Saint Albert's High School

St. Albert High School was founded in 1956 by Dominican missionary Rev. Fr. Pious D’Souza, OP, to serve marginalized and underserved students in Gojra, District Toba Tek Singh. To overcome distance barriers to education, he established a boarding facility, Fatima House, which housed over 100 students who attended the school.

Over 67 years, St. Albert High School became a respected institution, forming leaders across professions including medicine, engineering, education, politics, banking, architecture, and the clergy. Notably, the current Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad, His Excellency Bishop Indrias Rehmat, is an alumnus. The school served students without discrimination of religion, caste, race, or language and became especially well regarded within the Muslim community, fostering interfaith harmony and social unity.

In 1972, the Government of Pakistan nationalized St. Albert High School under the Nationalization and Economic Reforms Order (NERO). This action halted the Church’s educational mission, weakened national education standards, and dismantled missionary school structures. During 40 years of government control, Christian teachers were transferred, religious instruction for Christian students was removed, infrastructure deteriorated, and school assets were redistributed to other government schools.

After denationalization, the Roman Catholic Diocese, Sacred Heart Parish Gojra, the Catholic Board of Education, and the Holy Family Sisters worked to restore the school. Today, the upgraded and registered high school serves over 200 students daily with limited resources. However, financial sustainability, administrative costs, and maintenance remain significant challenges, compounded by the loss of Muslim student enrollment following denationalization.

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