Sancta Sophia College, University of Sydney
Encyclopedia
Sancta Sophia College, or simply Sancta, is a Catholic
residential college at the University of Sydney
. The college admits female undergraduate and male and female postgraduate students. Dr Marie Leech has been the Principal of the College since 2008.
The first steps to establish a residential college for Catholic women at the University of Sydney were begun as early as 1910 when social changes meant it was expected that more women from rural as well as urban centres would enrol at the university. In November 1923 the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Michael Kelly and the Bishops of New South Wales issued a pastoral letter that drew attention to the advantages of university education for the Catholic community and announced that a Catholic Women’s College would be built. The College was to be administered by nuns from the order of the Religious of the Sacred Heart, which had been founded in France in 1800.
The foundation stone of the Hall of Residence was laid on 26 March 1925, and the name ‘Sancta Sophia’ was chosen. Archbishop Michael Kelly was appointed Visitor of the College and, in due course, the newly elected Council of eighteen members appointed Reverend Mother Margaret MacRory (sister of Joseph MacRory) as the first Principal.
The first students moved into the Hall in its current location on Missenden Road, on 15 March 1926. Three years later, in 1929, the Hall was raised by Act of Parliament to the status of a College within the University of Sydney. It remained under the administration of the Religious of the Sacred Heart until December 1991 when the first lay Principal, Mrs. Janice Raggio, was appointed..
, Madeleine Sophie Barat, who was canonised in 1925.
The Chancellor's Dinner is an auspicious annual event at which the College community recognises the academic excellence of College scholars of high achievement. Prizes are awarded.
) perform a play. Examples from the past few years are Noël Coward
's Present Laughter
and Shakespeare's
A Midsummer Night's Dream. Sancta also competes in the Intercollegiate Debating Cup, which the College won in 2004.
. Students of the College are regularly involved in the Masses as readers, musicians, altar servers, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.
Each year an Archbishop's Mass and Dinner is held at the College. Every second year the successful candidate of the Archbishop's Scholarship is announced. The scholarship is granted to a Sancta Sophia College student displaying outstanding academic achievement and involvement within the Catholic Church.
Other special occasion dinners include the Alumnae Dinner and the Mother and Daughter and Father and Daughter dinners.
The Principal is responsible for the management of the College.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
residential college at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. The college admits female undergraduate and male and female postgraduate students. Dr Marie Leech has been the Principal of the College since 2008.
History
Sancta Sophia College was founded in 1925 as a residential college for Catholic Women.The first steps to establish a residential college for Catholic women at the University of Sydney were begun as early as 1910 when social changes meant it was expected that more women from rural as well as urban centres would enrol at the university. In November 1923 the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Michael Kelly and the Bishops of New South Wales issued a pastoral letter that drew attention to the advantages of university education for the Catholic community and announced that a Catholic Women’s College would be built. The College was to be administered by nuns from the order of the Religious of the Sacred Heart, which had been founded in France in 1800.
The foundation stone of the Hall of Residence was laid on 26 March 1925, and the name ‘Sancta Sophia’ was chosen. Archbishop Michael Kelly was appointed Visitor of the College and, in due course, the newly elected Council of eighteen members appointed Reverend Mother Margaret MacRory (sister of Joseph MacRory) as the first Principal.
The first students moved into the Hall in its current location on Missenden Road, on 15 March 1926. Three years later, in 1929, the Hall was raised by Act of Parliament to the status of a College within the University of Sydney. It remained under the administration of the Religious of the Sacred Heart until December 1991 when the first lay Principal, Mrs. Janice Raggio, was appointed..
Name
Sancta Sophia is a combination of Latin and Greek words meaning "holy wisdom" and also commemorates the founder of the Society of the Sacred HeartSociety of the Sacred Heart
The Society of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic religious congregation established in France by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1800. It has presence in 45 countries. Membership to the Society is restricted to women only. Its members do many works, but focus on education, particularly girls'...
, Madeleine Sophie Barat, who was canonised in 1925.
Academic
Being a University College academia is the main focus of Sancta Sophia. A program of organised tutorials exists for students. These are organised within the College and students can also attend tutorials at the other colleges.The Chancellor's Dinner is an auspicious annual event at which the College community recognises the academic excellence of College scholars of high achievement. Prizes are awarded.
Social
Each year the college holds an Informal and a Formal event. The main financial purpose of the Informal is to raise the money to fund the Formal. The Formal is a black-tie event held in second semester. It is common for college students to attend the Informal and Formal events of other colleges.Cultural
Students can participate in the college's choir or perform at after formal dinner performances. Sancta also competes in the Intercol Performing Arts Challenge (also known as the Palladian Cup) in the fields of instrumental, vocal and drama. Each year Missenden Players (the students of Sancta and the neighbouring college, St John'sSt John's College, University of Sydney
]St John's College, or the College of St John the Evangelist, is a residential College within the University of Sydney.Established in 1857, the College of St John the Evangelist is the oldest Roman Catholic university college and second-oldest university college in Australia, and is one of the...
) perform a play. Examples from the past few years are Noël Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's Present Laughter
Present Laughter
Present Laughter is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 and first staged in 1942 on tour, alternating with his lower middle-class domestic drama This Happy Breed...
and Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
A Midsummer Night's Dream. Sancta also competes in the Intercollegiate Debating Cup, which the College won in 2004.
Sporting
Sancta competes in the wide range of Sydney University Intercollegiate sporting events, which for the women is the Rosebowl Cup. The Rosebowl sports are played throughout the year amongst the colleges and include: rowing, swimming, netball, hockey, tennis, basketball, softball and athletics. There are also social soccer and social touch football competitions.Liturgical
Each Sunday night there is an Mass held in the College Chapel at 5:30pm. The celebrant is Father John Baron, a Dominican FriarDominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
. Students of the College are regularly involved in the Masses as readers, musicians, altar servers, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.
Formal dinners
Each Monday evening the College celebrates Formal Dinner. The dinner is a three-stage process which begins with pre-dinner drinks in the College's Lower Common Room where members of the college can mingle with the evening's speaker and the leaders of the college. The dinner is a two course meal followed with a speech by the guest speaker. After dinner there are after dinner drinks and a musical performance in the Lower Common Room. Traditional formalities are observed and the students wear academic dress which comprises formal shoes, a skirt and an academic gown.Each year an Archbishop's Mass and Dinner is held at the College. Every second year the successful candidate of the Archbishop's Scholarship is announced. The scholarship is granted to a Sancta Sophia College student displaying outstanding academic achievement and involvement within the Catholic Church.
Other special occasion dinners include the Alumnae Dinner and the Mother and Daughter and Father and Daughter dinners.
Council and Principal
The Council of the College consists of the Chairman, the Principal and 14 other Councillors, of whom 3 must be priests . The Council is responsible for governance of the College.The Principal is responsible for the management of the College.
House Committee
Every student of the College is a member of the Sancta Sophia Students' Club and the Students' Club is run by a student-elected House Committee. The House Committee is responsible for planning activities on behalf of all the students. It is also responsible for liaising with the other colleges and carrying out general activities and business of the Students' Club. The members of the House Committee convene each week to discuss student matters of the College.Notable alumnae
- Miranda DevineMiranda DevineMiranda Devine is an Australian columnist and writer noted for her conservative stance on a range of social and political issues. Her column, formerly printed twice weekly in Fairfax Media newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald, now appears in the News Limited Daily Telegraph with...
- Sydney Morning Herald JournalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A... - Clover MooreClover MooreClover Moore , is an Australian politician, the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney and an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the electorate of Sydney. Moore is the first publicly elected female Lord Mayor of Sydney. Prior to the 2007 NSW state election, she...
- current Lord Mayor of Sydney and independent member NSW Legistlative Assembly - Wirginia MaixnerWirginia MaixnerWirginia June Maixner is an Australian neurosurgeon and the director of neurosurgery at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia...
Director of Neurosurgery, Royal Children's Hospital, MelbourneRoyal Children's Hospital, MelbourneThe Royal Children's Hospital is a major children's hospital in Melbourne, Australia.As the major paediatric hospital in Victoria, the Royal Children's Hospital and offers a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and adolescents...
.