Athol Murray College of Notre Dame

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Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
"Luctor et Emergo"
"Struggle and Emerge"
Address
49 Main Street
Wilcox, Saskatchewan, S0G 5E0, Canada
Website
www.notredame.sk.ca
Information
School type private, independent, coeducation
Grades 8 - 12, PG
Language English
Team name Hounds
Colours Red and White
Founded 1927
Enrollment 350

Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, or Notre Dame College, is a co-ed, independent, residential high school for students in Grades 8-12 in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. The school is best known for its hockey team, the Notre Dame Hounds. Alumni include many current and former NHL players.

Contents

[edit] History

In 1920, the Sisters of Charity of St. Louis opened the Notre Dame of the Prairies Convent and St. Augustine's residential elementary and high school for boys and girls at Wilcox, Saskatchewan; a small town on the Canadian prairies 49 kilometres (25 miles) south of Regina – the provincial capital.

Father Athol Murray was appointed to St. Augustine's parish in Wilcox, Saskatchewan in 1927. The institution's name was eventually changed to honour his contributions.

In the beginning, the College had no running water or central heat. In 1930, fees were $18 per month, but many students couldn't afford to pay. Père (Father) Murray accepted students on the basis that they desired an education, not on their ability to pay. A side of beef, a chicken, a bucket of coal and produce were often accepted instead of money. Students came from everywhere and from every type of social, cultural and religious background.

Murray was assisted by Sister Mary Edith McCullough. Her teaching career spanned 30 years at Wilcox. Sr. Edith ran the elementary and high schools while Père spent most of his time with the students in the Arts programs. In 1933, Père Murray succeeded in obtaining an official affiliation with the University of Ottawa.

Père Murray believed in the Greek philosophy of developing the mind, body and spirit and envisioned a school that could develop great scholars and athletes through equal emphasis on the disciplines of academics, athletics and faith. Notre Dame's longstanding success in developing well-balanced individuals is a testament to that vision.

Though Murray died in 1975, his legacy lives on. Père's beloved Notre Dame College continues to produce many of North America's finest student athletes through a balanced program that emphasizes the values of good character, leadership and community living. Père's motto "Luctor et Emergo" (Struggle and Emerge) is still reinforced today.


[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Trivia

Perhaps the best known contribution to the NHL is the Toronto Maple Leafs Hound Line of the 1985-86 season, when Gary Leeman, Wendel Clark and Russ Courtnall played on the same forward line. Their line's name came from the fact that all had played for the legendary Notre Dame Hounds.

[edit] References

Père Murray and the Hounds, the story of Saskatchewan's Notre Dame College, by Jack Gorman

Père - A Père Murray Compendium, include by Jack Gorman

Legacy . . . the treasures of Notre Dame, by Jack Gorman

The Hounds of Notre Dame - a movie based on the compelling story of Père Murray and the Hounds

Tales from the Shacks, by Richard Dukes

Notre Dame of the Prairies, by Alice Henderson

The Rink, by Chris Cuthbert and Scott Russell

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