House Saints

Our school is divided into four houses. Each house is named after a Saint.

St Vincent de Paul

St Vincent was born in France in 1581, and grew up in a poor farming .He became a Catholic priest when he was just 19 years old. While travelling by sea, Vincent was captured by pirates and taken to North Africa.He was sold as a slave and lived in captivity for two years. Eventually, he escaped and returned to France.

Vincent saw how many people were suffering and decided to dedicate his life to helping others. He started groups to care for the sick, poor, and orphaned. He worked with St. Louise de Marillac to create the Sisters of Charity, a group of women who helped those in need. St Vincent founded the Congregation of the Mission, also known as the Vincentians, to train priests and help rural communities. Our parish church is named after St Vincent and the school community regularly supports the legacy of St Vincent by raising money for The Passage Homeless Centre in Westminster.

St Francis of Assisi

St Francis was born in 1181 in Assisi, Italy. St Francis grew up in a wealthy family but chose to give up his riches to live a humble life.He believed all creatures were part of God’s family and called animals his “brothers” and “sisters.” He once preached to birds and even made peace with a fierce wolf!
He started a group called the Franciscans, who lived simply and helped the poor. He also helped create the first live nativity scene to celebrate Christmas. Our school community supports the legacy of St Vincent through the Laudato Si Group and the JTA group caring for creation and protecting our beautiful grounds.

St Louise de Marillac

Louise de Marillac was born in France in 1591. She grew up near Paris and was raised among important people because her family worked with the royal court. Louise wanted to become a nun, but the group she applied to didn’t accept her. Instead, she got married and had a son named Michel. She loved her family very much and took care of her husband when he became sick. After her husband passed away, Louise met St Vincent de Paul. Together, they started a group called the Daughters of Charity. These women helped poor people, orphans, the elderly and those who were sick. Louise believed that helping others was a way to show love for God. Louise worked hard to care for people in need until she died in 1660. Today, the Daughters of Charity still help people all around the world. The Parish church in Potters Bar was named after St Louise and our school community continues to support her legacy through helping the poor. Our Parish centre has the Louise de Marillac room which offers a space for prayer and learning.

St Bernadette Soubirous

St Bernadette born in 1844 in Lourdes, France. She was a poor girl who lived in a small, damp room that used to be a jail. She was often sick and had asthma, which made it hard for her to breathe. Even though life was tough, she was kind, cheerful, and helped her family. When St Bernadette was 14, she went to collect firewood with her sister and a friend. Near a cave called Massabielle, she saw a beautiful lady dressed in white with a blue sash and a rosary. This lady appeared to Bernadette 18 times and asked her to pray and do penance for sinners. On one visit, the lady said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This meant she was Mary, the mother of Jesus. St Bernadette told people what she saw, but many didn’t believe her at first. Eventually, the Catholic Church confirmed her visions were real. A spring of water appeared at the grotto, and many people have been healed by its waters. Lourdes has become a famous place for pilgrims from all over the world as they travel to bathe in the waters and pray with St Bernadette. As a school and parish community we support the HCPT pilgrimages to Lourdes.