Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
co-educational college in Moamoa, Samoa. It is near the top of
Mount Vaea
Mount Vaea is a 472 m summit overlooking Apia, the capital of Samoa located on the north central coast of Upolu island. The mountain is situated south about 3 km inland from Apia township and harbour. The settlement at the foothills on ...
, at the end of Moamoa Road, which leads directly from
Apia
Apia () is the capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga.
Th ...
. The college has been staffed by a combination of Marist Fathers, Salasian sisters, volunteer organizations and regular employees.
History
Founded in 1962 by the Marist Fathers, it was originally a boys-only boarding school (with special permission for non-boarders) that later became co-educational. The first principal was Father Bernard Doherty. The first head prefect was Lino Samoa, who later received from his family his chiefly title of "Taupa'u".
Enrollment numbers (in 2008) exceeded 400 students.
Abuse
At least one priest who taught at Chanel College is alleged to have been a pedophile.
* Father Francis A Durning, SM, MA. In 2009, the
Society of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary ( la, Societas Mariae) abbreviated SM, commonly known as the Marist Fathers, is a men's Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right. It was founded by Jean-Claude Colin and a group of seminarians in L ...
in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...
accepted a complaint that one of its priests, a former teacher at Chanel College (in 1975),
Francis Durning
Francis (Frank) Durning SM was a New Zealand priest of the Roman Catholic Church. He was mentioned in the NZ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care hearings in Nov. 2020.