St. Paul – A Brief Life History (A.D 05–67)

St. Paul’s School strives for academic excellence and all-round development of students who are fully rooted in the Indian spiritual and cultural ethos. The school has brought about drastic changes in the educational scenario of Katni in recent years. The dream and vision of St. Paul is the moving spirit behind this great success. St. Paul, an apostle of Christ, a great scholar and educationist is the Patron of our school. He was born in Tarsus in Cilicia (South Central Turkey) of Jewish Parents who maintained the traditions and customs of Judaism.

He was a fearless persecutor of Christians who later became a passionate follower of Christ, ready to die for him at any cost. He is also known as the apostle of Gentiles. The vision of God on the way to Damascus opened a new history in his life, a leap from selfishness to the spiritual realm, from enmity to friendship and from darkness to light. For him Christ became life, and death an achievement. God’s love urged him to say, “It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20).

St. Paul was a zealous and true missionary, whose life was tossed by waves of hardships and sufferings. He had unwavering faith in his Master, strong determination, and a clear goal. He crossed social barriers and instilled in others strength, pluralism, co-existence, and harmony.

He was arrested during the persecution by Emperor Nero in Rome and beheaded outside the city in the year 67. His undying sense of mission and unquenchable determination urges us to be firm in our convictions, have grit to face challenges, and always be ready to move forward with hope and faith. His enriching letters to the church, intellectual knowledge about the Word of God, and above all, his prayerful, dynamic and witnessing personality motivate our spirit and wisdom.

“If God is for us, who can be against us.”

St. Paul’s Hr. Sec. School – History at a Glance

In 1934, Father Otto Paymans O. Praem arrived at Katni, accompanied by a few FMM sisters. He opened a primary school for boys, which was recognized in 1939 and began receiving a government grant in 1944. The first teacher was Mr. Daniel. In 1937, the FMM sisters also opened a girls’ school with the help of a lady teacher. The first girl enrolled was Anthonima. To encourage girls' education, the sisters provided mid-day meals and uniforms.

In 1947, the boys' school was closed, and the boys were transferred to the girls’ school, thus forming a co-educational institution. By 1949, the school had 120 students. The primary school was upgraded to a middle school during the first tenure of Father George Puthenpura, and later to a high school under Father Joseph Kappen's tenure beginning in 1985. It was during Father John Quadros’ leadership that the school became a higher secondary institution, affiliated with the MP Education Board, and used Hindi as the medium of instruction.

St. Paul’s English Medium School began in July 1993 during Father George Puthenpura’s second tenure as Parish Priest and Principal. It started with KG I, and by 1995, Class I had been added. The school later received CBSE affiliation, with its first Class XII batch passing out in 2009.

Over time, the demand for the Hindi medium section declined, leading to its closure. Since then, St. Paul’s has evolved into a premier English medium CBSE institution in Katni. The growing demand for admissions, coupled with limited space, led to the establishment of another branch at Jhinjhari in 2018. Today, more than 3000 students are enrolled at the main school campus.