At St Mary’s College, our aim is to develop young women of Mercy. Our Catholic Character is woven into every facet of College life. The Special Character programme draws deeply on the values of the Gospel and the spirit of Mercy.
The Special Character of St Mary’s College is its reason for existence – it is enshrined in the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act and is a legislative requirement. It is the “heartbeat” and soul of the school.
St Mary’s College will provide an excellent education for students, enabling them to take their place in society as confident life-long learners, and as women who value and hold the truths of the Catholic Church and the Mercy tradition of compassion and social justice.
“The school is a Roman Catholic school in which the whole school community, through the general school programme and in its religious instructions and observances, exercises the right to live and teach the values of Jesus Christ. These values are as expressed in the Scriptures and in the practices, worship, and doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, as determined from time to time by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the diocese.”
– New Zealand Catholic Education Office
Sisters of Mercy Education Philosophy
In the spirit of the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, St Mary’s College is committed to education that is grounded in the gospels, in the teachings of the Catholic Church, and in respect for the dignity, worth and potential of every human person. A concern for the poor, uneducated and disadvantaged – especially for women and children – is fundamental to our mission. Mercy Education seeks to:
- Give scope for fullness of growth in body, mind and spirit
- Respect the uniqueness, giftedness and culture of every person
- Educate for justice that arises from awareness and compassion, and works towards restoring right relationships with God, self, others and all creation
- Recognise Māori as tāngata whenua and actively promote Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the partnership covenant fundamental to Aotearoa New Zealand
- Promote excellence, integrity and commitment in all teaching, student and school endeavours
- Provide an experience of a prayerful Catholic and Christian learning community
“We must strive to do ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
– Catherine McAuley, Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy
School Mass
Several times a year the whole school celebrates Mass together, either at school or at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Each junior Religious Education class, supported by senior students, prepares a Thursday lunchtime Mass throughout the year, and families are warmly invited to join.
Our History
St Mary’s College was founded on 9 April 1850 by the Sisters of Mercy, who travelled from Ireland at the invitation of Bishop Pompallier to establish a Catholic education for the young women of Auckland – continuing the tradition of Mercy education begun by Catherine McAuley in Ireland in 1831. From modest beginnings near St Patrick’s Cathedral, the school grew quickly, moving to its current home on New Street, Ponsonby, in 1863.
Today, St Mary’s College is the oldest school for girls in New Zealand – a place where history is felt in every corridor, yet the school looks firmly to the future. In 2025, we celebrated our 175th anniversary, a milestone that speaks to the enduring strength of our community and the values passed down since our founding.