Our Mission
We are a Catholic community of Faith, Learning, Care, Service & Stewardship. Embracing Mary’s way of courageous and compassionate acceptance we fulfil Christ’s promise of The Way, The Truth, The Life in a dynamic and diverse learning environment.
At Marian we truly are a school “where the lessons of today prepare us for the challenge of tomorrow”.
We call this- Living the Marian Way.
Live the Marian Way
Marian Catholic College was originally founded by Mercy & Marist Religious Orders. Mercy and Marist traditions are both informed by the way of Mary. Together these charisms underpin our Marian identity. This includes our perspectives, traditions and values.
The Mercy Sisters:
The Venerable Catherine McAuley
Sisters of Mercy all around the world draw inspiration from Catherine McAuley, who founded the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland in 1831. Catherine’s words – “It began with two, Sister Doyle and I” – speak of the humble beginning to what has now become an international association of Sisters of Mercy.
Catherine recognised the needs of those who were marginalised and oppressed by unjust social attitudes and practices of the day. She responded by establishing a House of Mercy in Dublin which provided educational, religious and social services for women and children who were at risk of homelessness through exploitation and entrenched poverty.
Catherine McAuley was born in Dublin on September 29, 1778 and had two siblings, James William and Mary. Her father James died in 1783, and her mother Elinor, in 1798. In 1803 she became the household manager and companion of an elderly, childless, and wealthy Quaker couple, William and Catherine Callaghan who lived at Coolock House. She did not dream that when William Callaghan died in 1822, Catherine Callaghan having died in 1819, she would become the sole residuary legatee of their estate and much of their savings. Catherine used these resources to found the Sisters of Mercy and to begin their wide spread and lasting legacy.
The Marist Foundation:
St Marcellin Champagnat
The Marist Brothers were founded by St Marcellin Champagnat. Marcellin was a deeply spiritual boy from a small village in France. Marcellin had not had very much schooling and when he entered the Seminary to study he found the other students were far more advanced than he.
At the end of his first year, he was asked to go home and think about his future. After talking to his family and praying about his difficulty, he decided to return to the Seminary and make a fresh start. The priests who ran the Seminary were very impressed with his new enthusiasm and dedication to study.
Following his mother’s example, Marcellin had a great devotion to Mary and he was delighted to find she had an honoured place in the Seminary. He found friends in the Seminary who shared similar ideals and goals in life. They believed that following the French Revolution, the Church needed to be ‘born again’. They planned an institute in honour of Mary, and their hope was to include Priests, Religious and lay people; a radical idea for the time and in which the Marist Fathers, Marist Sisters, Marist Missionary Sisters and the Marist Brothers have their origins.
Marcellin’s particular contribution to the plan was his belief that there also needed to be Brothers to evangelise and teach the young. He also had a strong focus on the values of simplicity, presence and education for the marginalised and those who were disadvantaged.
