Chanel College is a

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 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

co-educational college in Moamoa, Samoa. It is near the top of

Mount Vaea Mount Vaea is a 472 metre (1549') summit overlooking Apia, the capital of Samoa located on the north central coast of Upolu island. The mountain is situated south about 3 km (2 miles) inland from Apia township and harbour. The settlemen ...

, at the end of Moamoa Road, which leads directly from

Apia Apia () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Samoa. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga. The Apia Urban A ...

. 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 The Society of Mary (), better known as the Marists, is a Catholic religious congregation of pontifical right. Founded in Cerdon, France, by Jean-Claude Colin, the Society of Mary was recognized by an apostolic brief on April 29, 1836, and is ...

, 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 (), better known as the Marists, is a Catholic religious congregation of pontifical right. Founded in Cerdon, France, by Jean-Claude Colin, the Society of Mary was recognized by an apostolic brief on April 29, 1836, and is ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

accepted a complaint that one of its priests, a former teacher at Chanel College (in 1975), Francis Durning, had sexually abused children. He was mentioned in the NZ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care hearings in Nov. 2020.

References

Universities and colleges established in 1962 Schools in Samoa {{RC-school-stub