Champagnat House
Champagnat House at Our Lady of Mercy College pays tribute to Marcellin Champagnat, a French visionary who founded the Marist Brothers' Order. Despite his humble beginnings and limited education, Marcellin became a priest and established a community of brothers dedicated to teaching and serving others. Facing opposition and ridicule, he persevered and built schools, leaving a lasting impact on education.
Marcellin's unwavering faith and courage inspired many, and he was recognised for his holiness, becoming Venerable and later canonized as a saint. In Champagnat House, we honour his legacy by embodying his values of educational excellence, service, and faith. Let us follow in his footsteps and make a positive difference in our community, just as Marcellin did in his time.
Our Crest and Motto
The Champagnat crest is composed of three elements: the White Cockatoo, the Fleur de Lys and the cross of nails.
The White Cockatoo represents a link to our local Australian fauna. It symbolises new beginnings, clarity, and wisdom.
The Fleur de Lys is a type of flower and was adopted by the Roman Catholic Church to represent our Mother Mary. It is also linked with France, where Marcellin Champagnat lived out his vocation. The Fleur de Lys signifies royalty and virtue.
Finally, a cross made of nails denotes our patron’s iron-clad devotion to the honour of Mary and to the glory of God. This unwavering and tenacious attitude allowed Marcellin Champagnat to form the Marist Brothers, who look to promote a Christian Education with particular emphasis on meeting the needs of those who are disadvantaged or marginalised. It is also symbolic of the early work of the Marist Brothers in making iron nails to earn a living.
Our House motto is Tenacity, Integrity and Loyalty, which reflects the virtues of St Marcellin, patron saint of education and teachers. We show tenacity in our everyday lives when we follow Champagnat’s example of hard work and steel determination by trying our best and never giving up, despite the challenges we face. We practice integrity when we remain true to our convictions and moral principles. Lastly, we show loyalty to others by banding together, no matter the circumstances.
Our house colour is green, which represents renewal, growth and endurance.