Paco Catholic School

This portion of the parish grounds at Paco is right beside the Paco Church. The building houses the Paco Catholic School which was founded by Belgian missionaries in 1912. Fr. Raymond Esquenet, the first CICM (Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae) to be appointed parish priest of Paco by the Belgian Superior of the Order, started the school in of a small chapel in Peñafrancia for about 50 children.

When Fr. Esquenet was assigned to Batangas and Fr. Godofredo Aldenhuijsen, better known as Padre Godo continued what had started. Fr. Godo asked the Belgian Mothers (CMSA now ICM) from St. Theresa’s College to help in running the school. At that time, Paco Catholic School emerged as the largest parochial school in the Far East.

To be a Paconian may not sound as charming as being an Atenean but this institution has contributed much to the Christian education of Manila’s middle class families. Being situated in a highly commercial and densely populated area, Paconians have stood by the school motto Noblesse Oblige "Your nobility, your dignity is great, and great, therefore, is your responsibility."

The CICM Fathers and the Belgian Mothers (now CICM Sisters) continued their administration of the school. After 72 years of dedicated service to the ministry and education, the CICM turned over the management of the school to the Archdiocese of Manila in 1984.