College Name
The Name of the College: Maris Stella. They are two Latin words. Maris means the Sea, Stella Means the Star. Together they give the meaning, Star of the Sea, attributed to Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
The Flag
The upper Blue Strip denotes God
The Cerise Strip indicates love.
The lower Blue Strip represents Water and the land.
All together the flag reminds us about our duty and responsibility to love God and love our neighbour.
College Crest
College Crest
The College crest contains symbols and expressions: A star, English Letters A & M, twelve small stars, a sailing ship and the Latin words “Ita Para Tutum”.
Star: Symbolizes the guiding light. The name of the College is Maris Stella, a Latin expression to say Star of the Sea.
“A” and “M” stand for “Ave Maria” to express our greeting to the beloved Mother – Mary – the mother of Jesus.
Twelve small stars
An image taken from the Holy Bible: The woman of the Apocalypse—described as being “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars” (verse 1)—represents Old Testament Israel. In the Old Testament, God referred to His people as a woman whom He had dressed in honor and splendor (Ezekiel 16). The garland with 12 stars may be symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 37:9-10) and the 12 apostles. They also symbolize the motherhood and queenship of Mary over all nations and in this case the mother of goodness – the guiding star – to the College Community.
Sailing ship: A sailing ship is a sea-going vessel that uses sails mounted on masts to harness the power of wind and propel the vessel. This image expresses that our lives are similar referring to the journey of life and the challenges surrounding it. There can be critical moments in life like the ship on rough seas. The sail harnesses the power to face daily challenges giving us the strength to direct our lives to achieve our goals.
“Iter Para Tutum” is a Latin expression. The meaning is to “Prepare a safe passage”. This is an invitation or a prayer to Mary, the Star of the Sea (Maris Stella) appealing her to show the school community – students, teachers, parents, old boys and all others associated with the College – the way, the right path, for a meaningful and successful life.
Theme
The theme invites and encourages our current students, teachers and our entire Marist family to feel a strong sense of personal and collective responsibility to make this school “our home away from home,” and our world a better – more just and peaceful place
School Anthem
College Anthem – Sinhala version
The Primary School used to sing this, but nor more. This was composed by the famous musician late J.K.S. Perera and late Rev. Bro. Peter Wijethunge.
