Cross and Passion College (Kilcullen)

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Cross and Passion College Coláiste na Croise agus na Páise
Location
Main Street, Kilcullen, County Kildare R56 E673 Republic of Ireland
Coordinates	53°07′47″N 6°44′51″W / 53.1297°N 6.747385°W / 53.1297; -6.747385Coordinates: 53°07′47″N 6°44′51″W / 53.1297°N 6.747385°W / 53.1297; -6.747385
Information
Motto	Domine noverim te (Lord, let me know you (Latin))
Denomination	Catholic
Established	1886
Trust
Principal	Joe Leonard
Gender	Mixed
Number of students	816
Language	English
Campus size	5 ha (12 ac)
Campus type	Urban
Color(s)	Blue, black, gold
Website	cpckilcullen.com

Cross and Passion College is a voluntary Catholic secondary school catering for male and female students aged 12–19 around the County Kildare village of Kilcullen.^[1][2]

History[]

Canon James Langan of Kilcullen invited the Sisters of the Cross and Passion under the Leadership of Elizabeth Prout (Mother General Margaret Mary) to open a convent and schools in his parish in the early 1880s. Mr Quinn in the area donated land, first for a large house situated on extensive grounds and 10 years later gave more than enough land for a new convent, with an interest-free loan for building, if needed for education. The Sisters arrived to Kilcullen on 14 September 1878 and the Sisters began teaching in the local National School. The Convent also served as the Novitiate for the Cross and Passion Sisters. The Curriculum in those days comprised Religion, Irish, English, French, German, Italian and Mathematics. Lessons were also offered in cooking, singing, dancing, decorum, etiquette and elocution. The college grew in numbers to 68 students in 1922 (48 boarders and 20 day pupils) when the Irish Free State came into existence. Application was made to the Department of Education. The College was among the first in the country to make Irish the common language in instruction. The College’s medium of Instruction changed to English in 1942-43. An Army hut was bought for £25 in 1926. It served as the Concert Hall and Drill Hall. On the 15th February 1929 electric light from a private generator was turned on, before official electrification came in 1937.

Sister Celia Mary was appointed Headmistress in the 1940’s and the Novices were transferred to Dublin in 1953. Extra dormitories and a Home Economics and Sewing Rooms were added. The playing fields were extended. The 1960s saw the development of the new convent kitchen and a boarders’ refectory. 1967 brought the Free Education Scheme and increased numbers of students. Prefabricated classrooms were added in 1971 to provide adequate classroom space. The College moved to a ‘five day week’ at that point with the consequential challenge in the provision of extra-curricular activities. Sr. Joan was appointed Principal in 1977 and the first lay Vice-Principal, Mr John Kinane was also appointed at that time. Negotiations began about the school becoming a Co-educational Voluntary Secondary School and these culminated in 1986 when Cross and Passion College welcomed its first boys in September of that year, with consequential growth in the student population. This welcome growth also brought developments in the College curriculum and a necessary permanent extension to the school building.

The beginning of a Parents’ Committee commenced and it was formed during the 1981-82 school year. The first Lay Principal, Mr. Paul Tyrrell was appointed in 1996. Later, in 2004, Sr. Máire O’Sullivan, the last teaching Sister in the College, left the school to pursue further study and later to be appointed Provincial Leader of the Cross and Passion Congregation. Sr. Carmel Miley continued to serve on the administrative staff of the College, before joining the public service in 2002. We were delighted that Sr. Carmel rejoined the staff in 2012, and to this day is a most treasured resource as Chaplain and the ‘invisible presence’ of the Cross and Passion Sisters among us. Mr. Kinane our first lay Deputy Principal retired in 2005 and was succeeded by Mr Noel Clare. 2009 saw the formation of the ‘The Le Chéile Schools Trust’, bringing together schools of a similar tradition committed to serving and supporting Catholic Post Primary Education.

The Le Chéile Schools Trust is composed of 14 Religious Congregations. Its remit is to promote Catholic Education as an option within the Irish Education System and to develop the schools of the Congregations in the service of their local communities, the State and the Church. It became a secondary school in 1924. The Cross and Passion College became a voluntary secondary school and began admitting male students in 1986.^[3][4]

References[]