St. Mary's College, Kegalle
National school in Kegalle, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka
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St. Mary's College (Sinhala: සාන්ත මරියා විදුහල; Tamil: செயிண்ட் மேரி கல்லூரி) is a Catholic boys' school located in Kegalle, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, adjacent to St. Mary's church. Established in 1867 by Benedictine missionaries, it was the first school in Kegalle. In 2023 it had approximately 3,000 students and 135 teaching staff. It currently offers primary and secondary education, and the college is under the management of Ministry of Education.[1]
| St. Mary's College | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
Main Street, , , 71000 | |
| 7°15′9″N 80°20′17″E | |
| Information | |
| Type | National school |
| Motto | Latin: Non Sibi Sed Patriae English: Not for Self but for Country |
Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1 March 1867 |
| Founder | Fr. Domenico Singolani |
Principal | Gamini Karunaruwan |
Teaching staff | 135 |
| Grades | 1 to 13 |
| Gender | Boys |
| Age | 6 to 19 |
| Enrolment | 3,000 |
| Language | Sinhala, English and Tamil |
Campus type | Suburban |
| Colours | Red and gold |
| Affiliation | Ministry of Education |
Alumni name | Old Marians |
| Abbreviation | SMC |
| Website | St. Mary's College, Kegalle |
History
St. Mary's College was established on 1 March 1867, the fifth Catholic school in the country established by the Benedictine missionaries.[2][3][4] The school was founded as a vernacular English school in 1867 by Rev. Fr. Domenico Pingulani, a Benedictine missionary, in connection with St. Mary's church.[2] It initially had 22 students and one teacher.
The Jesuit missionaries took over the running of the school in 1893.[4] In 1902 Lucian van Langenberg was appointed the school's principal. In 1921 Rev. Fr. Berneart took over the administration of the school and by 1922 it had 110 students enrolled.[2] In 1933 Rev. Fr. P. M. Baguet was appointed as principal. In 1947 St. Mary's College was elevated to a secondary school, with classes in English, Sinhala and Tamil. The same year the house system was re-introduced to the school, with the houses named after colours: red, blue, green and gold.[2] In 1960 it was changed to a government school with 688 students enrolled and 36 staff.[4] The school was elevated to a national school in 1995.[2]
Houses
The Students are divided into four Houses:
- – Nilwala
- – Mahaweli
- – Kelani
- – Walawe
Notable alumni
| Name | Notability |
|---|---|
| Jayanath Colombage | Admiral, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy (2012–2014) |
| Amaranath Jayathilake | Film maker |
| Tharanga Paranavitana | Test cricket player (2009–2012) |
| Kalinga Indatissa | Lawyer |
| Sam Karunaratne | Professor and engineer |
| Chaminda Bandara | Cricket player (2016) |
| Chamod Yodasinghe | Sprinter |
| Maheepala Herath | Governor of North Central Province (2020–2024) |
| Udayakantha Gunathilaka | Member of Parliament (2020–2024) |
| Kanchana Welipitiya | Member of Parliament (2024–present) |
| K. T. Francis | Test Cricket Umpire |
| Bandu Samarasinghe | Actor |
| Edward Jayakody | Musician |
| Sir. Edwin Wijeyeratne | Lawyer, politician and diplomat |
| Buddhadasa Vithanarachchi | Actor |
| Premakumar Gunaratnam | Political activist |
| Asoka Handagama | Film maker |
| Rookantha Gunathilake | Singer/musician |