The Parish decided that there needed to be a Catholic school in Eastbourne for all the local Catholic children. So a new Church was built, and the old Church was turned into a school with two classrooms.

In 1936, the Sisters of Mercy were asked to take charge of the school. So they bought a house opposite the Church and set up a new Mercy community called St Cecilia’s Convent.

They decided that three Sisters would be needed– two to teach the children and a third to teach music to raise some money, and also to look after the house. The school began on its first day with 60 children.

When the school opened, the Sisters had no money to buy furniture. They had to carry boxes from the chapel to the dining room in the evening to sit on until they had saved up enough money to buy some furniture.

The Sister spent any spare time they had visiting families and helping the poor in the community.

After 11 years, a new school was finally built and was opened in 1948.

In 1950, the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart took over teaching at the school.

www.sanantonio.school.nz