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Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Colour photo
St David's Marist Inanda
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Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Colour photo
St David's Marist Inanda
2020 Rugby Tour - Keeping the Ball in Play
“Keeping the Ball in Play”
Nassey and Agnes Simaan were the parents of Gabriel Simaan who matriculated from St Davids in 1968. They were deeply committed to their school, their legacy spans generations and remain quite literally, rooted in rugby.
While Nassey coached rugby, Agnes laid the grass on all of the rugby fields and cricket oval. She is remembered by the boys as driving the little blue tractor at all hours of the day preparing the turf. She secretly buried medals and statues blessed by Brother Anthony under the grass on all of the fields to ensure that the boys were blessed and protected. They regarded her as a second mother, seeking out her advise and common sense and she was always up for a chat with a cup of tea.
One of Nassey’s greatest accomplishments was his role as the Marist Inanda’s first team rugby coach. During his 3 year reign, the school enjoyed their greatest success with records that still prevail today. His players from this era recall how there were no superstars in their team: They were a small bunch of very average rugby players and Nassey focused on the weakest and smallest players in the group. It was through the self confidence and motivation that he instilled in them, together with his immense knowledge, strategy and love for the game, that they were able to achieve what they did. Not only did Nassey’s loud voice instruct and encourage the boys in the matches as he marched up and down the touchline, but his athletic abilities were legendary. Apparently more than once, Nassey’s wing would get the ball with a gap in the defence. Nassey would be in line with the wing. With a cigarette in his mouth, Nassey would take off at the same time that the wing broke, and sprint down the touch line screaming instructions. By the time the wing made it to the try line, Nassey was already there waiting for him.
When one of Nasseys most successful St Davids teams had their 40 year school reunion, they invited him as their guest of honour as a mark of respect. They all describe Nassey as a passionate man who had a vision and skill set far beyond his years in rugby. He instilled in them not only a love for the game but a love and brotherhood for their team mates and school. Les Khourie – his lock reflects on how much Nassey was loved. Khourie believes he shaped and moulded him into the man he is today. The first fifteen from 1972 remains the best team St Davids ever had.
Nassey’s rugby talents and passion for the game were passed onto his son Gabe, who matriculated in 1968. Nassey would speak with immense pride of Gabe’s rugby achievements. His favourite recollection was about Gabe kicking a penalty over from the halfway line, in the torrential rain and howling Cape wind, to beat Marist Brothers Rondebosch by 1 point. Gabe’s son, Gaby jnr who was at St Davids until high school is as
passionate about his rugby and was a first league and Lions panel referee. He now coaches the U9’s at pirates.
Matthew Cooper, currently in Grade 11 at St Davids; great grandson to Nassey and grandson to Gabe, shares his love and passion for the game. His great grandfather would have been incredibly proud of his selection into the u16 Grant Khomo Lions side last year. He wears the St Davids jersey with much pride and a deep sense of honor. He hopes to emulate Nasseys speed and innate understanding of the majestic game of rugby.
Egenrieder, Julie
2020 St David's Marist Inanda Rugby Tour to France and Spain
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Digital photo in black and white
Egenrieder, Julie
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
All photos from 2020 to 2029
St David's Marist College
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
All photos from 2021
St David's Marist College
2021 Wellness at St David's. Faith, culture and life in harmony
A5 Brochure
St David's Marist Inanda
2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
Part of 2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
Part of 2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
Part of 2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
Part of 2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
Part of 2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
Part of 2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
A5 Booklet
St David's Marist Inanda
2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
Part of 2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
Part of 2025 - A St David's Journey. "Building on the Rocks"
215 Mini-Marists Block for Grade 00 and Grade 0 and Blessing of the Playground
Part of 2015 Mini-Marists Block for Grade 00 and Grade 0 and Blessing of the Playground
70th Anniversary dinner - main speaker Simi Tshabalala
1
Speech at the 70th Anniversary Gala Dinner, St David’s Marist Inanda
Sim Tshabalala
No product of the Marist Brothers could fail to be beleaguered by tremendous feelings
of humility, privilege and gratification at a function such as tonight’s; humility for being in
the presence of luminaries of Catholic and Marist education as well as immensely
successful products of St David’s; privilege and gratification at the knowledge that one
is counted as a friend of St David’s.
I was lucky to have had parents who had the means to be able to send me to Marist
Observatory in 1978. I was fortunate to be nurtured by the Marist Brothers in joint
venture with the Holy Family sisters, the Ursuline sisters and the laity in an environment
of love, fairness, equality and care.
I have always been struck by the intensity of the Marist faith. The sheer power of this
faith reminds me of some famous lines of the great Catholic poet Gerard Manley
Hopkins. He wrote, ‘The World is charged with the grandeur of God, It will flame out, like
shining from shook foil.’ The Marist brothers in joint venture with the Holy Family sisters,
the Ursuline sisters and laity who taught me at Sacred Heart College did indeed seem lit
up from the inside by their faith; charged full of imagination, hope and energy. They
shone with an unshakable determination to side with the underdog in pursuit of equality
and fairness
I always felt at home at Sacred Heart. Though I was a little boy from Soweto, I always
remember how special I was made to feel. And there I was given gifts beyond price: an
excellent, fully rounded education and the skills and values I draw on every day as a
professional and as a citizen of South Africa.
My mentors from this community included Brother Mc Cartin. Memories of him talking to
me in the quad at Obs after school are indelible. I remember distinctly stories of his life
in Ireland, his journey to South Africa and his Marist work. Because of listening to him, I
even considered becoming a brother! How lovely that would have been instead of being
a member of one of the ten most hated professions: banking. I remember fondly Brother
Paul as he would walk to his room with his dog Susie, stop, and chat about this and
that. I remember well brother Raymond with his strong Irish accent. He was our under
13 rugby coach, and that was the only year my cohort beat Inanda during the ordinary
season – although, of course, we drew with them during the Inter Marist rugby
tournament which was held at St Josephs Rondebosch in our matric year. That draw
was sweet and it is unforgettable. I am on dangerous ground here, but I attribute our
string of losses to Inanda from under 13 to our final year entirely to the fact that we
became co-ed in 1980 whereas the Inanda leadership had the good sense to remain a
Single sex school, one of whose benefits was the preservation of a strong rugby
tradition. Neil Mc Gurk is unforgettable. I learned a huge amount from him: commitment
to community combined with a deep desire to transform it; the love of philosophy; and
an abiding adoration of St Thomas Aquinas’ work and natural law.
2
It seems to me that nothing has changed since I devoured Brother Mc Cartin's immortal
words, grappled with Brother Neil's incredibly complex ideas and got routinely trounced
by Walter Cronje's men. I have a tremendous love for the Marist tradition, and a
permanent admiration for St David’s.
Ladies and gentlemen, when I was asked to speak tonight on the topic: ‘Confortare esto
vir’ – ‘Take courage and be a man,’ I was immediately filled with trepidation. Was this
some kind of coded message about a resurgence of the global financial crisis? Were
the Marist Brothers trying to tell me something?
But once I had calmed down, I remembered that this isn’t actually a financial forecast.
As you know, it’s really the inspiring motto of this great school, founded seventy years
ago as an act of bravery and optimism in defiance of the surrounding horrors of the
Second World War.
The motto comes, in fact, from the First Book of Kings, Chapter 2. They are King
David’s dying words of advice to his son, Solomon, who was to become the wisest and
best of the biblical kings of Israel. David said, ‘Take courage and be a man. Observe
what the Lord your God requires. Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees.... Do
this so that you may prosper in all you do.’
What I find most interesting about this text is that it says that courageous, wise and
good people have to be observant and obedient. In a foreshadowing of the Marian
tradition of striving always to be consciously present in the world and to heed the call of
duty, these verses call upon us to look carefully around us; to work out what is required
of us by our religion and our values; and to take steps to fulfil those requirements.
What do we find when we look about us in South Africa? I think we find many good
things - including a democracy that has just reaffirmed both its vibrancy and its stability;
an economy that is clearly on its way to recovery; and this attractive and excellent
school. There’s much to be proud of, and certainly no need for gloom.
But we also observe a great deal of poverty and that we are the world’s most unequal
country.
65% of the population live on less the R550 a month – less than a monthly satellite TV
subscription. 12% of South Africans are desperately poor, struggling somehow to
survive on R150 a month – less than the cost of a very modest lunch for two in Sandton.
In other words, those of us who are lucky enough to be celebrating this anniversary
here tonight live on a small island of prosperity in a sea of poverty.
South Africa is so unequal because we have one of the world’s highest unemployment
rates. The unemployment rate for black South Africans under 30 is over 50%. Twothirds
of 15-to-30 year olds who want work have never been able to find a job. The
3
reason why these millions of young people can’t find work - or create it for themselves -
is simple. They have been failed by our education system.
Admittedly, there are some bright spots in the education landscape, and last year’s
matric results may signal some improvement - but the overall picture remains extremely
bleak. Two facts I find particularly telling are that the average Grade 3 literacy teacher
can barely pass a Grade 6 test, and that the average South African maths teacher –
teacher, not student – scores 39% on a test of the material they are supposed to be
teaching. If the teacher can’t properly understand the work, how on earth are the pupils
supposed to learn?
Our educational deficiencies look even worse in the light of global standards. This year
the Global Competitiveness Report found that our inadequately educated workforce was
the second biggest constraint to doing business in South Africa. (Our inefficient
bureaucracy was first – and much of that inefficiency is also explained by poor
education.) South Africa ranks among the bottom 10% of countries on the quality of our
education system. We do far worse than many much poorer African countries, including
Mali, Tanzania and even Cote D’Ivoire, which is just emerging from a decade of civil
war.
The abject failure of most of the education system is not merely tragic and wasteful– it’s
also very dangerous. This is because unemployment and inequality fuel crime and
instability, and create an enthusiastic audience for destructive populist politicians.
Our motto tells us that good and wise men observe, and then obey.
I believe that this means that we are called upon by our faith and by our ethics to take
active steps to improve South Africa’s education system. But what steps? I submit that
the answers have been given to us – very appropriately – by two great Catholic
educationalists: St Marcellin Champagnat and Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman.
St Marcellin founded the Marist Brothers nearly two hundred years ago in order to bring
education and religious enlightenment to poor children in remote rural areas of France,
and to ensure that they were taught with humility, modesty, simplicity and love. With the
passing of time, Marist Inanda now finds itself in what is probably the most affluent part
of South Africa’s little island of prosperity. The school therefore attracts most of its
pupils from prosperous and sophisticated families. Through no fault of your own, St
David’s is significantly less diverse in terms of both race and income than it could be.
I know that you are very aware of the tension this creates: How best can St David’s
reconcile its present affluence with the Marist mission to the poor? More generally, how
4
can those of us perched on the little island of prosperity respond with honour and
courage to the sea of poverty and inequality around us?
It is entirely right that St David’s should continue to stretch itself to reach and serve
disadvantaged pupils and badly trained teachers. I know that the boys at St David’s do
a lot of outreach work. I can only say to them, ‘Thank you – and do more!’ And, of
course, one of the main purposes of tonight’s event is to raise funds for the Marcellin
Champagnat Campaign to establish an endowment that will provide pupil bursaries and
the teacher learnerships here at St David’s. Again, I can only say, ‘Thank you – and be
even more generous!’
I hope you won’t mind if I make a banker’s suggestion? From my perspective, St
David’s Marist Inanda looks like a particularly successful ‘business unit.’ If we were
looking for resources to, say, expand our branch network into new territories, we would
have a debate about transferring some of the profits from the successful units to fund
the expansion as this would be in the interests of the entire enterprise. This would not
be an easy or a comfortable conversation. It would be necessary to avoid unfairness,
and to think carefully about how much money and other resources could be transferred
without damaging the profitability and sustainability of the successful business units. I
believe that St David’s is called upon by its Marist values to keep on having this
uncomfortable conversation. Please ask yourselves very regularly whether St David’s
can do more to cross-subsidise other Marist and Catholic education.
Cardinal Newman was a leading figure in the campaign to achieve social and political
equality for Catholics in Britain and Ireland in the 19th century. A former Anglican, he
was the prime mover behind the establishment of the Catholic University of Ireland,
which was to become the University College, Dublin, today, Ireland’s premier university. He
argued that one of the most important tasks for Catholics was to create centres of
unabashed educational excellence. At the time, almost all Catholics were very poor.
But, Newman argued, this did not mean that the community should focus exclusively on
immediate poverty relief and basic education. Instead, it should also aim to create
centres of unashamed educational excellence, which could produce a new Catholic elite
to lead the community and to influence society in general.
Newman was very interesting on what this new elite should be taught. He argued that a
significant proportion of their education should be in the liberal arts and humanities. His
view was that - even more than their specific professional training - leaders need the
ability to think critically and clearly and to argue logically and persuasively. This has
certainly been my experience, and I entirely agree with Newman that one of the
characteristics of an elite school like St David’s should be a concentration on literature,
history and debating – especially since the South African university system encourages
most students to specialise in professional subjects from their first day at university.
5
I would urge you, therefore, to follow the Blessed Cardinal Newman as well as St
Marcellin. As you stretch out to do more for the disadvantaged, do not lose focus on
your core mission of empowering every St David’s boy to develop all his talents, to
achieve all-round excellence, and to grow into men who are both wise and good. Also –
and this is very important too – I hope that the school continues to ensure that every
boy enjoys himself and is happy here.
On second thoughts, perhaps the boys shouldn’t enjoy their time here too much.... I’m
thinking here of one famous Marist Old Boy – he knows who he is – he is the
personification of the Marist way and the quintessence of the St David’s motto, he is a
carrier of this institution’s values and beliefs and he has motivated and inspired
thousands of boys in his long history with the school. He loved the school so much that
he found it necessary to do matric twice, and then to stay here for another 40 years. He
has given his name to a bursary which “is awarded to a boy who shows sporting
promise and who will be able to maintain the required academic standard.” He is loved
and revered and is prototypical of what St David’s boys ought to be, what they can be,
what they will be.
Finally – and I know Willy Castle will agree with me about this - I’d like to say
something about the merits of St David’s as a boys-only school. Certainly, there are
dangers to be avoided in a boys’ school and such dangers are avoided in co- ed
schools such as my alma mater, Sacred Heart College. These dangers include the risk
of becoming obsessed with sporting success to the exclusion of other achievements, or
of creating a culture which regards women as ‘a different species.’ But I know that St
David’s avoids these risks, thanks to its emphasis on all-round achievement and to its
thoroughly Catholic insistence on treating everyone with dignity and respect.
South Africa desperately needs more courageous and responsible men. At present,
only 36% of children are being raised in a home with a father. Far too much of our social
and political life is shaped by immature and irresponsible boy-men, whose paths to
fame, wealth and power are littered with broken promises, risky personal behaviour and
thoughtless or even cruel treatment of the poor, the weak, children and the elderly. St
David’s is performing an extremely valuable social service by fostering a brave, wise
and responsible masculinity that defies these trends and shows what being a man –
esto vir - truly means.
Long may you continue to do so!
Tshabalala, Simi
70th Anniversary Gala Dinner Speech by Sim Tshabalala
Speech at the 70th Anniversary Gala Dinner, St David’s Marist Inanda
Sim Tshabalala
No product of the Marist Brothers could fail to be beleaguered by tremendous feelings of humility, privilege and gratification at a function such as tonight’s; humility for being in the presence of luminaries of Catholic and Marist education as well as immensely successful products of St David’s; privilege and gratification at the knowledge that one is counted as a friend of St David’s.
I was lucky to have had parents who had the means to be able to send me to Marist Observatory in 1978. I was fortunate to be nurtured by the Marist Brothers in joint venture with the Holy Family sisters, the Ursuline sisters and the laity in an environment of love, fairness, equality and care.
I have always been struck by the intensity of the Marist faith. The sheer power of this faith reminds me of some famous lines of the great Catholic poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. He wrote, ‘The World is charged with the grandeur of God, It will flame out, like shining from shook foil.’ The Marist brothers in joint venture with the Holy Family sisters, the Ursuline sisters and laity who taught me at Sacred Heart College did indeed seem lit up from the inside by their faith; charged full of imagination, hope and energy. They shone with an unshakable determination to side with the underdog in pursuit of equality and fairness
I always felt at home at Sacred Heart. Though I was a little boy from Soweto, I always remember how special I was made to feel. And there I was given gifts beyond price: an excellent, fully rounded education and the skills and values I draw on every day as a professional and as a citizen of South Africa.
My mentors from this community included Brother Mc Cartin. Memories of him talking to me in the quad at Obs after school are indelible. I remember distinctly stories of his life in Ireland, his journey to South Africa and his Marist work. Because of listening to him, I even considered becoming a brother! How lovely that would have been instead of being a member of one of the ten most hated professions: banking. I remember fondly Brother Paul as he would walk to his room with his dog Susie, stop, and chat about this and that. I remember well brother Raymond with his strong Irish accent. He was our under 13 rugby coach, and that was the only year my cohort beat Inanda during the ordinary season – although, of course, we drew with them during the Inter Marist rugby tournament which was held at St Josephs Rondebosch in our matric year. That draw was sweet and it is unforgettable. I am on dangerous ground here, but I attribute our string of losses to Inanda from under 13 to our final year entirely to the fact that we became co-ed in 1980 whereas the Inanda leadership had the good sense to remain a Single sex school, one of whose benefits was the preservation of a strong rugby tradition. Neil Mc Gurk is unforgettable. I learned a huge amount from him: commitment to community combined with a deep desire to transform it; the love of philosophy; and an abiding adoration of St Thomas Aquinas’ work and natural law.
It seems to me that nothing has changed since I devoured Brother Mc Cartin's immortal words, grappled with Brother Neil's incredibly complex ideas and got routinely trounced by Walter Cronje's men. I have a tremendous love for the Marist tradition, and a permanent admiration for St David’s.
Ladies and gentlemen, when I was asked to speak tonight on the topic: ‘Confortare esto vir’ – ‘Take courage and be a man,’ I was immediately filled with trepidation. Was this some kind of coded message about a resurgence of the global financial crisis? Were the Marist Brothers trying to tell me something?
But once I had calmed down, I remembered that this isn’t actually a financial forecast. As you know, it’s really the inspiring motto of this great school, founded seventy years ago as an act of bravery and optimism in defiance of the surrounding horrors of the Second World War.
The motto comes, in fact, from the First Book of Kings, Chapter 2. They are King David’s dying words of advice to his son, Solomon, who was to become the wisest and best of the biblical kings of Israel. David said, ‘Take courage and be a man. Observe what the Lord your God requires. Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees.... Do this so that you may prosper in all you do.’
What I find most interesting about this text is that it says that courageous, wise and good people have to be observant and obedient. In a foreshadowing of the Marian tradition of striving always to be consciously present in the world and to heed the call of duty, these verses call upon us to look carefully around us; to work out what is required of us by our religion and our values; and to take steps to fulfil those requirements.
What do we find when we look about us in South Africa? I think we find many good things - including a democracy that has just reaffirmed both its vibrancy and its stability; an economy that is clearly on its way to recovery; and this attractive and excellent school. There’s much to be proud of, and certainly no need for gloom.
But we also observe a great deal of poverty and that we are the world’s most unequal country.
65% of the population live on less the R550 a month – less than a monthly satellite TV subscription. 12% of South Africans are desperately poor, struggling somehow to survive on R150 a month – less than the cost of a very modest lunch for two in Sandton. In other words, those of us who are lucky enough to be celebrating this anniversary here tonight live on a small island of prosperity in a sea of poverty.
South Africa is so unequal because we have one of the world’s highest unemployment rates. The unemployment rate for black South Africans under 30 is over 50%. Two-thirds of 15-to-30 year olds who want work have never been able to find a job. The reason why these millions of young people can’t find work - or create it for themselves - is simple. They have been failed by our education system.
Admittedly, there are some bright spots in the education landscape, and last year’s matric results may signal some improvement - but the overall picture remains extremely bleak. Two facts I find particularly telling are that the average Grade 3 literacy teacher can barely pass a Grade 6 test, and that the average South African maths teacher – teacher, not student – scores 39% on a test of the material they are supposed to be teaching. If the teacher can’t properly understand the work, how on earth are the pupils supposed to learn?
Our educational deficiencies look even worse in the light of global standards. This year the Global Competitiveness Report found that our inadequately educated workforce was the second biggest constraint to doing business in South Africa. (Our inefficient bureaucracy was first – and much of that inefficiency is also explained by poor education.) South Africa ranks among the bottom 10% of countries on the quality of our education system. We do far worse than many much poorer African countries, including Mali, Tanzania and even Cote D’Ivoire, which is just emerging from a decade of civil war.
The abject failure of most of the education system is not merely tragic and wasteful– it’s also very dangerous. This is because unemployment and inequality fuel crime and instability, and create an enthusiastic audience for destructive populist politicians.
Our motto tells us that good and wise men observe, and then obey.
I believe that this means that we are called upon by our faith and by our ethics to take active steps to improve South Africa’s education system. But what steps? I submit that the answers have been given to us – very appropriately – by two great Catholic educationalists: St Marcellin Champagnat and Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman.
St Marcellin founded the Marist Brothers nearly two hundred years ago in order to bring education and religious enlightenment to poor children in remote rural areas of France, and to ensure that they were taught with humility, modesty, simplicity and love. With the passing of time, Marist Inanda now finds itself in what is probably the most affluent part of South Africa’s little island of prosperity. The school therefore attracts most of its pupils from prosperous and sophisticated families. Through no fault of your own, St David’s is significantly less diverse in terms of both race and income than it could be.
I know that you are very aware of the tension this creates: How best can St David’s reconcile its present affluence with the Marist mission to the poor? More generally, how can those of us perched on the little island of prosperity respond with honour and courage to the sea of poverty and inequality around us?
It is entirely right that St David’s should continue to stretch itself to reach and serve disadvantaged pupils and badly trained teachers. I know that the boys at St David’s do a lot of outreach work. I can only say to them, ‘Thank you – and do more!’ And, of course, one of the main purposes of tonight’s event is to raise funds for the Marcellin Champagnat Campaign to establish an endowment that will provide pupil bursaries and the teacher learnerships here at St David’s. Again, I can only say, ‘Thank you – and be even more generous!’
I hope you won’t mind if I make a banker’s suggestion? From my perspective, St David’s Marist Inanda looks like a particularly successful ‘business unit.’ If we were looking for resources to, say, expand our branch network into new territories, we would have a debate about transferring some of the profits from the successful units to fund the expansion as this would be in the interests of the entire enterprise. This would not be an easy or a comfortable conversation. It would be necessary to avoid unfairness, and to think carefully about how much money and other resources could be transferred without damaging the profitability and sustainability of the successful business units. I believe that St David’s is called upon by its Marist values to keep on having this uncomfortable conversation. Please ask yourselves very regularly whether St David’s can do more to cross-subsidise other Marist and Catholic education.
Cardinal Newman was a leading figure in the campaign to achieve social and political equality for Catholics in Britain and Ireland in the 19th century. A former Anglican, he was the prime mover behind the establishment of the Catholic University of Ireland, which was to become the University College, Dublin, today, Ireland’s premier university. He argued that one of the most important tasks for Catholics was to create centres of unabashed educational excellence. At the time, almost all Catholics were very poor. But, Newman argued, this did not mean that the community should focus exclusively on immediate poverty relief and basic education. Instead, it should also aim to create centres of unashamed educational excellence, which could produce a new Catholic elite to lead the community and to influence society in general.
Newman was very interesting on what this new elite should be taught. He argued that a significant proportion of their education should be in the liberal arts and humanities. His view was that - even more than their specific professional training - leaders need the ability to think critically and clearly and to argue logically and persuasively. This has certainly been my experience, and I entirely agree with Newman that one of the characteristics of an elite school like St David’s should be a concentration on literature, history and debating – especially since the South African university system encourages most students to specialise in professional subjects from their first day at university.
I would urge you, therefore, to follow the Blessed Cardinal Newman as well as St Marcellin. As you stretch out to do more for the disadvantaged, do not lose focus on your core mission of empowering every St David’s boy to develop all his talents, to achieve all-round excellence, and to grow into men who are both wise and good. Also – and this is very important too – I hope that the school continues to ensure that every boy enjoys himself and is happy here.
On second thoughts, perhaps the boys shouldn’t enjoy their time here too much.... I’m thinking here of one famous Marist Old Boy – he knows who he is – he is the personification of the Marist way and the quintessence of the St David’s motto, he is a carrier of this institution’s values and beliefs and he has motivated and inspired thousands of boys in his long history with the school. He loved the school so much that he found it necessary to do matric twice, and then to stay here for another 40 years. He has given his name to a bursary which “is awarded to a boy who shows sporting promise and who will be able to maintain the required academic standard.” He is loved and revered and is prototypical of what St David’s boys ought to be, what they can be, what they will be.
Finally – and I know Willy Castle will agree with me about this - I’d like to say something about the merits of St David’s as a boys-only school. Certainly, there are dangers to be avoided in a boys’ school and such dangers are avoided in co- ed schools such as my alma mater, Sacred Heart College. These dangers include the risk of becoming obsessed with sporting success to the exclusion of other achievements, or of creating a culture which regards women as ‘a different species.’ But I know that St David’s avoids these risks, thanks to its emphasis on all-round achievement and to its thoroughly Catholic insistence on treating everyone with dignity and respect.
South Africa desperately needs more courageous and responsible men. At present, only 36% of children are being raised in a home with a father. Far too much of our social and political life is shaped by immature and irresponsible boy-men, whose paths to fame, wealth and power are littered with broken promises, risky personal behaviour and thoughtless or even cruel treatment of the poor, the weak, children and the elderly. St David’s is performing an extremely valuable social service by fostering a brave, wise and responsible masculinity that defies these trends and shows what being a man – esto vir¬ - truly means.
Long may you continue to do so!
St David's Marist Inanda
75th Anniversary Jubilee Bracelet
Photo at beginning of this entry
St David's Marist Inanda
75th Jubilee Bracelet - insert card
Content within this entry
St David's Marist Inanda
A Trip Down Memory Lane - 2020 Rugby Tour
A trip down memory Lane by: Gus Garcia – Old Boys St David’s
It is 2020 and I’m feeling totally nostalgic to reflect back on my years at St David’s, which ended 31 years ago, but whose memories remain as vivid as though they were only yesterday. Perhaps this is because my son Kiko is in his Matric year and I have been fortunate enough to relive a second school experience through his journey at St David’s. I have been frequently struck by the similarities of the school, then and now, in terms of the fundamental ethos and values, which have not deviated nor been altered in any way. St Davids has steadfastly refused to change its core character in a fast changing environment and results orientated world. The School has suffered and faced many challenges over the years, only to re-emerge stronger, brighter and wiser for having withstood these headwinds.The Marist Brothers ethos of family, community, simplicity, humility and reflection through prayer and mass, are ubiquitous in all aspects of school life. Whilst these values are not always apparent in ones early years, these essential truths reveal themselves as one progresses in age and consciousness. How amazing was it to discover that my son was being taught by 4 teachers who taught me. How satisfying to watch the accepting demeanour of our boys, truly representing our cosmopolitan nation, roaming the school and the playground.Walking the corridors after so many years brought in a rush of memories both good and bad. The laughs, the tears and the shared hopes and fears of my fellow brothers. Some have passed on, others are in far away lands and yet others remain close at hand, but all are remembered and loved. St Davids was never considered a top sporting school and yet every age group punched well above their weight in all categories. In fact being the perennial underdog resulted in a tighter knit group and forged friendships and brotherhoods for life. Representing the St David’s first team for rugby was a cherished moment for me and one I could share joyfully with my son when he was asked to join the touring team in 2020. It has been 18 years of wonder and joy watching you develop into a wonderful young man. I am excited for Kiko and his band of brothers who will embark on a fantastic adventure, irrespective of whether they win, lose or draw, so long as they cherish the endeavour and the journey and most importantly take courage to be men of virtue and value.
Egenrieder, Julie
A3 programme in black and white, 4 pages
St David's Marist Inanda
1 p
A5 programme 4 pages
St David's Marist Inanda
A collection of A4 pages relating to the Board and Governing Body. Donated by Kevin Brewer
St David's Marist College
Brother Anthony Docherty (1928 - 2010)
Biographical details of Brother Anthony and Memories of Old Boys
St David's Marist Inanda
Brother Anthony Docherty (1928 - 2010)
Brother Anthony Docherty (1928 - 2010)
Brother Anthony Remembered by St David's Old Boys
It was with great sadness that I received the news of Brother Anthony’s passing. Please convey my condolences
to the Marist Brothers’ community.
He was a wonderful headmaster who inspired great effort on the part of his students and he was central to the formation of the SDMOBA in 1964.
Clearly too, he was a very compassionate man and his work at Kuruman will, I believe, see him richly rewarded in Heaven.
God bless him and may his soul rest in peace while his memory lives on with those of us privileged to have been taught by him.
Yours sincerely,
Douglas Wickins
What sad news.
I've just seen your email and immediately guessed from the subject line that the news about 'Ornge' would not be good. As you say, he was a remarkable man, a superb headmaster and a wonderful human being. St David's owes him so much.
My memories of him are vivid between 1958, when I arrived at 'Inanda' as we knew it in those days, and 1962 when I matricu-lated. The name 'Ornge' is self-explanatory if one ever heard him say orange and, though probably not quite as well known, his invitations to all the parents to stay on for a 'bry flies' after Sports Day was almost his trademark too!
Orge will be greatly missed by those who were privileged to know him and especially those of us who were taught by him. If anyone made it easy to convert Fahrenheit into Centigrade (or Celsius as it is known now), he did! A wonderful man.
Please add my name to any book of condolences that you may set up.
Brian Austin '62.
Found on: http://www.ibo.org/ibworld/documents/nov03.pdf
The students established practices
that have remained the same
for subsequent trips throughout the
past decade. We are guided by
Brother Anthony, a Scottish Marist
brother who has lived in the
Kalahari desert with the local population
for over 20 years. Anthony
was headmaster of St David’s
Inanda, one of the most prestigious
schools in Johannesberg, South
Africa. He is now 76 and serves as
a presence, a symbol that someone
cares for these people whose towns
are still not marked on most maps of
South Africa.
Best Regards
Antonio Senatore
I left St Davids in 1955 and I am trying to think back all those years about Brother Anthony.
There are many things that I don’t remember too much anymore, but it sad to loose him.
We cannot be at the funeral, but will say prayers at home here in New Zealand.
Kind regards,
Derek and Gail Stansfield
New Zealand
I am sorry to hear about this. A lot of my success is a result of the disciple he instilled in me. Please send my regards to Brother Aidan …
John Ryan Old boy 1957 1963
I was at St Davids in 1971-1973 along with my 2 brothers as we lived in RSA while my Dad was assigned to Jburg with an Ameri-can Corporation.
I am now a Catholic priest serving in Afghanistan with US and NATO forces. I will be sure to remember Br Anthony at the All Souls Mass that I will be celebrating within a few hours.
It was Br Anthony who met with my parents in Oct 1971 when we began our odyssey of life in a foreign country. His manner did a lot to console my Mother who was up to that time, very concerned about our education in what was a unique environ-ment for us.
Br Anthony, along with the Marist order will remain in my prayers.
Fr. Steven Brosk
LC, Chaplain, USAF
Had heard ...that Bro Anthony was not at all well so his passing away does not come as a surprise but is nevertheless a sad event. I have very fond recollections of the man -- his humour; his patience when unmercifully teased about his accent by some of the boys; his sense of fairness. He taught us much; much more than the three R's !
Regards
Max Leipold
Matric 1959
My thoughts and prayers with all involved at St Davids - Br. Anthony was a legend. On a light note I was disciplined by him when only in Std 4 for a schoolboy prank - cost me 3 of the best!!
Sincerely
Mike Peel (Nelspruit)
I was saddened to hear of the death of Br Anthony Docherty. Both my brother Michael and I studied at St David's during his time there. We respected him greatly, as did our parents. One of the fondest memories that I have is of Br Anthony appearing at prize giving with bright red hair! - It seems that Br Bosco (afterwards Br Mario) convinced Br Anthony that his gray (almost white) hair could do with a bit of brightening-up. Br Bosco prepared a potion of red hair dye. There was no problem with the idea of a red hair dye. - It seems that Br Anthony's hair was originally ginger, before it turned gray.
The problem was with the shade of red. - Bright, fire-engine red!!! Obviously a source of great amusement for all the school boys. It took many months for his hair to return to its natural colour. Rest in peace Br Anthony.
Larry Griffiths
(pupil at St David's Marist Inanda 1964-1972)
St David's Marist Inanda
Brother Osmond Obituary 1871 - 1953
Copy of an A4 page
St David's Marist Inanda
Brother Pius cuts his Diamond Jubilee Cake at the Beano 1955
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
1 A4 black and white photo
Marist Inanda
Champagnat Hall Promotion Party
3 colour photos
St David's Marist College
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
Chapel of Mary - photos by Graeme De Lacey
Part of St David's Photograph Collection
College House presents "Us and Them" by Gareth Brinkman and Matthew Alves
A5 programme 5 pages
St David's Marist Inanda
College Prize Giving - Address by Willy Castle
9 A4 pages
St David's Marist Inanda