Stella Maris College is a bilingual Catholic college of Irish origin, whose sports tradition is deeply rooted in its history.
In close contact with our students’ families, we provide continuous education from ages 3 to 18 in the tradition of The Blessed Edmund Rice, founder of the Congregation of Christian Brothers. We aim to fully develop our students’ personalities, promoting the values of the Gospel and the commitment to the service of others.
Colegio Stella Maris, located in Carrasco, Uruguay is a co-educational Catholic College proudly in the tradition of Blessed Edmund Rice of Ireland. In partnership with students’ families, we provide bilingual, continuous education for students aged three to eighteen. We strive to develop the character of the whole person based on the principles of the Gospel to promote a better world through commitment to the poor. We are particularly proud of our alumni and sporting tradition.
We are a Catholic educational community inspired by the spirit of Edmund Rice and composed of students, their families, staff and alumni.
Our mission is to educate our students from Early Years to Senior Secondary School by promoting their full social and personal development and their commitment to the Gospel values, in order to encourage social transformation based on compassion, solidarity and a critical view.
Inspired by the spirit and charisma of Edmund Rice we encourage and expect our community to engage with:
We are part of the Edmund Rice family, and as members of the network, we are committed to responding to the call of the marginalized.
To become an educational community that:
The Stella Maris College’s Magna Carta is the document which expresses our institutional philosophy and our educational project.
Loyal to the Congregation’s spirit of adaptability and flexibility to redefine themselves in a diverse and ever changing world, we set ourselves five essential objectives to ensure the coherence of our project:
- To nourish our students’ faith, foster their Christian spirituality and instil the values of the Gospel.
- To promote teamwork within our educational community.
- To remain loyal to our “Ad Astra” (To the stars) motto in teaching, learning and management.
- To create an educational community steeped in solidarity.
- To inspire innovative leadership.
The heads of the Congregation of Christian Brothers met in Dublin from January 23 to February 5, 2022, after the Lima Chapter of 2020, postponed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chapter was held at the Emmaus Retreat Center.
The guiding text for the entire Chapter, chosen by the Chapter planning group, was Luke 8:22-25 in which Jesus calms the storm.
On February 3, the following brothers were elected to the new leadership team of the Congregation:
Congregation Leader: Peter Clinch
Vicar: John Casey
Directors: Senan D’Souza, David Ryan Silva and Hugo Cáceres
From www.usgroma.org
True to Edmund Rice’s tradition, at Stella Maris College we demand the best from ourselves and others in everything we undertake - teaching, learning and management – promoting freedom of expression and innovation. This is the commitment we’ve made to ourselves.
The excellence we aim at is not the result of competitiveness; we understand excellence as aiming to be the best we can according to our potential; to attain excellence we need to ensure access to the necessary means, only then can we aspire to fulfil our potential.
On this path, evaluation and self-appraisal are permanent tools to help us develop our differences in the interest of the common good. Different intelligences and learning styles contribute to the creation of a suitable and rich environment in which everyone can thrive.
Inspired by Edmund Rice’s charisma, the religious education we offer adheres to the values of the Gospel which put those who are less favoured first. Bilingual education, physical education, and the arts: they all contribute to the expansion of our students’ understanding and horizons; they help get students ready for the challenges that society and life will pose making them able to seek the truth and pursue their ideals of justice, welfare and beauty, which they will reflect in their thoughts and deeds.
Incorporating new technologies not only develops technical skills, but also becomes an incentive in the development of personal responsibility and critical thinking which will allow our students to face the demands of our times.
The participation in a range of enriching extracurricular activities – to which everyone is invited and encouraged to join - offers our students the chance to explore new areas of knowledge and expression, and to expand their sense of personal achievement in a wholesome way, without the pressure to perform.
Our college’s educational project is based on the promotion of solidarity through teamwork in every area. In a climate of hope, joy and bravery, everyone is a valued and respected member of our community and is able to discover oneself as unique, called to contribute in the construction of the common good.
In the 1950s a group of Uruguayan Catholic families decided to join efforts to invite the Christian Brothers to the country with a view to starting a school based on Edmund Rice’s values.
That’s how in early 1955, Br. J.I. Doorley and Br. J.V.Ryan arrived in Montevideo to complete the last bits of paperwork before opening the college. For their new college’s premises, they chose a house in Rambla Republica de Mexico and Andres Puyol street, in Carrasco – a neighbourhood in the city.
Br.Doorley returned to Buenos Aires and was replaced by Br. P.C.Kelly. A little later Brs. J.V. O’Reilley and H.G. McCaig joined the college in Montevideo. As the premises were opposite the beach, Br.Kelly – who was deeply devoted to the Virgin – decided to put the college under Her protection and called it “Stella Maris”, a name that the college has shared with the local parish church ever since.
The college opened its doors in 1955 as a boys school. The generosity of Carrasco Polo Club allowed the students to make use of their sports facilities and do physical education there. Sports went on to become one of the pillars of our college. Since its introduction by Br. J.V. O’Reilly, rugby became our official sport and remained so for many years.
On 12th March 1961, the College’s current premises in Maximo Tajes Street were opened, and by the end of 1962 the first class graduated from the college’s Secondary school.
In 1963 a House system was established which identifies all students and their families with four big groups or houses: Prior, Sion, Iona and Newman. In this way, “Family Day” became a special day for our college, a day in which healthy competition and fun rule supreme.
In 1985, the first class of girls joined the college’s Baccalaureate and in 1989 the first class of girls started in Reception. From that year on, the college gradually moved from being a boys-only school to being mixed, co-educational in all the year groups. In 1991, the college opened its Nursery school.
From 2002 to date, the college’s facilities have been under constant redevelopment and refurbishment to match the uninterrupted growth in the number of students. In 2002, the new Primary and Nursery block was built; in 2003 the International Baccalaureate floor and the new computer suites were opened; in 2004 the new dining hall was completed together with the extension of the International Baccalaureate floor. In 2005, the extension of the first floor in the Primary block was constructed to coincide with the celebration of our first 50 years; and finally, during 2007 the construction of the new gym was undertaken.
In 1998, the Christian Brothers retired from the College’s leadership team but stayed on in Uruguay working in La Cruz, an impoverished quarter near the college, until 2004. With a view to coordinating and plan the social service previously run by the brothers, a group of parents, teachers, alumni and the Old Christian Club created the Social Action Committee (Comité de Acción Social).
Nowadays, the Christian Brothers Colleges all over the world continue to follow their founder, Edmund Rice’s example seeking to fully develop their students’ personalities paying special attention to their education in Christian values and their commitment to the service of others.
The Edmund Rice Educational Trust is a non-profit organisation. It is constituted by two governmental bodies: the Assembly - formed by all its members - and the Board. The Board is formed by five members plus their respective deputies designated by the General Assembly in accordance to the organisation’s byelaw. All positions are voluntary. All Board members must be Catholic and share the principles of the Congregation of Christian Brothers’ and the Magna Carta; they must be interested in the good management of the College, willing to defend and see to the good education of the college’s students; they must dedicate time, skill and effort to contribute to the faithful enforcement of the Vision. They must refrain from disclosing in any shape or form any information or issues discussed in the Board meetings, which are strictly confidential.
Presidente: Ing. Alberto Gossweiler
Vicepresidente: Cr. Francisco Armas
Secretaria: Esc. Marcela Severi
Tesorero. Cr. Gabriel González
Prosecretario: Ec. Florencia Carriquiry
Senior Leadership Team:
Principal: Patricia Ponce de León.
Deputy Principal: Cr. Roberto Bouzada
Head of Secondary School: María Fernanda Márquez
Head of Primary School and Christian´s Kids: Gabriela Roca.
Deputy Head of Christian´s Kids: Josefina Regusci
Pastoral and Religious Education Coordinator: Diego Cardozo
English General Coordinator: Rossana Tessore.
Physical Education General Coordinator: Nora González.
The Stella Maris College’s Parents’ Association (Asociación de Padres) was created in 2013 with a view to promoting positive family participation in the school life. Families are welcome to take an active role in the educational development of their children.
