House Patrons

Each year, the college celebrates the four house patrons together on Good Shepherd Feast Day.

Benjamin House

Benjamin House takes its name from the previous Bishop of Townsville- Bishop Ray Benjamin. Bishop Benjamin was born on 24th of February 1925 and attended school at St. Joseph’s CBC Rockhampton. He attended Banyo Seminary from 1941-1942 to complete his secondary schooling and studied for the priesthood from 1943-1949. 

He was ordained a priest in July 1949 In Rockhampton. After ordination he served as a priest in many parishes of the Rockhampton diocese. He was consecrated bishop of Townsville on 9th of May 1984 and retired to Brisbane in 2001. In his time Bishop Benjamin worked towards active Indigenous participation within the church as well as having a strong emphasis on pastoral care within each parish.

Chisholm House 

Caroline (Jones) Chisholm, the Emigrants’ Friend, born on a farm near Northampton, England, in 1808, forced the British government to change its policies regarding settlement in Australia. Caroline married Archibald Chisholm, a Scottish soldier in the East India Company’s army and was the mother of seven children. Archibald promised to support Caroline in her determination to help people in need. She set up hostels and arranged employment for young girls and families, even travelling miles overland with them to ensure integrity of the employers. Caroline helped to found a scheme by which immigrants could borrow money for fares to Australia and purchase land and equipment on arrival. Her achievements were the product of single-minded vision and compassion, augmented by a strong Christian faith. She helped thousands despite sectarian bitterness and little financial support. Caroline Chisholm died March 25th 1877.

Mackillop House 

Saint Mary Mackillop, born of Scottish parents in Melbourne in 1842, founded with Rev. Julian Tenison Woods the congregation of the Sister of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Their vision brought to life a new and radical form of religious life that took the sisters in small groups to live in primitive dwellings among the pioneering people of the Australian Bush. A woman before her time, she was forthright, assertive, loving, simple and intensely loyal to the Church, even when excommunicated and removed from the leadership of her Congregation. Mary committed her life to the poor and destitute, establishing orphanages, refuges for women and children and schools for the poor and isolated children. Mary died in 1909 and was beatified on January 19th 1995.

Rice House 

The house is named after Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice. Born in Callan, Ireland, on June 1st 1762, Edmund worked for many years as a merchant in Waterford. After the death of his wife in 1789 and with a handicapped daughter to care for, he gave himself increasingly to prayer and works of charity. In 1802 he founded the religious congregation of Christian Brothers, whose chief apostolic work is the evangelization of youth, especially the poor. He died in 1844 on August 29th. 

Edmunds heroic virtue was recognized by the Church in 1993. A miracle that was attributed to his intercession was approved in 1995. He was beatified on October 6th 1996.