The original plan of the Society of Mary was conceived in Lyons in 1816. As early as 1824 the Marist Sisters, with Jeanne-Marie Chavoin as Foundress, began their apostolic work of going to where there was great need in France after the Revolution of 1789. The first home for the Sisters was in the village of Cerdon.

The Congregation of the Marist Sisters spread to other countries and in 1908 a group of Sisters – French, English and Irish – came to Woolwich to begin their work in Australia. Underlying their educational and apostolic work was the desire to bring the presence of Mary among all with whom they worked.

The Marists try to bring to our College the spirit of Mary, Mother of God, whom they take for their model. They strive to imitate her humility, her simplicity, her self-denial, her close union with God and her love for others. In their work of education, they seek to follow her example of quiet, loyal and unspectacular service of God and of others. Their community life as Marists should flow over into the larger community of the school and add further dimension to its character.

Cerdon College is a foundation member of Association of Marist Schools of Australia (AMSA) which was inaugurated in 2001. The Association sees over fifty Marist schools join in celebrating Mary, the Mother of God as a role model for modern education institutions. As a member of AMSA, Cerdon College stands with young people offering them reasons to believe, to hope and to love as Mary did.

The AMSA icon depicts Mary enthroned at the centre of the Church, that is Christ. Just as Mary guided and nurtured the Church in its earliest days, and then again at the birth of the Marist project in rural France, she is present now in the inauguration of AMSA.

Mary, you are our Mother and our model.
May we, like you, make Jesus the centre of our lives
so that we become a living Gospel for all those we meet.

We acknowledge we are especially called to serve,
in a hidden and unknown way, the most downtrodden,
abandoned and persecuted in our society.
Enable us, through compassion, love and humility
to bring these and all people together in a union of love
and care so that Christ will come to life in our world today.

Help us, through the deepening of our own prayer life
to draw closer to you, our Mother, so that we may live
the Gospel as you did and be true disciples of your Son.

May you, and your beloved Son, bless us and stay with us
as we strive to live in today’s world, as true Marists.