Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Singapore (Agenzia Fides) - Their mission is education for children and young people as a means of growth of the person and diffusion of Gospel values. The Marist Brothers have worked in Singapore since 1949, but were already present in China since 1891. Their first mission was teaching at the Anglo-Chinese School of St Teresa which opened with 100 pupils and today has 300. Later at the request of the Paris Foreign Mission, they taught at Sacred Heart College in Canton, whereas today most of their didactic and pastoral work is at Stella Maris High School opened in 1958 to meet the great need for higher education. In fact as soon as it opened the school had 300 pupils, Catholics and non Catholics.
Present Stella Maris headmaster today Brother Anthony Tan has introduced several new didactic and extra-didactic programmes modernising the curriculum, rendering it more dynamic. Next to the school the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary FMM have run a kindergarten for 350 children since 1990.
The Marist Brothers continue their mission of education and solidarity, especially for young people as a means of evangelisation in Singapore and the Chinese world.
The Marist Brothers were founded in 1817 by Saint Marcellino Champagnat, canonised in 1999. Today they number about 4,300 and operate in 76 different countries. More than 40,000 lay people share the Marist spirituality and mission helping with the education of over 500,000 children all over the world. Besides Brothers the Family also comprises Marist Fathers, Marist Sisters, Missionary Marist Sisters and Lay Marists. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 27/1/2007 righe 26 parole 269)
