Principals Message

Ecclesia in mundum – Church to the World  

St Vincent’s College Ashfield is a Catholic coeducational K-12 school governed by Sydney Catholic Schools. As a community we are called to ‘To Know and Love Christ’ through learning. We are formed by the history and heritage of three Catholic schools: Bethlehem College, De La Salle College and St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School. We draw strength from the spirituality and example of the College founders: Venerable Mary Aikenhead (Sisters of Charity), St John Baptist de La Salle (De La Salle Brothers), and St Vincent de Paul (Congregation of the Mission).

Our Prayer
We conclude each prayer by seeking the intercession of the College founders:
Venerable Mary Aikenhead – Pray for us
St John Baptist de La Salle – Pray for us
St Vincent de Paul – Pray for us.

St Vincent’s Parish
The Parish of St Vincent de Paul was established in 1894 under the pastoral care of the Congregation of the Mission, known as The Vincentian Priests and Brothers. St Vincent’s is a multicultural parish with parishioners from over 70 countries. Together, the community worships God and experiences the joys of belonging to God’s family. The parish vision states: We the parish community of St Vincent’s, with a genuine sense of belonging, strive to follow the example of Christ and spread the Vincentian spirit throughout the Ashfield district.                                     

Fr Joti Bilowalu CM | Parish Priest

History of the College
The College draws upon the rich charisms and traditions of the Sisters of Charity, De La Salle Brothers and Vincentian Fathers. In partnership with lay communities these charisms and traditions have shaped our past and provided a quality Catholic education to the families of Ashfield for more than a century. This proud history provides the foundation and impetus for a shared mission in bringing the message of the Gospel to the St Vincent’s community and beyond.

St Vincent’s Primary School – Vincentian Fathers and Sisters of Charity
St Vincent’s school was founded in 1882 by the Sisters of Charity as was known as St Charles’ Primary School. In 1894, the school continued to be administered by the Sisters of Charity but became St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School when the parish was placed in the care of the Vincentian Fathers. This occurred after the original school buildings were destroyed by fire and a new school building was built. This building now serves as the school and parish hall.

The Congregation of the Mission founded in 1625 by St Vincent de Paul was inspired by the love of Jesus Christ for all. Vincentians seek to be compassionate, kind and deeply reverent to all those they serve. With trust in God’s help, they see their work as a continuation of Christ’s own work. Vincentians express their love for God, and for all God’s people, by their hard work seeking to provide those in need with a hand up not a handout. They seek to do this with gentleness and humility, striving to be selfless and genuine, yet passionate about the needs of the poor.

Bethlehem College – Sisters of Charity
Bethlehem College was founded on 26 January 1881 by the Sisters of Charity in Goswell Cottage, located at what is now 125-127 Elizabeth Street, Ashfield. In 1882, the high school moved to two cottages in Bland Street and a convent was established.

The charism of the Sisters of Charity is to bring to each person the love, tenderness and concern of Christ for the poor, seeing Christ in everyone we meet. Both the fourth vow and the charism played a central role in the life of Venerable Mary Aikenhead. The legacy of her spirit and commitment to the poor has inspired generations of Sisters of Charity as well as many lay people. It has also inspired generations of staff and students from the college as we strive to live out the motto of the college “Este Fideles,” which means “Be Faithful”. At the end of 1991, the Sisters of Charity ended their 110 years of leadership of the school.  What was then the Catholic Education System Sydney, appointed the first lay Principal.

De La Salle College – De La Salle Brothers
In 1916, the foundation stones were laid for a small school consisting of three classrooms and six De La Salle Brothers, who began their task of educating Catholic boys from the Ashfield parish. By mid-1917, there were one hundred boys enrolled at the college in primary classes, as well as in the first years of secondary school.

Saint John Baptist de La Salle was canonised in 1900 and proclaimed the Patron Saint of Teachers in 1950. Lasallians continue to be inspired by the founder through his innovative pedagogy and spirituality. In the words of our founder, ‘To touch the hearts of the children entrusted to your care is the greatest miracle you can perform and one that God asks of you since this is the purpose of your work.’ The five core principles of Lasallian schools are; faith in the presence of God, a quality education, respect for all persons, concern for the poor, belief in social justice and an inclusive community. At the beginning of 1973 the first lay Principal was appointed at Da La Salle, Ashfield.