ARARAT - Marian College celebrated 125 years of enriching the lives and education of generations of young people from far and wide with a special dinner and a series of tours of the transformed school grounds.
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Twenty five Brigidine sisters from Melbourne and regional Victoria including from as far away as Gippsland made the pilgrimage to Ararat for the commemorations.
They were given the opportunity to tour the college and St Mary's Primary School with past principals and teachers just as surprised as the former students at the amount of change that has taken place.
The secondary school's relatively new gymnasium facility was well utilised with sporting and recreational equipment making way for dinner tables and a lectern.
In a true example of the strength of the connection between the college's past, present and support for the future all seven living past principals dating back to the 1970s were invited and attended the dinner on the Saturday night.
The Brigidine congregational leader for the world Louise Cleary and Victorian Province Leader and former principal of St Mary's Primary School Sister Margaret Hill also attended.
On Sunday guests enjoyed a barbecue, formal mass and tour of the school grounds which have undergone massive change to accommodate growing enrolment and education needs.
Principal John Crowley said the celebration was a great success and sought to recognise the contribution made to the school by so many different people over its 125 year history.
He said the school had marked some of its greatest achievements just recently including the construction and opening of the gymnasium, the opportunities that will become available to students as a result of the trade training centre and relandscaping of the outdoor grounds including netball and basketball courts.
And if the success of the celebrations wasn't enough of a tick of approval for what the school has to offer, next year's enrolments figures are.
The intake of year sevens will reach a record high of 125 pupils in 2014. That will help to push the official number of pupils at the school to more than 600.
"This a great recognition and acknowledgement of the education Marian College has been providing both academically and spiritually now for 125 years," he said.