Progress Report of the Enlargement Process of Tartu Catholic Education Centre.

Psalm 127

Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.

Sisters of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in the front of the new house for school and kindergarten.

The history of Tartu Catholic School goes back to 1938 when three sisters of the congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary bought the present schoolhouse and started a Catholic Kindergarten there. The Kindergarten was closed after two years because of the Soviet occupation. The schoolhouse was turned into the military building.

Tartu Catholic School was reopened in 1993 with 15 children. The idea of the school was educate the children of our city  and parish according to the christian and democratic principles. Because of the great interest towards our school it has been growing continously and we started to look for the enlargement options. In 2008 we were given a good opportunity to buy a house for school and kindergarten in our immediate neighbourhood in Oru Street 3 that is located also nearby Tartu Catholic Church and the Cloister of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and Jakobi Hill Culture House. The sisters lived and worked in this hospital throughout the entire period the Soviet Occupation.

 

Sister Assunta working in the hospital during the Soviet occupation.

Because of the great support from our parents and benefactors around the world we started the purchasing process. Our generous donators are: parents of our school, Renovabis (Freising, Germany), Bonifatiuswerk (Paderborn, Germany), Kindermissionswerk „Die Sternsinger“  (Aachen, Germany), Aktion Hoffnung (Augsburg, Germany), United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Washington; USA), Bischof Dr.Joachim Wanke (Erfurt, Germany), Erzbischof Dr.Reinhard Marx (München, Germany), Bischof Joachim Reinelt (Dresden, Germany), Erzbischof Dr.Alois Kothgasser SDB (Salzburg, Austria), Bischof Dr.Vitus Huonder (Chur, Swizerland), Bischof Dr.Egon Kapellari (Graz, Austria), Nuncio Erzbischof Peter Stephan Zurbriggen (Vilnius, Lithuania), P.Günter Daum (Villmar, Germany), John McCormack (Sweden), sister Mikaela Wenk (Sweden), Cecil de Rozario (Sweden), Radek Vala (Czech Republic), Bischof Dr. Gebhard Fürst (Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany, Erzbischof Dr. Joachim Kardinal Meisner (Köln, Germany ).

For the present moment we have paid €639930 of the total amount.

While collecting the money for purchasing the building we also started finding resources for the renovation works in the whole building.

The rooms of the first Kindergarten group during the renovation works.

Renovation works are mostly covered by Estonian Ministry of Education and Science and Tartu city, Bonifatiuswerk and Kindermissionswerk. Total costs of the ground and first floor are ca € 371795

In September, 2009 the we opened the first kindergarten group, called the group of Saint Anna, for 24 children.

Our bishop Msgr. Philippe Jourdan and the mayor of Tartu Mr. Urmas Kruuse in the blessing ceremony of Tartu Catholic Kindergarten.

By the end of the year two more kindergarten groups – the group of Saint Anthony and Saint Theresa (24 children in each) will be opened. We have also renovated the ground floor for kitchen, canteen and little hall for gymnastics.

The Choir of Girls of Tartu Catholic Kindergarten with their teacher of religion Mr Hannes Heinsar	The children of our Kindergarten, Mari Ann, Anna
The children of our Kindergarten during the sleepingtime	Saamuel and Kurmet during the playing time

By autumn, 2011 two hundred children from grades 1-4 will move to the new building while the grades 5-9 are staying in the old schoolhouse.

The old schoolhouse of Tartu Catholic School.

In the year 2015 we are planning to open the Catholic Gymnasium in Tartu.

We are most delighted for your support has made it possible to take the project of Catholic Education Centre this far. You are always expected to visit our school and kindergarten. May God bless you and your work!

Sister Katarina,
The president of Tartu Catholic Education Centre,
Tartu, Oct, 2009