St Mary’s Parish School Warren

St Mary’s has a distinctive ethos. Jesus’ teachings and Gospel values are the educational norms that permeate Catholic school life.

The Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Parish was proclaimed in 1892, 121 years ago. The Sisters of St Joseph established our school on 31st August 1897. Rev. Dr Byrne consecrated the first Catholic school in 1898. In 1923, the present two-storey convent was built next to the school. There were more than 100 children at St Mary’s and music lessons were conducted in one of the rooms. In 1932 new school buildings were added.

The Sisters of St Joseph left Warren in 1933 as they could no longer staff the school. In 1934 the Sisters of the Good Samaritan arrived, led by Mother Mary Cecily. The original school building was moved in 1952 to make way for the new Church. St Mary’s was a Kinder to early secondary school until 1967, when the secondary section was closed due to teaching shortages. The present Infants block was built by Harry Stubbs in 1967. The new Primary school was opened by Bishop Warren in 1970 and is still currently in use by our children. The Good Samaritan Sisters left in 1973 and employed its first lay Principal and staff.

In 1976, two Sisters of Mercy moved to the Warren area and remained working in the town until 1991. During 2011 using BER funds, the Mary MacKillop Hall that we are sitting in was built. In 2013, the old Church is in the process of being relocated to the Tiger Bay wetlands as part of the River Smart education program. The building will be refurbished when it is moved.

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