History of Saint Joseph's College

The small building on the left was the first of three St. Joseph Churches. The larger building was the first location of St. Joseph's College.

The Need for More Space (1940s - 1950s)

During the 1940s and 1950s, the College made great strides and proved it had the potential for great expansion. During the winter of 1953, the Sisters began researching possibilities for a new location. Monsignor George P. Johnson, a strong supporter of the Sisters, encouraged them to purchase the 115-acre Harry M. Verrill estate at Sebago Lake in Standish, which was for sale.

Where it All Started (1912 - 1940s)

From the time the Sisters of Mercy arrived in Portland in 1873, they dreamed of establishing a college in the area. They eventually founded Saint Joseph’s College in 1912 and, the Maine Legislature chartered it in 1915. From 1912 to 1956, the College was located on the grounds of the Sisters of Mercy Motherhouse in the Deering district of Portland (picture left). In 1949, the name of the College was changed from Saint Joseph’s to The College of Our Lady of Mercy, but with the change of site to Standish in 1956, the original name of Saint Joseph’s was reinstated. Its original motto was Ecclesia Sentire ("the Church Thinks").

Today, it is Maine’s only Catholic college. Saint Joseph’s grants degrees in fulfillment of the educational ideals of the Sisters of Mercy, founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831.

In 1970, Saint Joseph’s became a co-educational institution. The College began offering distance education programs in 1976. Today, Saint Joseph’s College provides certificates as well as undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program that operates in collaboration with the College’s Sebago Lake campus.

With more than 100 years after its foundation, Saint Joseph’s College is determined to meet today and tomorrow’s opportunities for service to the local, state, national, and global communities.

The stained glass window of St. Edward the Confessor (now in Xavier Hall)

The stained glass window of St. John the Evangelist (now in Xavier Hall)

Why Saint Joseph?

Saint Joseph is one of the patrons of the Sisters of Mercy. Sr. Mary Sullivan, R.S.M., biographer of Catherine McAuley, explains the role of Saint Joseph in the spirituality of the Sisters and in the mission of Saint Joseph's College.

Two Sisters of Mercy, Two Stained Glass Windows, and a Decision that Changed Everything (1956 - Present)

Mother Mary Evangelist and Mother Mary Edwina traveled to Standish to evaluate the estate as a potential site for relocation. What they would have found at the time were two buildings-–a manor home (now Xavier Hall) and a stone cottage (now St. George Hall)-–the pond, orchards, and the lake. The real estate agent then invited them to view Mrs. Verrill's chapel, small stone structure tucked on the hillside sloping toward the lake.

What the Sisters saw when they entered the chapel were two stained glass windows. One depicted St. Edward the Confessor and the other featured St. John the Evangelist. As Sr. Mary George O'Toole recounts, "So we have Sister Mary Evangelist and Saint John the Evangelist. And we have Sister Mary Edwina (a form of Edward) looking up at Saint Edward the Confessor. Since 1953, all of the Sisters in Maine had been praying that decision makers would figure out what to do–stay in Portland or move elsewhere? Answer to prayer? God’s providential care for us and our college that the sisters were sponsoring? No question."

Whether or not it was divine intervention, on December 18, 1954, the Sisters of Mercy purchased the one hundred fifteen acre site for $54,300, and the College moved to Standish on September 20, 1956. The campus is now 474 acres campus on the shore of Sebago Lake with a view of Mount Washington and the Presidential Range of the White Mountains.

The College's Seal

The official seal of Saint Joseph’s College is a modification of the Mercy Shield designed by Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. It is composed of three elements: the shield of the Sisters of Mercy, three fleurs-de-lis, and the motto: “Fortitude et Spes.” The Mercy Seal is white, fringed with gold. The bars are red upon a field of gold. The cross is white upon a field of red. The red stands for courage; white for purity; the cross for sacrifice.

The fleur-de-lis is symbolic of the Franco-American nature of the state of Maine. The motto translates into “Courage and Hope” which exemplifies the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy in their selfless service to countless Saint Joseph’s students and the State of Maine.

The College's Logo

The College’s logo evokes its status as Maine’s only Catholic College. The three pine trees refer to Maine’s nickname as the “Pine Tree State.” Their arrangement, three trees with a tall one in the middle, recalls the traditional imagery of the crucifixion of Jesus who was “hung on a tree” between two thieves (Acts 5:30; Mark 15:27; Matthew 27:38; Luke 23:33). The number 3, as well as the triangle, are symbolic of the Holy Trinity. The X shape of the branches of the middle tree calls to mind the Saint Andrew’s Cross (which is also featured on the papal coat of arms). Finally, beneath the trees is the Mercy shield, turned upside down, in the shape of a shelter symbolizing the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy as a haven for the poor and marginalized.

Why the Monks?

Saint Joseph’s was an all-women’s institution until 1970 when it first admitted men. In this same year the College began offering varsity sports. With no budget for athletic uniforms, the College appealed to a closing Catholic prep school for them. Its nickname was “The Monks.” Thus, an athletic tradition and a mascot was born.

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