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The Four College Houses

McAuley House is named for the venerable Catherine McAuley, who founded the Sisters of Mercy Congregation in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. The McAuley House banner has the cross of the Sisters of Mercy, who started a Catholic school in the new town of Griffith in 1921. The background to the banner is blue, one of the traditional colours associated with Our Lady. The feast of Our Lady of Mercy is September 24.

Patrick House is named for St Patrick’s School, which the Sisters of Mercy established in 1921 in Griffith. The Patrick House banner has the logo of St Patrick’s School. It features a Celtic cross, the symbol of Irish Catholicism. St Patrick worked in Ireland during the 5th century to bring the good news of Christ. The cross has a circle: some see this as a representation of eternity. It is also another way of drawing the Chi-rho, which is also shown in the Marian Catholic College logo. The background to the banner is green, the traditional colour associated with St Patrick and Ireland, the ‘Emerald Isle’. The feast of St Patrick is March 17.

Marcellin House is named for Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a Marist Father, who founded a Congregation of teaching Marist Brothers, in Lavalla in France in 1817. The Marcellin House banner carries the logo of the Marist Brothers, who in 1950 began a separate school for boys in Griffith. The logo is a made from the letter M, the first letter of Mary. Above the symbol are a circle of twelve stars which also represent Mary. The background to the banner is red. Red and gold are the two Marian Catholic College colours. The feast of Saint Marcellin is June 6.

Brendan House is named for St Brendan’s, the school begun by the Marist Brothers in Griffith in 1950. The Brendan House banner features a ship’s steering wheel. St Brendan, called ‘the Voyager’, was a 5th century Irish priest who spent more than sixty years in Ireland and Wales teaching the Gospel and setting up monastic communities. Legend has it that he set out by ship in search of a Land of Promise in the oceans west of Ireland, hence his symbol of the ship’s wheel. He is a reminder of the pioneering spirit of the religious Sisters and Brothers who came across the world to minister to Australian Catholics. The background to the banner is gold. The feast of St Brendan is May 16.