St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney | Sydney Catholic Schools

St Mary’s Cathedral Choir tours Europe’s greatest cathedrals

From the heart of Vatican City to some of Great Britain’s most breathtaking cathedrals and churches, students from St Mary’s Cathedral Choir have delivered a series of remarkable performances during an unforgettable international tour showcasing the beauty and tradition of sacred choral music.

The tour began in Rome, where Australia’s oldest musical ensemble arrived to sing Mass at one of the Catholic Church’s most sacred and significant sites, St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring the talent of St Mary’s Cathedral Choir Sydney to two of the world’s most renowned basilicas, and the Church’s Australian home in Rome,” said Kerrie McDiarmid, Principal of St Mary’s Cathedral College.

“These are venues that many musicians only dream about singing in, and our students have had the opportunity to fill these spaces with their voices. It’s hard to match the experience of singing in the Vatican. Seeing our students walk into the Basilica and perform in such a magnificent place was a truly special opportunity.”

The Choir then performed a Mass and a concert at the awe-inspiring Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls, one of Rome’s four major papal basilicas, marking an extraordinary beginning to an unforgettable international tour.

The choir’s time in Rome concluded with the privilege of attending Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Students also visited the magnificent Sistine Chapel and Colosseum, gaining a deeper appreciation of the city’s rich history and heritage.

From Rome, the choir travelled to Scotland, where choristers sang Mass at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral Edinburgh before performing a concert for a warm and appreciative audience.

Students also visited Edinburgh Castle, continuing their exploration of Scotland’s history and heritage.

The final leg of the tour saw the choir …

baden.parkerbrown@syd.catholic.edu.auJuly 15, 2026|

A new chapter in learning at St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney

Looking for a school that evolves with its students—supporting, challenging, and inspiring them at every stage? At St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney, this vision is now a reality.

In 2025, the College introduces a pioneering three-tier structure: Junior School (K-4), Middle School (5-8), and Senior School (9-12), ensuring a seamless transition between primary and secondary education.

“Responding to the demand for a more tailored educational experience, we’ve designed each school to meet the distinct needs of students as they progress,” says Principal Kerrie McDiarmid.

From foundational learning in Junior School to integration in Middle School and specialisation in Senior School, this approach ensures every student discovers their unique strengths and pathway.

St Mary’s Middle School redefines learning for Years 5 and 6, offering enriched experiences beyond the traditional primary curriculum. Dedicated teachers bridge primary and secondary education, fostering curiosity, confidence, and growth.

A key feature is its integrated learning model where subjects connect meaningfully, promoting cross-disciplinary thinking and real-world problem-solving. “Being in the heart of the city, we’ve partnered with institutions and businesses to enhance hands-on learning,” says David Timillero, Assistant Principal of the Middle School.

These partnerships give students direct access to industry professionals, collaborating with the Australian Museum, the Art Gallery of NSW, and Sydney FC, among others. The College is also launching a biophilic design project with Vertikal and the University of NSW.

Complementing this structure is the College’s renowned Phronesis Program, developing wisdom, reasoning, and ethical decision-making. The Liberal Arts approach encourages critical thinking across disciplines, ensuring students excel academically while building character and celebrating their Catholic faith.

This transformation aligns with the curriculum …

baden.parkerbrown@syd.catholic.edu.auFebruary 12, 2025|

Sydney Catholic Schools unveils dual-campus school in the heart of the city

In a bold move by Sydney Catholic Schools, St Mary’s Cathedral College, one of Australia’s oldest schools, is set to evolve as a dual-campus school with a second state-of-the-art Sydney campus being developed.

Located at 52-58 William Street, the new campus will see the conversion of a commercial office building into a state-of-the-art multi-storey learning centre. Undoubtedly, it stands as one of the premier locations for a school not just in Sydney, but perhaps across Australia. The vertical campus will include contemporary secondary spaces, seminar areas and facilities for the performing arts.

Celebrating its bicentenary this year, the college is expanding to meet the growing needs of its school community and will be a Kindergarten to Year 12 coeducational school. From 2025, the college will welcome both boys and girls from Kindergarten to Year 7.

In the long term the dual-campus will enable even more students across Sydney to take advantage of a high-quality inner-city education under the expert stewardship of Sydney Catholic Schools.

One of the colleges’ advantages is its proximity to Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD), which has resulted in the formation of partnerships with the city’s most recognisable and renowned institutions, including the Australian Museum and HEX High Accelerator Program.

Students will be minutes from the Art Gallery of NSW, the Australian Museum, Hyde Park Barracks, and The Botanic Gardens which provide an extension of their everyday learning and present an unparalleled opportunity to establish collaborative and reciprocal relationships with esteemed organisations and institutions spanning arts, business, the judiciary, and politics.

Tony Farley, Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, highlights that the integration of a second campus also represents an exciting opportunity to expand the horizons of the students’ educational journey.

“This significant development will serve as a …

baden.parkerbrown@syd.catholic.edu.auFebruary 19, 2024|

200-year-old Sydney Catholic School undergoes transformation

Sydney Catholic Schools makes history as St Mary’s Cathedral College transforms to a Kindergarten through Year 12 coeducational model.

St Mary’s Cathedral College has announced that it will be accepting enrolments for both boys and girls for Kindergarten to Year 7 in the first school term of 2025.

The announcement follows community consultation and analysis that indicates a growing demand for high quality coeducational opportunities in the heart of Sydney.

The announcement comes at the beginning of St Mary’s Cathedral College’s Bicentennial year, having been founded in 1824.

Throughout its 200 year history the College has blazed a trail in education that has included the leadership of the Benedictine Monks, Marist Brothers, Sisters of Charity and Christian Brothers.

As a Cathedral College, St Mary’s has a particular focus on sacred music and has earned a reputation for being part of a world class Cathedral Choir that is known throughout the world.

Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools, Tony Farley described St Mary’s expansion to a Kindergarten to Year 12 coeducational College as ‘The next chapter in the story of an iconic Sydney Catholic School. The last group of young women to graduate from St Mary’s Cathedral College was in 1967 and this return to coeducation is both an evolution and reminder of our rich history and traditions.’

The decision to expand the College to a full kindergarten to year 12 coeducational college was a response to both parent demand and the stunning opportunities St Mary’s Cathedral College offered.

Mr Farley said for its students the ‘city was the classroom where within a few minutes walk they could visit the Australian Museum, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Hyde Park Barracks, State Library and NSW Parliament. Just …

baden.parkerbrown@syd.catholic.edu.auFebruary 19, 2024|

New St Mary’s Cathedral College Principal announced

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has announced Mrs Kerrie McDiarmid as the new Principal of St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney following a rigorous selection process.

Archbishop Fisher said Mrs McDiarmid’s appointment as Principal of St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney was “a wonderful moment for our oldest school and our mother Church in Australia – St Mary’s Cathedral.”

Mrs McDiarmid will take up her new role at the beginning of 2023.

“Kerrie is a woman of deep faith and high intellect, who is driven by a passionate belief that an excellent Catholic education sets our students up for life,” Archbishop Fisher said.

“I congratulate Kerrie and look forward to working with her in what is an exciting and transformative time in the College’s history” – Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP

“Her track record as an innovative and highly successful school leader is demonstrated by both publicly recognised student outcomes and the reputation she has within the broader education community,” Archbishop Fisher said.

Kerrie McDiarmid is the new Principal of St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney.

Ms McDiarmid’s most recent accolades include being named by The Educator as one of the Most Influential Educators for 2022.

During the COVID-19 pandemic Mrs McDiarmid, in her current role as Principal of St Clare’s College Waverley, oversaw a number of exciting programs that kept students focused and engaged in their learning.

This included an integrated Maths Pathway platform for Stage 4 and 5 students that allowed students to move through the curriculum at their own pace.

Under her stewardship, St Clare’s College Waverley was also named one of Australia’s

Isabell PetrinicAugust 18, 2022|

Students remember our fallen in NSW ANZAC Commemoration video

Sydney Catholic Schools students have taken centre stage in a poignant ANZAC Day video being shown across schools in New South Wales to mark the occasion.

Filmed in Hyde Park in Sydney on 15 March 2022, the 2022 RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Commemoration video features students from Holy Cross College Ryde, St John Bosco Catholic Primary School Engadine and St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney, alongside students from all across the state.

About the ANZAC Commemoration

The 2022 RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Commemoration was arranged between RSL NSW, the NSW Department of Education, the NSW Association of Independent Schools and Catholic Schools NSW.

RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Commemorations have taken place every year for nearly seven decades, except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to COVID-19.

This year schools across NSW were invited to download the ANZAC Commemoration video to show during their own in-school ceremonies, either in the last week of Term 1 or in the first week of Term 2 which begins the day after ANZAC Day.

ANZAC Day on April 25 is a commemoration and remembrance of all Australians who have served and died in war and on operation service around the world. Lest we forget.

St Mary’s Cathedral Choir perform as part of the 2022 RSL ANZAC Commemoration

Students remember our fallen

Lorenzo Pavan, a cadet in Holy Cross College’s Australian Army Cadet Unit program, was the Master of Ceremonies in the 2022 RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Commemoration.

“ANZAC Day is very special to me because I’ve had family …

FrankApril 22, 2022|

St Mary’s Cathedral Choir tours Europe’s greatest cathedrals

A new chapter in learning at St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney

Sydney Catholic Schools unveils dual-campus school in the heart of the city

200-year-old Sydney Catholic School undergoes transformation

New St Mary’s Cathedral College Principal announced

Students remember our fallen in NSW ANZAC Commemoration video

Students remember our fallen

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our schools and offices now stand. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.

Contact

phone

Links

Follow Us