Three former students will celebrate Mass on 7 February to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of St Joseph’s Marist College, Subiaco – the forerunner of Newman College, Churchlands.
The former SJC students – Vicar General, the Very Rev Fr Peter Whitely, Ballajura Parish Priest Fr John Jegorow and retired priest Fr Geoff Aldous – will jointly celebrate Mass at 1pm at St Joseph’s Church, Salvado Road, Subiaco.
The occasion will mark 70 years since former Perth Archbishop Lancelot Goody blessed and dedicated the foundation stone of St Joseph’s Marist College, Subiaco, on Sunday 7 February 1954 heralding the Marist Order’s first metropolitan school in the WA.
A week later SJC opened its doors to 132 students from the parishes of St Aloysuis, Shenton Park, St Joseph’s, Subiaco and Our Lady of Victories, Wembley, who started their Marist education with Brothers Lucian John Gerber as Principal, Ernest Gleeson and Victor John Chalmers.
When St Joseph’s College (SJC) opened its doors in February 1954 it was the Marist Order’s first metropolitan school in WA, flowing from its established work at New Norcia, Northam and Bunbury.
By 1964 student numbers were more than 600 and had outgrown the Salvado Road site. An area in the emerging western suburb of Churchlands was selected as the new college site and in 1965 the two senior classes, Years 11 and 12 were transferred from the Salvado Road campus to the new Churchlands college.
The name of the original school was changed from St Joseph’s College to Marist College. Students in Years 3 to 10 remained at the Salvado Road site until 1977 when it closed, and its operations transferred to the Marist Churchlands College location.
1984 saw the merger of the Brigidine and Marist educational systems cementing the co-educational amalgamation which had commenced several years earlier. With that merger came a name change to Newman College.
The Marist/Brigidine co-governorship of Newman ended in 2005 and the Marist Order assumed sole school responsibility which continues to this day.
While St Joseph’s College no longer lives in its original form, it lives on in the memories of the students that passed through its doors from 1954 onwards – and extends forward through their sisters, spouses, children and grandchildren, who attended Mercy or Brigidine schools or Newman College.
The commemorative Mass will precede a reception on the first floor of the adjacent Church presbytery where past students and those from associated communities will be able to reminisce.
A commemorative plaque recording the original location and the anniversary of SJC, located in Salvado Road, next to the Church, will be blessed and affixed to the Church to mark the occasion.
Past students of St Joseph’s College, Marist College and Newman College and the former Brigidine Convent and Sisters of Mercy Convent school communities are invited to attend. Drinks and a light supper will be supplied.
For more information, please contact Michael Quigley via email msquigley@hotmail.com or on 0450 687 839.