Saint Marcellin Champagnat was born in France, in 1789, at the beginning of the French Revolution. After growing up in a farming community, and being educated at home, Champagnat was ordained to the priesthood in 1816. He founded a teaching order of Brothers, later known as the Marist Brothers, to enable young people to access an education and learn about God.
Marcellin Champagnat’s ideal of loving all young people equally was central to the way he operated and influenced him in looking after those less fortunate. Yet, it took boldness from those students to accept that love and to make the most of the opportunity presented to them. He was by nature, hardworking, enterprising, passionate and a risk taker. Champagnat House aims to live in a way which supports others with love, and brings hope to the disadvantaged. To support others will require our students to be bold, to model our lives on Champagnat and to love people equally.
It is our aim in Champagnat to follow in the footsteps of this great person.