The day saw the unveiling of a new statue, the statue of Mary, in the heart of the school, before a new vision and mission statement was announced.

Acting principal, Christie Scoble, spoke on behalf of principal Alan Le Brocque.

She said the new statue was an important addition to the school.

“As a Marian school it is appropriate to see a visual representation of Mary in the centre of our school,” she said.

“May it be a reminder to all that pass by her, that we are in Mary’s care, like Jesus was in his infancy.”

The significance of the new mission statement was also discussed in front of the crowd of onlookers.

“The Marian Catholic College vision and mission statement is a whole community effort of staff, parents, students and the Catholic Schools Office and I thank all who have contributed n shaping its formation,” Ms Scoble said.

“I am pleased that it honours both the Marist Brothers and Mercy Sisters through references to ‘embracing Mary’s courageous acceptance’ and ‘love and mercy’.

“It also echoes Bishop Hanna’s mandate for Catholic schools of the Diocese of Wagga Wagga by including the five pillars of faith, learning, care, service and stewardship.

“Like all such statements of purpose, it should be a starting point for action, providing possibilities for all to see opportunities to bring it to life, personally, and as a group.”

Sister Shirley Garland, representative of the original order that began the school, discussed what it felt like to come back to the school on such a significant day.

“It's a little hard to describe the feeling when you're sitting in the front row,” Sister Savage joked.

“It's the like the culmination of something, the culmination of the achievement, making Marian College, the statue of Mary, the mission statement, it's like a cementing type of thing bringing the college together.

“The school's recognising that the roots of the school go back to the work with the Marist brothers and the Sisters of Mercy.”

Sister Rita Savage, another representative of the Sisters of Mercy talked about how different the school looked compared to it’s original days.

“We amalgamated with the Marist Brothers so when we had to expand St pats we came down here deliberately so that eventually it would become co-ed school, because the Marist Brothers were already on the site,” she said

“To visualise those four little classrooms that we started with, to see all that's happening today and what all the kids have achieved, to see the kids on the stage representing such a big school, it's just great.

“The atmosphere of the kids was very much in tune with what was happening.”