The Canossians Daughters of Charity celebrated 130 years of presence in Singapore. To mark this historic milestone, the congregation announced the restructuring of their educational institutions.
Starting January 2025, the Canossian School (CS), an institution for children with hearing loss, will be merged with the mainstream Canossian Catholic Primary School (CCPS).
According to the CS website, this change will support “pupils with moderate to significant hearing loss who can undertake the national primary curriculum and use the oral approach instead of sign language.”
Cardinal William Goh led the unveiling of a statue at the Canossian Village at Salim Road on November 15, symbolizing the merging of the two schools.
The statue features Saint Magdalene of Canossa, the congregation’s foundress, with a boy and girl wearing CCPS uniforms. The boy wears a hearing aid to indicate the school's unification.
A symbolic passing of lamps also took place between Canossian Provincial Sister Geraldine Tan and CCPS principal Eugenie Tan.
The event was attended by around 3000 people, which included past principals of both schools and representatives from the Ministry of Education.
Also present were supporters of the Canossian mission, including Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, Mayor of North West District Alex Yam, and former President Halimah Yacob.
In his homily during the event’s Thanksgiving Mass, Cardinal Goh said that this merger is an important move towards educational inclusivity.
“This restructuring will help young people learn to be compassionate, recognize their own weaknesses, and learn from those with disabilities,” he said.
Sister Tan, now outgoing CS principal, said that the merger is a sign of their deeper commitment to bring quality education to hearing-impaired children.
“Know that all the possibilities are now open to them, to develop their potentials to the fullest as any other child in the mainstream schools,” she said.
The Canossian Sisters first arrived in Singapore from Macao in 1894, less than 60 years after the death of their foundress.
Their community now has 41 sisters and one novice.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
