Holy Cross Girls Hostel, Silchar

Silchar was a small town in Cachar District of Assam. In the year 1957 the Holy Cross Parish was founded by the Holy Cross Fathers and also a residential Khasi Medium school meant for Khasi children as there were no schools in Khasi villages at that time. Later on this school was converted into English Medium School. In the year 1966, Bethany sisters were invited by Msgr George Breen to look after the school and hostel for girls. For about 3 years the sisters were housed in the church campus and in the year 1969 they shifted to the new convent building which is known as Holy Family Convent now.

In the year 1970 a hostel for girls was started to cater to the needs of Khasi girls studying in Holy Cross School, Silchar. For some years, girls from Mizoram were also admitted but due to the tension between the Bengalis and Mizo communities, the Mizo children had to leave the hostel and the school.

Initially motivating the Khasi parents to send their children to the hostel seemed an impossible task, as they wanted their children to help them in their Pan cultivation in the village. Gradually the parents began to realize the value of education, so the number of children seeking hostel facility increased. As a result, the then existing structure was found inadequate to meet the growing demand. So, in 1984 first floor of the hostel building was put up with funds given by MISEREOR. Fr Gabriel Pinto who was the Vicar General of the Diocese undertook the construction. For the last one or two years, due to constant floods in Silchar, the drain between the convent and the hostel was getting filled up and the dirty water was getting entry into the hostel yard and the building. The existing building also needed a thorough repair. Hence the entire building and the yard had to be renovated and the yard and the floors inside had to be raised. Thus renovation work were undertaken this year (2016) and completed under the supervision of Br Regi SDB and the financial help from the Congregation and other sources.

At present we have 86 hostel girls and there is provision now to accommodate more girls. Sisters take great pain to give extra coaching to the girls in order to bring them up to the standard of the school which is considered to be the best in Silchar. Apart from academics they are given faith formation, leadership training, and spiritual help. Cultural programmes are also conducted to exhibit their talents.