s o p h i a g i r l s s e n i o r s e c o n d a r y s c h o o l

v a l l a b h n a g a r , k o t a - 3 2 4 0 0 7

Affiliated to CBSE,New Delhi
Vide No. 1730092

Founders

The beginning of the Mission Sisters of Ajmer (MSA) Education System was laid first in 1913 in a school, in the city of Ajmer for the poor street children and orphans. It was known as St. Imelda's school. In 1919 the Rt. Rev. Henry Fortunatus Caumont our Founder, established the first Sophia School in Ajmer for the education of girls. He was the first Bishop of the Ajmer Diocese which covered then, practically the whole of Rajputana (the present Rajasthan). Hailing from the beautiful land of France, Rev. Fr. Fortunatus Caumont O.F.M. Cap. came to India as a young missionary priest in 1897. Being a man of vision and foresight he realized that the extreme backwardness and illiteracy of the people especially in the rural areas could be eliminated only if the women were given basic education. This was particularly the case of Rajput women. While the men enjoyed the rights of a princely feudal system and the best of education in the ‘Princes’ College of Mayo at Ajmer, woman's education was neglected.

Bishop Caumont saw the prime need of uplifting the women. So he took up the gigantic task in 1911. With the help of his sister Mother Mary Matilda, he founded an indigenous Congregation, the Mission Sisters of Ajmer to serve the needs of the people of Rajputana. To them, his Mission Sisters, he entrusted the task of educating the girls and in 1919, he started the first school for them in Ajmer, Rajasthan (Rajputana). The name he gave the school and the motto he framed are both significant of the educational ideal he had in mind. ‘Sophia’ in Greek means WISDOM, and Wisdom is summed up in ‘VACHAN’ the Eternal Word, the source of true wisdom. We as educationalists are to give true wisdom to the children in our schools and colleges. In 1930, Bishop Henry Fortunatus Caumont passed away. In him, Mother Mary Matilda lost a staunch supporter and adviser. Over the years, Mother Matilda saw the Sophia School in Ajmer take deep roots and turn into a High School. Through her dedicated workers, the Mission Sisters of Ajmer, she was able establish such schools in other parts of the county, mainly in the major cities of Rajasthan.