Regina Mundi Catholic College

Regina Mundi Catholic College is a Catholic school in London, Ontario, administered by the London District Catholic School Board.

History

Regina Mundi, or "Queen of the World", was originally a Junior Seminary. The building was first commissioned in 1963, by Bishop John Cody, to be an institution for training of candidates entering diocesan priesthood. The schedule was extremely strict. The day began at 6:45am for mass, breakfast at 7:40, rosary in the chapel at 8:40. The students then went to class for the rest of the day. Study Hall took place from 7:00pm-9:00pm, and lights off were at 9:45pm.

In 1967 the school was renamed from Regina Mundi Seminary to Regina Mundi College. It began to cater to boys from all over the world, not just London. Young men came from all over Canada, the United States, South & Central America, and Europe.

In 1983 the Catholic education interest in London began to grow. At the time, Catholic Central was the only secondary school for Catholic Education. The school became Co-Ed, and a new wing was added on featuring a gymnasium and science laboratories. This was a complete reformation for RMC because for the first time, girls and boys were mixed and receiving education together in a building that for a long time was only for young men. The school eventually became a day school for boys and girls, and in 1987 the boarding school aspect left the building forever.

In 1988, RMC went under major reconstruction. A double gymnasium was added to the north end, at the end of the science wing, and a technology wing was added at the south end of the building. 4 Portables were placed outside, but a fire cause one of them to be removed in the late 90's. The dorm rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors were converted into classrooms, and the library was moved to the 2nd floor.

Location

RMC is located on the southern outskirts of London, on Wellington Road. No city buses go near the school. All the students are bussed via school bus, or walk from the subdivision across the street. The location proves as a problem for extracurricular activities because there needs to be late-busing which has a costly effect on the school and the board.

The brand new Catholic school board building is located next door, to the North.

Layout

Regina Mundi's main layout is that of a single hallway with rooms alongside it. The hallway occasionally curves, but it is essentially one hallway, with a few side corridors leading to special areas such as gyms, or the chapel, or stairwells. The technology wing breaks this layout by having a system of somewhat confusing hallways, and with it being unlevel with the rest of the school. The tech wing is connected by ramps. The basement ramp leads to the first floor tech wing, and the first floor ramp leads to the second floor tech wing. There are also many "hidden" stairwells in the building that can only be accessed by going through a room and then to the stairs. One example is a connection between the chaplaincy rooms behind the chapel, to the cafeteria beneath the chapel.

The exterior of the building features an outdoor lunch area, a football field enclosed by a running track, a separate practice football/soccer field, basketball courts in the parking lot enclosed by fencing, and a shot put cage. Also in the outdoor area is a smoker's area. The reason this was established was so that students wishing to smoke would not go to nearby Wellington Road, where fast driving cars pose as a threat to safety. The smoker's "pit" is fence enclosed and is technically "not on school property".

Chapel

The Chapel at Regina Mundi is the focal point of the school. It is visible as soon as one walks into the main entrance of the building. The chapel is built of stone on the exterior, as is the rest of the building, and has a wood finish inside. The pews are also made of wood. The altar is made of granite stone. There is also a tabernacle to the right of the altar which constantly contains the body of Christ. When the school first opened the two rooms behind the chapel were used by the priests as living quarters, but now they are the headquarters for the school's active Chaplaincy Team U.niquE

The Chapel also features the memory wall which has pictures of all the students and staff that passed away during their terms at RMC. The most significant and astounding part of the chapel is the 20 million dollar organ. Many students themselves that attend the school have never seen or even heard the organ. The pipes are hidden behind curtains, and the electric console which controls them resembles a piano, so that explains why many people do not recognize its presence.

External links

* [http://www.ldcsb.on.ca/schools/rmc/main.htm RMC Homepage] - Regina Mundi Catholic College Homepage