I consider it a blessing and a privilege to give this message of felicitation to the Advanced Level Group Project Committee of 2011 batch of Sacred Heart Convent, Galle, Sri Lanka on the eve of launching the school's website www.sacredheartconvent.lk  The students' arduous effort to put Sacred Heart Convent on the world map is indeed a laudable endeavour.

Today most of the institutions have adopted this procedure, as this has come to be the predominant mode of communication highway, the world over. Unless we too link ourselves to this lightning speed communication highway, we would not be in a position to air our views pertaining to school's progress expeditiously.

Sacred Heart Convent has served the country for one hundred and thirteen years since its inception in 1896 and I consider it only too fitting to recall its worthy beginnings. The urgent need for education of young girls in Galle was the beginning of Sacred Heart Convent. The Galle mission which had been in charge of the O.M.I. Mission was handed over in 1895 to the Jesuits and with this change the Good Shepherd nuns who had been in charge of the girls' section of the mixed school in Galle returned to Colombo. Bishop Van Reeth, whose sister, the Rev .Mother Bernadette, was the Superior General of the Sisters of Charity in Belgium, thereupon asked for a band of Sisters of Charity of Jesus & Mary to be sent out to carry on the educational work of girls in Galle. At the time there was a great need for such an institution and in answer to the Bishop's request, on the 4th November 1896; five Sisters of Charity of Jesus & Mary left Belgium for Ceylon. They were: Mother Amelie, Sr.William, Sr. Marcia, Sr. Alberta and Sr. Alexandra. The Sisters were accompanied on their journey right up to Galle by the two Jesuit Priests, Rev. Fathers D' Herde and Standaert.

After their arrival in Galle on the 24th November 1896, instead of starting work in January as planned, our three teaching Sisters – Sister William, Sister Alberta, and Sister Alexandra began teaching in the mixed school with 36 day-girls on the feast of St. Andrew – 30th November. At first all three Sisters taught in the mixed school. In December 1896 the Sisters started teaching in the convent and on the first day eleven girls were present. All the work of the school organization was carried out by Sister William who was the Headmistress of the school. Her staff consisted of Sisters of Charity. Within five years of its beginning, Sacred Heart Convent became an institute which served the needs of the country at the time. The school saw to the intellectual needs, to the social needs and to the economic needs of the little community around the Convent. Thus the Torch of Truth and Charity was lit way back in 1896. The seed that was sown by Rev. Sr. William was nurtured by Sr. Mary Paul, Sr. Conleth, Sr.Adrian Doran and Sr.Rosina Nanayakkara.

Today, Sacred Heart Convent, with its expanded student population of two thousand two hundred has achieved many a feather in its cap of accolades covering co-curricular and extra – curricular activities, nationally and internationally. Yet Sacred Heart Convent humbly retains its proud heritage of upholding the cherished ideals "The torch of learning… be our guide to truth and charity" even today.

While congratulating the Advanced Level Group Project Committee of 2011 batch for transcending all boundaries to focus this prestigious school to the global arena, I pray more innovative endeavours would be forthcoming in the future as well.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus bless you.
Rev. Sr. K. Disna S. Siyaguna
Principal.