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Northern Ireland’s only Catholic college celebrates 125 years of training teachers

Graduates pose with their degrees at St. Mary’s University College in Belfast, Northern Ireland. / Credit: St. Mary’s University College

EWTN News, Dec 29, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Four generations of teachers, a Nobel Prize winner, and a kicker with the New Orleans Saints are among those who have graduated from Northern Ireland’s only Catholic higher education institution.
St. Mary’s University College in Belfast is marking the 125th year of a remarkable journey that began in 1900.
Since its foundation, St. Mary’s has been synonymous with training Catholic teachers. It is rooted in a profound commitment to Catholic education, with its alumni teaching in every Catholic school in Northern Ireland and in schools around the world.
St. Mary’s University College is pictured on its campus on the Lower Falls Road in West Belfast, Northern Ireland. Credit: St. Mary’s University College

PrincipalPeterFinntoldCNA:“AtChristmastime,St.Mary’sUniversityCollegeinBelfastcelebratesaninstitutionalidentitywhichreflectsaChristian,explicitlyfaith-inspiredworldview.” “WearetheonlyCatholichighereducationinstitutioni