St Patrick's College, Silverstream

St Patrick's College in Silverstream was established by the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) in 1931 when the original St Patrick's College, Wellington (established 1885) was intended to be moved to a larger site more suited to a boarding school. Both colleges survived. Today, they share not only a common history, motto and spirit but also a good natured rivalry and competition in many endeavours. Silverstreamers refer to the mother school as 'Town'.

The Silverstream College, often referred to simply by the suburb title or 'Stream', is on seven hectares of grounds between the Hutt River and Silverstream Railway Station close to the suburbs of Silverstream and Heretaunga. As a state-integrated school, St Patrick's College is funded by the Society of Mary, Catholic Schools Board Limited and the New Zealand Government.[3]

In the 1980s, St Patrick's record was marred by a member of staff being involved in incidents of sexual abuse involving students. Reports of this sexual abuse were allegedly suppressed by the school Marist priests.[4]

At its foundation much of the original College was transferred from the Wellington site including many of the Marist teachers, much of the memorabilia and the College colours. The brother Colleges today share an Old Boys' Association in recognition of their common heritage. School sports teams have enjoyed success in Rugby union, cricket and athletics. Football, hockey and basketball are popular winter sports at the college. Both of St Patrick's Colleges also compete against each other in an annual event called “McEvedy” similar to the athletics of Old Boys but it is shared with two other schools, Wellington College and Rongotai College. Over the years of the College it has evolved from being primarily a boarding school into a largely day school with a small boarding facility. This demographic shift has resulted from several pressures including the huge increase in the number of residents in the local area. In more recent years it has been necessary to cap the roll and introduce an enrolment scheme to ensure an equitable educational outcome for all local pupils. The College celebrated its 75th Jubilee in 2006.

As a Catholic school St Patrick's College bases its educational philosophy on Christian teachings and on the Marist tradition under which the school was founded. In 2012 the St Patrick's College, Silverstream Foundation was established.

At the October 2011 Education Review Office (ERO) review, St Patrick's Silverstream had 712 students enrolled. Sixty-six percent of students identified as European (Pākehā), 14 percent identified as Māori, ten percent as Pasifika five percent as Asian, and five percent as another ethnicity.[5]

St Patrick's Silverstream has a socio-economic decile of 8 (step P), meaning it draws its school community from areas of moderately-high socioeconomic status when compared to other New Zealand schools. The school was recategorised from decile 9 (step Q) in January 2015, as part of the nationwide review of deciles following the 2013 census.[2]

Sexual abuse allegations have been made against at least five priests who taught at St. Patrick's College, Silverstream:

• Francis Durning, former Rector of the college during the 1950s.[6]
• Father Patrick F Minto SM, BA (1971–1974) former Rector of the college [7]
• AM Donnelly, who taught at St Pat's from 1968 to 1974[8]
• Alan Woodcock abused children at St John's College in Hastings, St Patrick's College in Upper Hutt, Highden in the Manawatu and Futuna in Wellington. After he left the Marist Priesthood and left New Zealand to live in England, he was extradited back to New Zealand and was convicted in 2004 of 21 sex offences committed against 11 children between 1978 and 1987 and sentenced to 7 years in prison.[9] The abuse at St Pats Silverstream continued even after being reported to school rector Father Michael “Vince” Curtain and Marist order head Father Fred Bliss.[10] Woodcock was moved to another Catholic institution in Palmerston North by Bliss and he continued to abuse children. Tracking him down abroad was done with the assistance of the Sisters of St Joseph of Nazareth. In the late 1980s, he took up residence in the England, where he was arrested in 2002.[11]
• Michael Shirres, the celebrated theologian, was exposed by the New Zealand Herald as a paedophile and has admitted to molesting dozens of children.[12]

For related information see, Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in New Zealand.

The college encourages former students to join the St. Patrick's College Old Boys Association (SPCOBA). The Association is based in Wellington and caters for Old Boys of both the Silverstream and Town colleges. Notable Old Silverstreamers include (with years attending the college in parentheses where available[13]):

The school Principal of the college is called the Rector.

• Very Rev. Father John W Dowling, SM, MA, AFRES (1931–1937)
• Very Rev. Father John J Kennedy, SM, MA (1938–1943)
• Very Rev. Father Leo R Evatt, SM, BA, QSM (1944–1949)
• Very Rev. Father Francis A Durning, SM, MA (1950–1955), mentioned in the NZ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care hearings in Nov. 2020[14]
• Very Rev. Father Maurice Bourke, SM, BA (1956–1961)
• Very Rev. Father John R Parker SM, MA (1962–1966)
• Very Rev. Father Kevin A O'Conner SM, BSc ANZIC (1967)
• Very Rev. Father Gerard P Gill, SM BA (1968–1970)
• Very Rev. Father Patrick F Minto SM, BA (1971–1974), mentioned in the NZ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care hearings in Nov. 2020[15]
• Very Rev. Father Frederick M Bliss SM, MA (CUA), BA (Vic), LTCL (1974–1980)
• Very Rev. Father Michael V Curtain, SM, BA (1981–1987)
• Very Rev. Father James T Dooley, SM, BA, BSc (1987–1993)
• Mr. David P Leavy, BA, BEd (Liverpool), DipEd (1994–2006)
• Mr. Philip Mahoney, BSc, PGDip Theol&Spir, MEdL (2006–2010) – Resigned from Ordained Ministry prior to appointment
• Mr. Gerard Tully, BPhED, BSc, Dip Tchg (2011–2017)[16][17]
• Mr. Graham Duffy, B.A. Dip Tchg (2018–2021)
• Mr. Steve Bryan, (Acting Rector February-May 2022)
• Mr. Robert Ferreira, (May 2022 - Present)[18]