All things St Anthony of Padua

On Tuesday 3 June, we will celebrate Padua Day as a whole college community on our Mornington site. We will begin the day with a Camino Walk around our beautiful campus while being told the story of St Anthony of Padua, a humble Franciscan. The central element of our Padua Day is the celebration of Mass. This year we are privileged to have the mass led by our new College chaplain Father Tony Doran, supported by our Peninsula priests.

In the afternoon, students will enjoy a festival style atmosphere with more than 30 activities on offer. All monies raised on the day will go towards St Vincent de Paul on the Mornington Peninsula.

Coats Wanted!

Our student Social Justice team is in the midst of their annual Coat Drive as part of the Vinnies Winter Appeal. We all have that one jacket or coat that we do not wear anymore, so please consider donating them to Padua College. Have someone leave them on the back of a chair in the St Francis of Assisi Chapel at Mornington or drop them off at Rosebud and Tyabb Campus reception desks. Last year we collected over 150 costs and the students would like to beat that figure this year.

Our Padua Story

Recently, Bernard House celebrated Mother Bernard Whyte with a House Mass led by Fr Bill. Bernard House students were asked what they knew about the person their House was named after?

Bernard Whyte is the biological sister of Mother Sebastian Whyte, and between them they are key figures in the foundation of the Mercy community in Mornington and the development of a school that was to eventually become Padua College. The Whyte Senior Learning Centre, which opened in 2019, is named in honour of Bernard and Sebastian.

In the 1890s the Mercy Sisters were involved in various schools in Melbourne and throughout Victoria and were looking for a property which would allow some respite for the sisters – a holiday house of sorts. Mother Sebastian sourced and purchased the property in Tanti Ave Mornington (then called Shelbourne Park). Soon afterwards, as was their way, the sisters identified a need for a school in the area and so in May 1898 opened the ‘College of Our Lady of the Sea’. It began as a boarding and day secondary school for girls.

On 23 May, the school was officially opened with Mother Bernard Whyte as its first principal. Mother Bernard remained as principal until c.1908, died in Mornington and was therefore central to the development of the college that we have today.

We also celebrated Sebastian House Mass on Tuesday 13 May in the St Francis of Assisi Chapel with Fr Angelo.

Student Photo Permissions

At times, photographs or videos of our students will be published in newsletters, on the school intranet or website, or in our social media. Copies of our Standard Collection Notice and Privacy Policy are available on the College website in the Enrolments section of our Policies page. Please note that consent to use these images in this way, if provided at enrolment, may be withdrawn at any time by contacting our marketing team via email: marketing@padua.vic.edu.au .