Our History
History of St. Bridget School, Quezon City
St. Bridget School traces its roots to the first Good Shepherd Sisters who arrived in Batangas to establish St. Bridget College (then St. Bridget Academy) in 1912.
In 1921, the Religious of the Good Shepherd built another school at Grace Park in the Archdiocese of Manila. It was named St. Domitilla’s School in honor of the Congregation’s Superior General at that time, Mother Domitilla Larose. Three American sisters – Sr. Mary Divine Child Flood, Sr. Mary Herbert and Sr. Mary Vitalis – with the support of the then Archbishop O’Doherty witnessed the foundation and development of St. Domitilla’s School, forerunner of St. Bridget School.
St. Domitilla’s School was set up mainly for two reasons: to rescue young girls from moral degradation and to provide Catholic education for children born of American fathers and Filipino mothers. At the start, St. Domitilla’s served 120 children of Filipino-American parentage. To closely supervise the development of these school-age children they were made interns in the school. Archbishop O’Doherty and the American Guardian Association founded by Governor-General Leonard Wood and Col. Johnston were the benefactors of the school, which thrived in a rented house at Grace Park, Manila. In 1933, a three-story building was built and housed the Good Shepherd Convent and St. Domitilla in the same site.
In 1945 Los Angeles, California, USA became a Province for the Missions which included the Philippines, China, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Two years later St. Domitilla moved from Grace Park to Km. 13, Marikina, Rizal. At that time the place was so remote and out of the way.
During the term of President Elpidio Quirino, a Homesite Program in Quezon City gave rise to Project 2, 3, and 4. The birth of these new residential communities created a need for schools near the area. Many families of the “project home sites” desired Catholic education for their daughters. They learned about St. Domitilla School and wanted to enroll their children in the school.
Numerous requests for St. Domitilla’s expansion to meet the educational needs of the growing number of school-age young girls touched the Good Shepherd Sisters. In 1959, St. Domitilla extended its educational services to its neighboring communities by opening a regular day school (elementary and secondary) for girls, approved by the Department of Education. To distinguish these girls from the interns they were called “externs” because they did not reside in the school.
Student population growth among the externs during the succeeding years necessitated the erection of a new school building in a new school site. Hence, in 1963, St. Domitilla’s School was built in a one-hectare lot contiguous to the Good Shepherd Provincialate. Meanwhile, the interns continued to be housed in the original school site.
The continuous increase among extern enrollees led to the decision of the Administration of St. Domitilla’s School to set up a girls’ school separate from St. Domitilla’s. Besides population growth, another group of students whose characteristics greatly differed from the interns had to be considered. The Bureau of Education recommended the use of the same name for all schools run by the same religious congregation that offered the same curriculum. Hence, the birth of St. Bridget School, Quezon City. In April 1966, St. Bridget School formally acquired its separate legal personality as a corporation. Sr. Mary Divine Child was its first principal. An enrollment of 500 students in both the elementary and secondary levels formed the “seed students” of St Bridget School.
The Present
Today, St. Bridget School still occupies the same school site and location in what is now known as 1047 Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City. It is a small school in terms of physical size and school population. It has controlled its population growth in order to maintain its own set of standards and its “personalized approach” towards students and parents.
St. Bridget School celebrated its silver Jubilee of LIFE, LOVE and SERVICE in 1991. It always looks forward to many more challenges as it carries on the school mission with the legacy and zeal that ST. JOHN EUDES and ST. MARY EUPHRASIA PELLETIER bequeathed to the Congregation. A person is of more value than a whole world. It is a precious heritage that both religious and lay teachers bring to the ministry at St. Bridget School.
