Anything Under the Sun
Mill Hill Schools
In their hundred years of missionary work in the Philippines, particularly in West Visayas, the Mill Hill Missionaries (MHM) had established schools in almost every town assigned to them.
The earliest school was built in 1906 in Maasin (Iloilo) by Fr. Walter Caine. This was the forerunner of the present St. James Academy. This was followed by Fr. John Gfoeller (Foller) with an elementary school in Igbaras in the 1910's.
Then came Fr. Everardus van de Kamp who established the St. Catherine Catholic School in Leon, Iloilo in 1915. Incidentally, this is the oldest parochial school existing at present in the province. This writer is highly honored to be its guest speaker during its 80th anniversary in 1995.
In 1912, Fr. Mathias Hubertus Boonen opened an elementary school in Pandan, Antique in the 1910's which was the forerunner of the present Pandan Bay Institute. He also established the Centro Escolar de Ilog in 1917 in Ilog, Negros Occidental.
There were Josef Aloisius Hinterhuber who had in 1918 an elementary school in Barbaza, Antique and Fr. Antonius Johannes Gerardus Wichman who established the St. Michael Parochial School in San Miguel, Iloilo in 1926.
After the war, the MHM concentrated more in Antique by building schools in almost every town, thus: 1947 -- Pandan Bay Institute, 1948 -- Dao Catholic High School under Fr. Anthony Paulus Oomen, 1957 -- St. Anthony's School in Barbaza under Fr. Ben Holtenrichs, 1962 -- St. Michael High School in Culasi under Fr. Alfons Innerbichler; 1962 -- St. Augustine High School in Patnongon under Fr. Charles Harrasser, 1963 -- St. Vincent High School in San Remegio under Fr. Lambertus Johannes van Hout, 1964 -- St. Luke's academy in Valderama under Fr. Petrus Josephus maria Hoornman, 1965 -- St. Balise High School in Sebaste under Fr. Eugen Daberto.
Lastly, the Santa Rita Academy in Sibalom presently run by the Assumption Sisters was built in 1966 by the Prelature of San Jose.