Prior Park College Comes Together to Thank New Founders

On Sunday 27 February 2019, a Service of Thanksgiving was held at Our Lady of the Snows for the many individuals and families who have given so much to support Prior Park and its schools. The Chair of Governors, Michael King, on behalf of Prior Park Schools, recalled with considerable gratitude the action of those individuals who helped the College in the hour of its greatest need just short of 40 years ago - when the Congregation of Christian Brothers announced that the College and its Prep School could no longer continue.

This group of individuals are to be honoured as the New Founders and particular thanks was given to those who were present at the Mass, namely John Bogie (PPA 1957), Fergus Lyons (PPA 1949) and Gerald Walker (PPA 1948). Those who were unable to attend and who also made immense contributions in time and financial support include Andy Owen (PPA 1957), Jim Coelho (PPA 1959), Cameron Mackintosh (PPA 1964), Christopher French, David Medlock, Jeanne Bisgood, Tony Bury (PPA 1970) and Christopher Liu (PPA 1979). Remembered with thanks also were teachers Mostyn Thomas and Patrick McMahon who are sadly no longer with us, and the Christian Brothers themselves whose own financial contribution is not widely known.

Acknowledged also was the dedication of the four lay Headmasters since 1981 who have made such an emphatic contribution to the development of the College and its sister schools in the last 4 decades, Patrick Tobin, Jeremy Goulding, Giles Mercer and James Murphy-O’Connor.

The New Founders are those who helped save the College in 1981 and those who continue to further our cause by making gifts to the school of £100,000 or more. If you are interested in becoming a New Founder, please contact Declan Rainey, the Director of Development. The school is planning to commemorate these names once a suitable and permanent place is found in the College.