Catholic College for the Poor Excels

November 29, 2011: Students of a Catholic college run by Kurnool Diocese in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh have come out with flying colours in a talent contest organised in the state.
Students from St Mary’s Junior College, for the poor, bagged the sixth and tenth position respectively from among more than 3000 students from 62 colleges.
The talent test was conducted by Master Minds, a college specializing in Chartered Accountancy, on November 27.
It’s a commendable feat considering the fact that the school is in Telugu medium as it caters to poor students while all other competing schools were English medium and among the elite schools.
Bishop Anthony Poola of Kurnool, the manager of the college complimented the institution saying, “My dream is that our institutions should give their best to the poor who are usually neglected but are very talented.”
St Mary’s Junior College felicitated its winners on Monday in a special program.
K Yellappa stood sixth and B Venkata Ramana ranked tenth in the test based on Intermediate (plus two ) syllabus.
Their principal Gerard Bankien congratulated them and the staff saying, “I am really proud! 95 percent of our students belong to the Scheduled Caste communities. Its kudos to our staff and students for achieving this distinction.”
Ramana’s father, a Hindu, shed tears of joy saying, “This is a mark of the excellent education the Catholic Church is giving. I could not educate my son because all the colleges demand high marks in tenth class. But St Mary’s welcomes even the students with lowest marks.”
Bishop Joseph Rajappa, the first bishop of Kurnool opened St Mary’s Junior college in 1980. Ever since, it aims at educating the poor who cannot afford high fees in other colleges. It has courses in Science, Mathematics and Arts.
Some former students are also teaching in the college.