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St Mary's College was a school in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, from 1925 to 2022. It was established in 1925 by the Marist Fathers as a Catholic boys grammar school. It later became a sixth form college. The college closed on 1 August 2022.

History

Grammar school

The college was founded by the Marist Fathers as a Catholic boys grammar school in 1925. The former football ground of Blackburn Olympic F.C. was subsequently acquired as a site for the school, which was known as St Mary's College RC Grammar School.

Sixth form college

The school became a co-educational Catholic sixth form college in 1978.

The Finley-Stokes Centre was opened in March 2005, named after former principal Michael Finley, who retired in 2008, and former deputy principal Peter Stokes, who died in 2004. The building was opened by former teacher Right Rev. Bishop Thomas Burns. A science block was opened in August 2007, named after a former headmaster, Father Graystone. A performing arts complex was opened in February 2008, named after former college principal, Rev. Kevin O'Neill. In 2017, allegations of sexual abuse perpetrated by O'Neill led the governing body to remove his name from the performing arts centre.

St Mary's was the smallest sixth form college in the UK. It closed in August 2022 with £8 million of debt. The college said in a statement: "Despite good leadership and effective governance, St Mary’s have been unable to meet the financial challenges as a small standalone College".

Alumni

• Eniola Aluko, footballer
• Anthony Green, actor
• John Hopkins, landscape architect (Olympic Park, 2012)
• Fred Smithies, trade union leader

St Mary's College RC Grammar School

• Sir Gerald Barling QC
• Thomas Burns (bishop)
• Mike Duxbury, footballer - Manchester United and England
• Brian Miller (footballer) - Burnley and England. Manager - Burnley FC
• Greg Pope, Labour MP for Hyndburn
• Sir John Skehel, virologist

References

1. ^ "St Mary's College Blackburn to close in 2022". www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
2. "TALES FROM THE PAST: Call for former Blackburn pupils to share school stories". Lancashire Telegraph. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
3. "Lasting legacy to two key officials". Archived from the original on 16 May 2006. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
4. "Greystone Science Centre". Retrieved 2 June 2024.
5. "Author reveals how his adolescence was blighted by sexual abuse at the hands of his headteacher". Lancashire Telegraph. 30 August 2017.
6. "St Mary's College Blackburn to close in 2022". Lancashire Telegraph. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
7. "John Hopkins obituary". theguardian.com. 28 January 2013.

External links

• The former official St Mary's College website

Video clips

• The official St Mary's College YouTube page

v t e Diocese of Salford
Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford
Bishops of Salford I: William Turner II: Herbert Vaughan III: John Bilsborrow IV: Louis Casartelli V: Thomas Henshaw VI: Henry Marshall VII: George Beck VIII: Thomas Holland IX: Patrick Kelly X: Terence Brain (Bishop Emeritus) XI: John Arnold
Churches Salford Cathedral - Cathedral Church of St John the Evangelist St Anne's Church, Blackburn Pleasington Priory St Patrick's Church, Bolton Church of St Mary of the Assumption, Burnley St Marie's Church, Bury St Michael and St John Church, Clitheroe St Mary's Church, Manchester (Hidden Gem) Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Manchester Manchester Oratory Gorton Monastery St Wilfrid's Church, Hulme Corpus Christi Priory Christ Church, Nelson Our Lady and St Joseph Church, Heywood Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Patrick Church, Oldham St John the Baptist Church, Rochdale St Peter's Church, Stonyhurst St Ann's, Stretford All Saints' Church, Urmston
Patronal Feasts of the Diocese Saint Joseph (19 March) Our Lady of Mount Carmel (16 July)
Schools Mount Carmel Roman Catholic High School, Accrington St Damian's Roman Catholic Science College, Ashton-under-Lyne Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High School, Bamber Bridge Our Lady and St John Catholic College, Blackburn St Mary's College, Blackburn Thornleigh Salesian College, Bolton Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic College, Burnley Holy Cross College, Bury St Gabriel's Roman Catholic High School, Bury Ss John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic High School, Colne St Thomas More Roman Catholic College, Denton The Barlow Roman Catholic High School, Didsbury St Patrick's Roman Catholic High School, Eccles Mount St Joseph School, Farnworth Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England College, Heywood St Joseph's Roman Catholic High School, Horwich St Cecilia's Roman Catholic High School, Longridge Loreto College, Manchester Our Lady's Roman Catholic High School, Manchester St Bede's College, Manchester St Matthew's Roman Catholic High School, Manchester St Peter's Roman Catholic High School, Manchester Xaverian College, Manchester Blessed John Henry Newman Roman Catholic College, Oldham St Monica's High School, Prestwich All Saints' Catholic High School, Rawtenstall All Hallows Roman Catholic High School, Salford St Anne's RC Voluntary Academy, Stockport Stella Maris School, Stockport Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst Saint Mary's Hall St Antony's Roman Catholic School, Urmston St Ambrose Barlow Roman Catholic High School, Wardley
See also Apostolic Vicariate of the Lancashire District Wardley Hall St Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Wardley John Vaughan Geoffrey Burke
Category

53°45′36″N 2°29′13″W / 53.760063°N 2.486933°W / 53.760063; -2.486933

• Education in Blackburn with Darwen
• Defunct Catholic schools in the Diocese of Salford
• Sixth form colleges in Lancashire
• Educational institutions established in 1925
• Catholic universities and colleges in England
• 1925 establishments in England