SCHOOL HISTORY
San Fernando Girls’ Anglican School came into being about sixty (60) years ago in the early 1940s, as a co-educational primary level institution known as the San Fernando E.C. School. It was located on Irvin Street in San Fernando. Subsequently the school changed location to Paradise Pasture, Broadway (now known as Independence Avenue). In 1946 a new school building was erected on the lands adjacent to St. Paul’s Anglican Church on Harris Promenade. Two years later, a new building to be named St. Paul’s Anglican School was erected on Harris Street, for the purpose of accommodating the students of San Fernando E.C. School. However the new building did not provide the required accommodation for the full student body and as a result, the Infants and the pupils of the Standard Ones and Twos remained in the building known as San Fernando E,C, School while the pupils of Standard Three to Seven were transferred to the St. Paul’s Anglican School. This meant a single principal had to supervise the daily operation of both schools. During the period 1954 – 1978, und the leadership of Miss. Sybil James, the school became San Fernando Girls Anglican School. Recently the Anglican Board of Management has expressed the desire to have the name changed so that the school will have a saint name. The saint chosen is St. Julian of Norwich. The school will be called St. Julian of Norwich Anglican School for Girls.
ST. JULIAN OF NORWICH
Very little is known of the early life of Dame Julian of Norwich. She was born in 1342. Her writings in the :Revelations of Divine Love” tells about her visions that she experienced when she was thirty (30) years old. She had been gravely ill and was given last rites; suddenly she had fifteen visions of the Passion . These brought her great peace and joy. “From that time I
desired to learn what was the Lord’s meaning,” she wrote, “and fifteen years after I was answered in ghostly understanding: ‘Wouldst thou learn the Lord’s meaning in this thing? Learn it well. Love was his meaning. Who showed it thee? Love. What showed he the? Love. Wherefore showed it he? For Love. Hold thee therein and thou shalt learn and know more in the same. Thus it was I learned that love was our lord’s meaning.” Julian had long desired three gifts from God: “the mind of his passion, bodily sickness in youth and three wounds-of contrition, of compassion, will-full longing toward God.” Her illness brought her the first two wounds, which then passed from her mind. The third “will-full longing” (divinely inspired longing), never left her.She became recluse, an anchoress, at Norwich soon after her recovery from illness, living in a small dwelling attached to the church of St. Julian. Even in her lifetime, she was famed as a mystic and spiritual counselor and was frequently visited by clergymen and lay persons, including the famous mystic Margery Kempe. Kempe says of Julian: “This anchoress was expert in knowledge of our Lord and could give good counsel. I spent much time with her talking about the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.”The Lady Julian’s book is a tender and beautiful exposition of God’s eternal and all-embracing love, showing how his charity toward the human race is exhibited in the Passion. Again and again she referred to Christ as “our courteous Lord.” Many have found strength in the words the Lord had given her: “I can make all things well; I will make all things well; I shall make all things well; and thou canst see for thyself that all manner of things shall be well.”
