About Saint Mary MacKillop Colleges - Wagga Wagga
Ethos
The school seeks to form students as candidates for Heaven, each one loved and respected as a unique person - truly a child of God.
To this end we train the students to seek what is true, good and beautiful, educating them in an atmosphere of Catholic culture where the Catholic Faith is taught in its fulness, the life of virtue seriously pursued and academic excellence promoted as a true and great human value.
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Our patroness and inspiration is St Mary of the Cross, the first Australian-born canonised saint.
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Staff​
Our teachers and all ancillary staff are committed to the Catholic faith and seek to adhere to the Church's requirements that they be
"... very carefully prepared so that both in secular and religious knowledge they are equipped with suitable qualifications…
Intimately linked in charity to one another and to their students and endowed with an apostolic spirit, may teachers by their life as much as by their instruction bear witness to Christ, the unique Teacher. “ (Gravissimum Educationis 28).
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Founders and Directors
Joanne and Bill Andrews are the founders and directors of the Colleges and work collaboratively with members of the School Board, the principal and the staff to implement the aims and ethos of the school. Joanne and Bill and their family have lived in Wagga Wagga for thirty years.
The Conventual Sisters of St Dominic
This is a religious community of Diocesan Right founded in the Diocese of Wagga Wagga. The Dominican Sisters have taught in the college since its opening.
As a semi-contemplative community, committed to a monastic life-style of prayer, penance and study, they continue to teach part-time and are in charge of the school's Religious Education programme. More information on this community can be found at www.conventualsistersofstdominic.org
HISTORY
Growing and Developing
Saint Mary MacKillop Colleges, Wagga Wagga was founded in 2007 by Joanne and Bill Andrews as an independent school in the Catholic tradition.
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Joanne and Bill Andrews became increasingly concerned about the state of Catholic education and they saw a need for a school dedicated to sound Catholic formation and solid academic teaching. The Andrews' have worked to make this vision a reality. After extensive prayer and consultation with priests, religious and interested laity, Bill and Joanne came to believe that the venture was in accord with God’s Will. Several public meetings were held to gauge public interest and the Conventual Sisters of St Dominic and lay teachers agreed to teach in the school.
With the permission of the Bishop of Wagga Wagga, Gerard Hanna, Saint Mary MacKillop Colleges opened on the Feast day of St John Bosco, Patron of Schools, on 31 January 2007.​​
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​​Beginning as a secondary school, the first intake was only ten students, rising to fifteen by the end of the year. By the grace of God and the prayers and support of the school community and beyond, the student numbers are now over 150 and continue to grow steadily each year.
While the full effectiveness of Saint Mary MacKillop Colleges, Wagga Wagga is known only to God, the school has an important role in the growth and renewing of the Catholic Church in Australia and of society as a whole.​​​