A 70-year history of keeping the faith

As the first private Catholic school in the Northern Marianas, Mount Carmel School continues to carve a future anchored on faith and hope—the virtues that make the school one of the CNMI’s oldest educational institutions.

Seasoned by time, made stronger by the ravages of World War II, economic downturns, natural calamities like devastating typhoons, and until just one year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic, MCS continues to grow in its mission of preparing its students to become “academically competitive individuals guided by humane and Christian values to make the world a better place.

MCS’ history is a master class in overcoming adversity, serving as a testament to the resilience of its founders, which it continues to pass on to generations of students.

The foundation of this educational institution that will later become Mount Carmel School was laid in 1927 when five members of the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz—Sisters Loreto Zubia, Inocencia Urizar, Pilar Lorenzo, Maria Teresa Cortazar, and Aurora Chopitea—sailed from Spain to Saipan, a yearlong journey across three continents. They arrived on Saipan on March 4, 1928.

In 1951, out of the ravages of World War II, the sisters established the Our Lady of Mercy Kindergarten, which is now known as the Sister Remedios Early Childhood Development Center. This Kindergarten will be the precursor of what today is Mount Carmel School, which began offering first grade classes in 1952.

Within the same year, Fr. Arnold Bendowsky, along with the help of several parents, remodeled the old sugar mill factory generator house in Chalan Kanoa to become the first structure that will house MCS’ first classrooms. In 1953, the Mercedarian sisters were again called to serve as the school’s first administrators. Sr. Ana Maria became the first school superior while Srs. Dolores Larranaga and Pia Goicoechea became its first teachers. Sr. Bertha Salazar became the first principal and taught second grade. In the next two years, Srs. Soledad Castro, Mary Margaret, and Concepcion Borja joined the teaching faculty.

In 1956, Sr. Rosario Velasco and Fr. Raymond Demers, who was the superior of the Capuchins on Saipan, established what will be MCS’ high school department, the first secondary school in the Northern Marianas. The following year, Sr. Felisia Plaza welcomed 41 sophomores who were to become Mount Carmel’s first high school students.

In 1960, the school saw its first double graduation in the senior Class of 1960 and 8th grade graduates, the future senior class of 1964, with then-Deacon Tomas A. Camacho, the future Bishop of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, serving as the school’s first commencement speaker.

As the school entered its third decade, MCS reaffirmed its commitment to do what it does best—preparing its students for the challenges of life, both within the walls of academia and outside in the local community where its “AlumKnights” are some of today’s trailblazers and leaders.

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Playing a major role in the history and growth of MCS’ as an educational institution are the challenges it had to bear in the face of typhoons that would see the school’s classrooms damaged and destroyed and its resources stretched.

In 1960, Typhoon Olive struck and damaged several classrooms while demolishing the school library. From the rubble of this typhoon rose a new library and reading room in the Chalan Kanoa convent.

Six years later in 1966, Typhoon Jane—which in the annals of Northern Marianas’ recorded history was the most damaging typhoon that has ever hit the islands at that time—saw some of the school’s classrooms completely leveled, with countless books and school supplies destroyed in its aftermath.

While these natural catastrophes would certainly deflate the spirit of anyone, Fr. Arnold would always take the first steps to begin the process of recovery. At the same time, armed with his trademark laughter and his disarming spirit, Fr. Arnold would encourage the school’s family to rebuild and move forward to the future.

In most recent years, 2015 proved to be one of the most challenging years for the CNM,I with two major occurrences that will see widespread devastation on the islands. Mount Carmel was not spared.

In July 2015, the CNMI lost almost all of its connections to the outside world when the sole fiber-optic cable connectivity broke, cutting off all communications. The school’s operations and administrative services were disrupted with the loss of internet access. August 2015 saw the CNMI besieged by Super Typhoon Soudelor, which left the islands in shambles and full recovery only happened after more than one year of rebuilding.

It was during these trying times when the MCS community again banded together to ensure that classes will continue despite trying circumstances. Industrial grade generators and MCS was able to run its IT infrastructure, provide running water, and turn on one unit of air conditioning per classroom so that teachers can resume their classes in an environment conducive to learning. Above all these, many students helped with campus beautification projects and participated in various volunteer activities for the community.

2018’s Super Typhoon Yutu damaged the library and the gymcafetorium—the large school facility that functioned as a gym, café, and auditorium. Thanks to the help of federal funds, MCS reopened the “gymcafetorium” in school year 2020-2021 while the library is set to reopen in school year 2023-2024.

While natural calamities have become a part of the island’s way of life, no one had foreseen the damage the COVID-19 global pandemic will bring not just to the islands, but to the world, when every human interaction and activity known to mankind stopped from 2020 to 2022, to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Despite the known possibility that enrollment would drop due to the pandemic, MCS earned a reputation as an exemplary school under the leadership of AlumKnight Dr. Galvin DeLeon Guerrero and current president Frances T. Taimanao. Under their leadership, MCS was able to successfully resume optional face-to-face learning by school year 2020-2021.

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Like the proverbial phoenix, MCS will see itself rising above adversity—keeping its faith in God, hoping for a better tomorrow while having love for everyone in the family. It is in this spirit that MCS is knight-strong and faith-tested.