The Ursuline Franciscan Educational Society is the registered body of the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation established to start, administer and maintain the educational institutions. The history of the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation proclaims that its concept lies in an association known as the Company of St Ursula, pioneered by twelve young women of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Cathedral Parish at Bolar, Mangalore in 1887. Nympha Fernandez, who later became the superior of the nascent company, was their leader. The objective of the Company was to serve effectively and expeditiously the needs of the Cathedral Parish which were instructing and catechizing the people in moral and religious matters, educating them at suitable levels, caring and encouraging the sick and neglected, and attending to the aesthetics of the church and cleanliness of the sacred vessels and altar linen’.
In this setting, the contributory factors towards shaping the Association into a religious congregation are a study in itself. It developed, by the fact, that the members of the Company redefined the first objectives. While catering to the spiritual needs of the parish, they moved into the Mangalore old Port area (Bunder) in Bolar and involved themselves in educating children of the area who were both unable and unwilling to attend school due to their deprived socio-economic and cultural circumstances. The pages of the history of the Company recount the simple means employed – distributing goodies – in order to draw children towards learning. Thanks to the first house of the Company, namely St Ursula Convent put up behind the Cathedral Church in 1901,through he initiative of Mother Nympha Fernandez; the members were fervent to pursue their mission – they started a half day free school(1902) in the hall of the Convent (the hall exists to date). It ought to be noted that training in tailoring was another area of their focus by which they guided young women of the locality towards economic self-sufficiency. The St Ursula Primary School obtained formal recognition from the Department of Education on November 24, 1927. The School was also admitted to financial grant the same year.