One hundred years of Mercy in Pretoria, one hundred years of Catholic education, one hundred years of friendships, one hundred years of helping to shape South African society. All of this was celebrated on 13th May, 2023.
St. Columba’s Church
In the early 1920’s, Fr. Tom Ryan IOM bought a site for a church in Capital Park, Pretoria. Although this site is only 3.7 km from the city centre, at that time, Capital Park was outside the municipal boundary. It was a very thinly populated district, and the greater part of the land beyond the church site consisted of blue-gum plantations and a few ostriches. Fr. Tom Ryan asked Mother Magdalen to send a Mercy foundation to Capital Park. She agreed and purchased a piece of land next to the church. Despite the discouraging view taken by many who spoke of the proposed Convent as a “voice crying in the wilderness”, the foundation prospered exceedingly and in later years more than justified Fr. Ryan’s and Mother Magdalen’s enterprise.
Iona Convent
The new Church was opened on 11th February, 1923 and was dedicated to St. Columba and at Fr. Tom Ryan’s suggestion it was decided that “Iona” would be a fitting name for the new Convent. The Superior of the new foundation, Mother M. Joseph, accompanied by Sr. M Alphonsus, came from Mafikeng to attend the opening of the Church. They returned to Mafikeng after the opening ceremony, until the Convent would be ready for occupation. It was expected that the building would be ready in March, and in fact the opening of the school had already been advertised.
Then came a disappointment. The contractors who had been entrusted with the building went bankrupt. This necessitated a new contract, and resulted in a delay in the opening of the Convent. When at last on 8th April, 1923, the two pioneers arrived from Mafikeng, the building was still in a very unfinished state. There were no doors in the house and an emergency door was erected in one room so that the Sisters could stay in the house. Also, there were no cooking and culinary utensils provided and so the first purchase that had to be made was kitchen ware.
Some weeks later Sr. M Bernard and Sr. M Dympna joined the other two. As yet there was no water laid on, and as the stove was one dependent on hot water installation, no cooking could be done in the house. The meals had to be cooked on a fire in the yard.
Iona Lower Primary School
The school was opened on the 23rd of April, 1923. Twenty-one pupils attended on the opening day. Though they were of different grades, all had to be accommodated in one room – the room which was intended for the dining room. A piano was hired and the teaching of music was began within a short time.
Many kind benefactors came forward to assist the little Community during their early years.
The number of pupils increased rapidly. It was, however, only during and after World War II that the numbers increased rapidly. The population of Pretoria itself shot up during those years. After World War II the school had upwards of 600 pupils for many years.
Because of the apartheid laws, until 1974, all of the learners were “white”. The Sisters, then “broke the law” and enrolled children of all races.
All of this – and more- was celebrated by 300 former teachers and former learners at the celebration on the 13th of May. The oldest former pupil who attended, Mrs Hewitt, is 91and she proudly wore the school badge that she had worn on her blazer when she attended Iona Convent. The oldest former teacher, Amelia Venter (90) was delighted to meet her past pupils and insisted on having her photo taken in “her classroom”.
Centenary Invitation
After the centenary mass, celebrated by Archbishop Emeritus William Slattery OFM and Fr. Sam Madza SMA, there was great excitement as people had a chance to meet classmates and teachers they had not seen for years.
Marilyn Brown rsm
South African Province
