Chanel College, Moamoa

Chanel College
Location
Moamoa, Samoa Samoa
Coordinates	13.8700°S 171.7867°W / -13.8700; -171.7867
Information
School type	Private, with some government subsidies, High school
Motto	"Taofi Mau le Faatuatua" ("Cling Fast to the Faith")
Denomination	Catholic, but open to all students
Patron saint(s)	St. Peter Chanel
Status	Open
Authority	Catholic Education (Samoa Diocese)
Principal	Fr. Mika Tuimavave
Grades	9-13
Color(s)	Blue and White
Website	www.chanelcollege.org

Chanel College is a Catholic co-educational college in Moamoa, Samoa. It is near the top of Mount Vaea, at the end of Moamoa Road, which leads directly from Apia. 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) in New Zealand accepted a complaint that one of its priests, a former teacher at Chanel College (in 1975), Francis Durning, had sexually abused children.[1] He was mentioned in the NZ Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care hearings in Nov. 2020.[2]

References

1. "Wellington Catholic school has no records of sex abuse". RNZ. 11 November 2018. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
2. "Royal Commission told Catholic Church needs to stop honouring paedophiles". Stuff. 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2021-12-11.