FEATURE : SJI HERITAGE GALLERY | LUMEN
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Avenue that was centrally located next to the Beurel library was identified as the location for this new heritage gallery . The two rooms - Think space and Mind Space - formerly used as learning spaces , were merged to create the gallery .
By February 2019 , the makeover at Think Space and Mind Space had begun - the walls were hacked , the false ceiling stripped , doors sealed up and the carpets removed . The Heritage Galley team comprising Ms Patsy Chua , Ms Rita Roop , Ms Eliza Lim , Mr Eugene Ong , led by Mrs Nevina Ho , then embarked on the challenging task of researching and curating the historical content .
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The gallery was to be called Missio 1852 , which means “ Mission ” in Latin .
Located prominently at the arched entrance , the name which was conceptualized by SJI staff Mr Jeremy Liew , recognises the steadfast mission of many individuals and communities which drove them to tirelessly and persistently work towards establishing and growing SJI over the decades .
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The gallery was to be called Missio 1852 , which means “ Mission ” in Latin . Located prominently at the arched entrance , the name which was conceptualized by SJI staff Mr Jeremy Liew , recognises the steadfast mission of many individuals and communities which drove them to tirelessly and persistently work towards establishing and growing SJI over the decades .
The interior of the gallery was designed to evoke memories of SJI at Bras Basah for those who had once studied or worked there . The floor tiles , the columns and arches and even the brass bell and grandfather clock are reminiscent of the old school environment . The star in the centre of the Signum Fidei can be seen prominently throughout the galley to keep us centred in our Lasallian roots .
The theme of ‘ mission ’ drives the narrative in Missio 1852 . The gallery recounts how Fr Jean-Marie Beurel was unwavering in his intent to establish a Catholic school for boys in the early 1840s . It also honours the life of our Founder St Jean-Baptiste De La Salle and the mission that brought the early De La Salle Brothers to Singapore . A compilation of Fr Beurel ’ s letters , which were written in the 1840s and 1850s and translated into English , is on exhibition .
Facing page : The arched entrance of Missio 1852 This page ( top left ): Think Space This page ( centre ): School magazines from the 1920s
This page ( bottom ): Journals written by the Brothers on display