004 Centenary celebrations of the arrival of Presentation Sisters in Berrigan were held on 12th September. Fr J.H. McGrath P.P. was Principal Celebrant at Mass. Sr. Maureen Watson, Congregational Leader and many other Sisters returned for the celebration.
The Presentation Sisters came to Berrigan from "Mount Erin", Wagga in 1904 at the request of the Parish Priest, Rev. Father Vaughan. The five Sisters, Sr. M. Alacoque (Superior) Fogarty, Sr. M. Aquinas Cunningham, Sr. M. Catherine Kerrigan, Sr. M. Patrick McMahon and Sr. M. Anthony Sweeney arrived by train on the 30th September, 1904, and were accompanied by Rev. Father Michael Slattery, the Parish Priest of Wagga, who also stayed for the opening of the School.
Before the coming of the Sisters, there had been a Catholic School in Berrigan, opened in 1898, staffed and run by a lay teacher. Berrigan was not unique in having a lay-administered School, as this was the pattern in Australia until sufficent religious were available from overseas first and then from amongest the Australian people, to take over the Schools. The last lay teacher at the school at Berrigan at the time of the Sisters' arrival was Miss Cecilia Flanagan who had previously been on the staff of St Joesph's School in Wagga.
At first the School classes were from kindergarten to seventh grade. A secondary deprtment was later added and continued until the "Wyndham Scheme" forced it to discontinue in 1968.
During the 1960's Father O'Donovan made extensive improvemts to the classrooms. With the completion of the presnt church, the old church building was converted into a classroom and hall in 1970.
In 1976 with financial assistance for the Commonwealth Government a staff room was built onto the hall, and a Principals office was also added to the existing classroom building.
In 1978 Sr. Clare O'Reilly retired as School Principal and in 1979 Mr. Michael Jones was appointed Principal of School. The Presentation Sisters continued to work in the School and parish until 1989 when they were farwelled on 10th December. Srs. Clare Gaynor, Pascal Hayes and Leo Kennedy were the last members of the Berrigan community. Bishop W. Brennan was Principal Celebrant at Mass with Fr. R. Fitzgerald P.P.
In 2004 Centenary celebrations of the arrival of Presentation Sisters in Berrigan were held on 12th September. Fr J.H. McGrath P.P. was Principal Celebrant at Mass. Sr. Maureen Watson, Congregational Leader and many other Sisters returned for the celebration.