School History
Loyola High School is part of the Vinukonda Mission established and founded by the late Rev. Fr. T. Baliah, S.J., in 1960. He was a member of Society of Jesuits (S.J.) who dedicated his life to serve God and humanity. (More information about Jesuits is given at the bottom of this page.)
A man of vision and mission, Fr. Balaiah, preferred this unwanted, utterly barren, and backward area to the fertile soil near Mederametla, proposed by the former Bishop of Guntur in order to spread the love of the gospel on this hard and unsuitable Palnadu region. Alone and with undaunted spirit, Fr. Balaiah started his life in a rented house in Vinukonda town and began accumulating the area along Vinukonda-Narasaraopet State Highway, on both sides. With the help of the sisters of M S I Congregation, he set up a dispensary, a High School for Girls, and a primary school both for boys and girls.
As days passed by, he set apart the area to the left of the road for Jesuit mission, and a primary school and Jesuit missionary Residence came into existence in 1970. In 1972, he started a Telugu medium High School for Boys, supported by a small hostel. Later a large Hall was constructed which has since been used as a prayer hall, study hall, auditorium, exam hall, function hall, and a dormitory. Hence, it has been called as “multipurpose hall” even today. A full-fledged Hostel Building was completed in 1979.
Rev. Fr. Roberta was the first Headmaster of the school and later Rev. Fr. Christu Raj, S.J. became the First Jesuit Headmaster. The slow and steady development of the school under the efforts of various Jesuits along with the dedicated staff brought the school into the limelight in later years. It was in the 1980s that the name of the School spread all over the State (Andhra Pradesh) as it gained name and fame both in academic and physical education activities. The cent percent results in S.S.C consecutively for three years from 1980- 1983 and the introduction of Sports Authority of India programme in the school added a glory to the school. And it was during this decade, the people of Vinukonda came forward to raise funds for the construction of a new block to accommodate the new sections. In 1987–88, for the first time, the school got the Championship Grieg Casket for both games and athletics in Guntur district during the District Central Zone Meet, conducted in our School, accommodating children of nearly 22 schools from various Zonal schools.
The enviable standard maintained in academics as well as on the games fields, makes the school one of the famous schools in the district of Telugu medium schools in Guntur, thus fulfilling the vision of the great missionary Rev. Fr. T. Baliah, S.J.
Fr. Ravi Sebastian, S.J
is the superior of the Loyola High School community in Vinukonda from July 11, 2019, ably assisted by three Jesuits. Jesuits have started an English medium Parallel Section was added to existing Telugu Medium High School in June 2018.
Fr. Bellamkonda Inyasa Showraiah, S.J
is the Director of the Hostel.
Fr. Gabriel Raja, S.J
is the incharge of English Medium School.
About Jesuits
Jesuits are members of the Society of Jesus (SJ), the largest Religious Congregation for men in the Catholic Church. The Society of Jesus was founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, a Spanish soldier, who, like most men of his time, initially dreamed of bravery, fame, wealth and beautiful women. But while he was trying to recover from the injuries he suffered after being seriously wounded in a battle, the books he read completely transformed him. He wanted to serve God – not the king. ‘For the greater glory of God’ (Ad majorem Dei gloriam) became his motto. Giving up all his possessions and ambitions, he and his six companions took the vows of religious life at Montmartre in Paris, France on 15 Aug 1534. Ignatius and his first companions wanted to work in the Holy Land but later offered to do any work assigned to them by the head of the Catholic Church, the Pope. They were officially approved as a Religious Order on 27 Sept 1540, by Pope Paul III.
Jesuits traveled to all parts of the world to proclaim the good news of Jesus. Realizing the vital role that education plays in humanizing society, they founded schools and colleges and offered not merely academic education, but also discipline and important human values. Apart from education, they worked in various fields – science, communication, social action, philosophy and theology, spirituality… – all for God’s greater glory. Today more than 19,000 Jesuits work in 112 countries in six continents, with the aim of moulding, with God’s grace, men, and women for others. They see themselves as ‘converted sinners’ or ‘wounded healers’ and understand their mission in the world as ‘service of faith and promotion of justice.’ The charming, serene Jesuit recently elected the Superior General to lead Jesuits everywhere is Fr Adolfo Nicolas, SJ. To learn more about Jesuits worldwide, visit www.sjweb.info
“Help others and seek God in all things”
For easy administration Jesuits worldwide are divided into regions or what they call Assistancies. India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan come under the South Asian Assistancy, currently the largest in the world, with nearly 21 per cent of the world’s Jesuits working here. It is led by the Provincial of South Asia or POSA, who has his office in New Delhi. Fr Edward Mudavassery, S.J. is the present POSA. You can learn more about the South Asian Assistancy if you visit www.jcsaweb.org.
An Assistancy is divided into Provinces and India has 20 Provinces (including some vice provinces and regions). About 4,000 Jesuits work in all the States of India. Some of the best-known colleges and schools in India you would have certainly heard about are run by the Jesuits. Loyola College, Chennai, St Xavier’s, Mumbai, St Xavier’s, Kolkota, St Xavier’s, Ahmedabad, St Joseph’s, Bangaluru, and St Joseph’s, Tiruchirappalli, Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada, St Xavier’s, Thiruvananthapuram… are all Jesuit institutions, whose alumni lead India and serve its people in a variety of fields.
Loyola High School is Celebrating 50 years of its glorious existence as a prestigious educational institution
