St Augustine’s College – Blazing the trail: 90 Years of Excellence.
Named after the Patron Saint Aurelius Augustinus, St. Augustine’s College is every bit a reflection of the life of the illustrious saint.
Established some 90 years ago, this great institution has been through thick and thin, ups and downs, happy and sad moments, and has at least, over the years shaped the lives and destinies of over 10,000 boys (and girls) scattered across the globe and imparting humanity in special ways.
But how did St. Augustine’s College start?
Our story began in the year 1893 when Rev. Fr. Michon purchased a piece of land at Amisano on behalf of the Catholic Church (then called the ‘ Elmina Mission’ which sought to establish a Teacher training college and Seminary for Catholic boys.
About 35 years later, construction work started in earnest.
Operational difficulties and other challenges led to the need to separate the seminary from the training college.
The leadership of the Cape Coast Vicariate changed hands and on board came Monsignor W.T. Porter under whose leadership the idea for a Catholic Secondary School was first discussed.
With the existence of rival schools started by ‘rival’ churches, it wouldn’t be long before the local Catholic faithful would demand a boys’ secondary school of their own.
The conception of the great school went a step further when on August 6, 1933 a historic meeting at Cape Coast outlined among others, the following criteria about the institution. They insisted that the new institution should be:
• a Catholic one, built with Catholic funds for Catholic children
• easily accessible
• on a hill and not too steep
• endowed with facilities for agriculture
• Enough space for a playground and sports field
• Located in an area where cost of living is cheap
These criteria reflected the desire of the school’s founders to produce high calibre personnel for the society.
Boys who would be all rounded and intelligent sportsmen who would be self-sufficient in food production.
Fundraising started in earnest both locally and abroad.
Locally, the Vicariate raised 2,000 pounds while Bishop Hauger raised funds from abroad to the tune of 10,000 pounds.
…… To be Continued….
Source: http://African-research.com
