HOUSES
Houses
The House framework strengthens the sense of community at Marymede. It provides the structure within which the students serve and support the community and participate in co-curricular activities. Each of the seven Houses embodies the spirit of a patron saint and is a guiding star and constant reminder of the values we uphold.
Chanel
Chanel House fosters the patronage of St. Peter Chanel who undertook missionary work throughout the Pacific Islands. St. Peter Chanel consistently demonstrated the values of sacrifice and service for others. He spent his life bringing the World of God to all people but did so in a manner that demonstrated perseverance and respect. Chanel House seeks to foster this same spirit in its students; the recognition of the selfless sacrifice required to genuinely serve others with hope and love.
Chanel House has partnered with Catholic Mission, who work locally and globally, to serve people in need. Catholic Mission give people the opportunity for a full, enriched life, physically and spiritually, regardless of religion, stigma, gender or race. They engage in mission when they proclaim their faith through words and action.
http://www.catholicmission.org.au/
Chisholm
Caroline Chisholm is a well-known humanitarian whose desire to help others saw her work in a number of different areas. She is best known for her work assisting immigrants arriving in Australia, especially women, having witnessed the poverty of many new immigrants to this land. Caroline Chisholm fought to have shelters built to accommodate women and families. Students in Chisholm are encouraged to aspire to be like Caroline Chisholm in the way they interact with and support others at the College and in the wider community.
Chisholm House has partnered with the Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project, who work in the same spirit as Caroline Chisholm in helping immigrants and asylum seekers arriving in Australia today. Students will be involved in fundraising activities to support this initiative, as well as having the opportunity to participate in ministry activities associated with the charity.
Marcellin
St Marcellin Champagnat, the founder of the Marist Brothers, is the life-giving root of Marist education. St Marcellin was born in 1789 in Marlhes, southern France. St Marcellin was ordained as a priest in July 1816 and begun work to help young people of spiritual and human poverty. Through the Marist Brothers, Marcellin begun a journey of “making Jesus Christ known and loved” through teaching and learning. This is where our House value of knowledge is derived from. Marcellin believed that “if you want to teach young people, first you must love them - love them all equally”.
The vision of Marist Solidarity is a world where young people are brought to the centre from the margins through access to education. Marist Solidarity empower young people by enhancing their human dignity and developing their capacity to transform their lives and communities. Australian Marist Solidarity (AMS) is responsible for our international development projects in Asia and the Pacific Islands. As Marists we stand in solidarity with our international family to build this capacity through comprehensive education programs that start from the ground up.
http://www.australianmaristsolidarity.net.au/
McAuley
Catherine McAuley was an inspiring woman from Ireland who dedicated her life to the care and support of those in need. When she inherited a large sum of money, she used the money to open a sanctuary for women and children who were denied access to shelter and education. Catherine McAuley was the first Sister of Mercy, however now there are over 20,000 Sisters of Mercy continuing her good work around the world.
Mercy Works partners with communities to promote justice, self-reliance and to support displaced people. They work with communities who are denied access to basic human needs such as education, health care and social welfare. Mercy Works’ principal programs are in Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Australia.
McCormack
Sister Irene McCormack is the patron saint for McCormack House. For 30 years Sister Irene McCormack worked as a teacher in country areas. During this time, she persistently challenged the bishops to act more justly in providing resources for country students and schools. In 1987, Sister Irene McCormack undertook missionary work in Peru. She worked in low income suburbs of Lima, before being transferred to supervise the distribution of emergency goods by Caritas Peru in Huasahuasi, situated in the Andres Mountains about 200km from Lima. This House has taken for its theme the virtue of Courage. We trust that McCormack House will offer an outstanding example of courageous service to the College staff and students.
McCormack has chosen as our House Charity, CatholicCare. Since 1935, their professionally delivered programs and services have been supporting individuals and families to increase their quality of life and reduce social isolation and disadvantage. CatholicCare’s mission is to work on behalf of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Diocese of Sale to build on the vision of ‘life to the full’ for families, individuals and communities in all their diversity, but in particular for those who are marginalized in society as a result of poverty, disadvantage and other barriers to social inclusion.
Romero
Romero House fosters the patronage of Oscar Romero who undertook missionary work throughout El Salvador. Oscar Romero consistently demonstrated the values of sacrifice and service for others. He spent his life working to better the lives of ordinary El Salvadorians living under the corruption and oppression of a military regime by restoring their hope through education and the basic necessities such as medical supplies, food and shelter. Romero House seeks to foster this same spirit in its students: the recognition of the plight of others and extend a helping hand to maintain their hope that one day the world, their world, may be a better place.
Romero House is proud to support St Mary’s House of Welcome as our House Charity. St Mary’s House of Welcome is a support centre for disadvantage people experiencing homelessness and poverty. They have an open door policy and work with people who have been excluded from other services, have complex problems, are isolated and are most at risk of falling through the gaps. Students will be involved in fundraising activities to support this initiative.
MacKillop
Mary MacKillop of the Cross is Australia’s first Catholic saint. Mary was born in Victoria in 1842 to Scottish immigrants. At age 24, she dedicated her life to God, becoming a nun and took the name “Mary of the Cross”. Her vision was to provide education for underprivileged children. She inspired many women to join her and together they founded Australia’s first religious order: The Sisters of St Joseph. Mary and the Sisters were committed to serving the poor, travelling to many rural areas all over Australia to support the poor. Despite experiencing much opposition, Mary stayed true to her faith, forgiving those that persecuted her and continued her mission to reach out to those in need.