St. Mary's College, Negombo

The school was founded in 1871 by Father Monsignor John Vistarini, priest of the Grand Street parish and a Catholic missionary in Sri Lanka,^[1] who dedicated the school to Mary, mother of Jesus. With the help of foreign missionaries who came to Sri Lanka, he gave English education to local children.^[2][3] Father F. L. Briton (1906–1914) was the first principal of the school.

In 1917, the Marist Brothers arrived in Sri Lanka and chose St. Mary's College as their first educational institution. In 1923, Mary Christine de Cruz and Rosa Isabella de Cruz donated a piece of land at Coppara Junction to St. Mary's College.^{[citation needed]} The Marist Brothers started a school as a branch of St. Mary's College. In 1924, they asked the General Manager of Catholic Schools to change the name "St. Mary's College" to "Maris Stella College".^{[citation needed]}

In 1960, the Sri Lankan government took over the schools, but the management had decided to make this college private and fee-free.

During 1973-1981, the land belonging to St. Mary's Convent was taken over by the school, and the school's head built two-floor, three-floor and four-floor buildings for science, commerce and arts subjects.^{[citation needed]}

In 1984 St. Mary's College was named the centre of ten schools in West Negombo.^{[clarification needed]}

In 1995 the school was returned to the Marist Brothers.^{[citation needed]}