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St. Britto High School, Mapusa
St. Britto High School, Mapusa
Location
	Mapusa, Goa; India
Coordinates	15°35′34″N 73°48′42″E / 15.59278°N 73.81167°E
Information
Other name	St. Britto; St. Britto's;
Former name	Sacred Heart High School
Type	Private primary and secondary school
Motto	Latin: Facta Non Verb; (Deed, not words)
Religious affiliation(s)	Catholicism
Denomination	Jesuits
Patron saint(s)	St. John de Britto
Established	22 June 1946; 78 years ago
Authority	Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary
Principal	Fr. Bazil Vago, SJ
Staff	42 teachers
Grades	1-10
Gender	Boys
Website	www.stbritto.com

St. Britto High School, Mapusa. commonly known as St. Britto or St. Britto's, is a private Catholic primary and secondary school for boys located in Mapusa, Goa, on the west coast of India. It was founded in 1946 and is run by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). It is all-boys and includes nursery till grade ten.^[2] In 2017 all 142 graduates passed the secondary exam.^[3]

History

Indo-Portuguese historian Dr. Teotonio de Souza, part of the school's staff in the 1970s, says this was the third institution set up by the Jesuits in Goa. Its founding was assisted by Valentino Pinto, a wine-merchant of Mapusa. Initially, the school was called Sacred Heart High School. Its original owner faced difficulties in staffing and running it, and handed it over to the Jesuits on 22 June 1946, in Portuguese-ruled Goa. Dom Caetano Menezes, the owner of St. Mary's school nearby, also handed over his institution to the Jesuits. The school's name was changed to St. Britto High School on 18 May 1948.

Early days

Dr. Teotonio R. de Souza suggests that the reputation of the Jesuits in Goa had been on the rise with their management of Theotonio High School, owned by the Goa Archdiocese.

Fr. Sylvester D'Souza was the first principal of the schools taken over, and both were initially co-educational. The Jesuits transferred the girls from the schools to the Apostolic Carmel (AC) nuns, already active in education in Goa, who went on to form the St. Mary's Convent High School, also at Mapusa along the Altinho hilltop where St. Britto is itself located.^[4]

Initially, St Britto's functioned from the Bardez Gymkhana site. Priests running the school and boarders rented houses atop the hill, an inconvenient arrangement especially during Goa's torrential monsoons. The new site of the school was purchased from Cipriano da Cunha Gomes. The Goa Archdiocese assisted construction with a loan. Fr. Ubaldo de Sá, of Moira, is credited with the construction.

The school's large facade dominates the town of Mapusa from a distance.^[5]

Coat of arms

The School Coat of Arms is divided thus:
At the top, against a field of blue, is the monogram of the Society of Jesus, in a golden sun: IHS (the Greek shortform for the name of Jesus), surmounted by a cross. Below that, against a field of golden yellow, are the palms of martyrdom, which pay tribute to the Patron of the School, St. John de Britto. A red chevron separates the lamp of learning (to dispel darkness and ignorance) at the bottom of the coat of arms. At the bottom is the school motto, "Facta non Verba" on the scroll below the coat of arms, which means Deeds Not Words.

Activities and sports

The school has a Consumer Club and Eco Club, but emphasizes seasonal events and celebrations in which the whole school participates: Swachha Bharat Day, St. Ignatius day, Goa Liberation Day, and Christmas festivities including a carol competition.^[6]

Intramural sports include football,^[7] table tennis, badminton, chess, and basketball. Students are also trained after school hours in cricket, basketball, kabaddi, touch rugby, throw ball, net ball, sepak takraw, and boxing.^[8]

School anthem

Cheer boy cheer

Cheer the Britto flag

Hail to thee St. Britto

Cheer boy cheer

Cheer the Britto flag

Hail to thee St. Britto

We thy loyal trusted band

We will ever be true

Light bearers and labourers

True and pure and steadfast

Ch: Let's put on the armour light

Glory of Britto

Let's put on the armour light

Fight for God and country

Alma mater our friend and guide

Stay in shade and sunshine

Lend us light and wisdom lore

Ne'er to fail or falter

Be life's journey perilous

Thou to us a beacon^[9]

Headmasters

Fr.Sylvester D'Souza, SJ 1946–1949
Fr.Irineu Lobo, SJ 1949–1950
Fr.Edward V D'Souza, SJ 1950–1951
Fr.Peter Mendonça, SJ 1951–1952
Fr.Edward V D'Souza 1952–1962
Fr.Lino D'Souza, SJ 1962–1964
Fr.Mario C de Meyrelles, SJ 1964–1973

Fr.Teotonio de Sales, SJ 1973–1976
Fr.Vincent Gomes Catao, SJ 1976–1982
Fr.Anil Soares, SJ 1982–1988
Fr.Joe Palliparambil, SJ 1988–1990
Fr.Abraham Painumkal, SJ 1990–1999
Fr.Apollo Cardozo, SJ 1999–2011
Fr.Cedric Fernandes: 2011–2020
Fr. Simon L de Melo, SJ 2020- Present

Notable alumni

Late Francis D'Souza – former Deputy Chief Minister of Goa and Member of the Legislative Assembly.
Ralph de Souza – chairman of Tourism and Travel Association of Goa.
Noel de Souza – De Souza Group director and musician.
Roy de Souza – director of Resicom Builders.
Eric Menezes – Vice-President of the Goa-based CMM Group of Companies.
Late Mario Pereira – proprietor of Paulo Holiday Makers, a prominent local transport company.
Late August Braganza – musician, founded The Band and Symphony
Alex Braganza – musician, played with The Band and Symphony.
Lenny D' Gama – best international technical official 2017 Boxing Asia.
Alan de Souza – Volvo Asia Pacific parts manager.
Oscar C. Lobo – first Goan Councillor in Australia.
Newton Marques – OHS inspector with the Australian Federal Government.
Salvador Pinto – Bank of Goa manager.
Maroj Pais – Assistant general manager at Automobile Corporation of Goa Limited (ACGL), Goa.