Whitefriars College was established as a Catholic Secondary School for boys by theCarmelite Orderof Priests and Brothers in 1961. This was in responseto local Catholic families creating a strong demand for schoolswhich would educate their children in the tradition of their faith.While we warmlywelcome families from all denominations who believe in the opportunities that Whitefriars has to offer, we have always remained a Catholic school in the Carmelite tradition.The Carmelite tradition is traced back to the Holy Land of the late Twelfth Century. There, a small group of Christians who had come from Europe as part of the Crusades, established themselves as a community of hermits on Mount Carmel. Whilst circumstances forced these early Carmelites to abandon both Mount Carmel and their hermit way of life, they took with them the spirit of both their original birthplace and the way of life associated with it, and spread it throughout the world.
Our Motto and CrestsThe College Motto, ‘Almae In Fide Parentis’, translates to mean ‘In the Care of a Loving Mother’. It is taken from the Carmelite liturgy for the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It highlights the College’s connection with the Carmelites,draws attention to Our Lady of Mount Carmel as Patron of the College, underlines the value that the College places on a sense of being cared for by God through the prayer of Mary and emphasises that the College is a place where people care for each other.