St. Francis Xavier High Schoolسینٹ فرانسس زیویئر ہائی اسکول

I got a job at St. Francis Xavier School when our church was also new. There was no choir, and the church didn’t have a proper roof either. To make people more active and aware, Father Anju Waris and Sister Catherine went to different areas and convinced parents to bring their children to school, which was only for Christian children. They even went to people in Qayyumabad and encouraged their children to get enrolled.

To build washrooms and install a water tanker in the school, we used to raise funds through a mela (carnival). For many years, the school only had a primary section, but I think in 1977, 6th grade was introduced, and eventually it expanded up to 10th grade, offering both science and arts subjects.

At that time, when elders saw us organizing the mela, they said, “Children, please do something for us too.” Then the priest said that, on behalf of the church, we could organize something during Christmas for the elderly men and women.

We organized games on 19th Street and in front of the school, only in these two places. Our elders participated in games like running races, and young people judged them and even gave prizes to the winners. Along with that, we had Christmas carols and we would go to everyone’s houses and spread the good news. Inspired by us, our elders also started participating, dancing, and singing. Everyone was really happy in those times they truly enjoyed themselves.

When students who passed out from the same school meet me today, I feel really happy. Although they studied in an Urdu-medium school, their children have become doctors, engineers, pharmacists, and dentists, and many have gone abroad.

In school, we participated in Sunday school programs and Lector groups. On Saturdays, we would attend church masses, and festivals were always celebrated enthusiastically.

Whoever completed their matriculation from St. Francis Xavier School is doing well today. Even though it was an Urdu-medium school, we received a high-quality education. We had very capable teachers, including Sir Safdar Bhatti, Sir Waris Anjum, Sir Shamim, Miss Juliana, Miss Shazia Cyril, Miss Josephine, Sir Peter, Sir Iqbal, and Sir Emmanuel. We were fortunate to have such dedicated educators.

At that time, the school system was excellent, and the number of students was also very high. I still remember every day of my school life and how much we enjoyed going to school. I never took a day off, and along with receiving trophies for achieving high positions, I also received awards for full attendance. I loved going to school.

All of us children received our education from this school in our neighborhood, and today many of us are successful in our careers.