[3] The College is named after the mission schooner Sancta Maria on which Bishop Jean Baptist Pompallier sailed around New Zealand.

Bishop Pompallier, who is a specially honoured pioneer of the New Zealand Catholic Church, arrived in the Hokianga from France in 1838 with a group of Marist Priests and Brothers.

Bishop Pompallier devised his own flag for the vessel – a bunting version of the Miraculous Medal, It consisted of a blue cross surmounting a large M and surrounded by twelve stars.

When Sancta Maria Catholic Primary School came in the year of 2010 they shared the same auditorium for assemblies and masses and so the college built a new gym for P.E.

The Saint Catherine Block's top level is mainly for the sciences with five classrooms equipped for experiments and of the other four, three of which are being used for religious educations lessons with the final two being used for languages (specifically French and Japanese respectively).

A library is there with 4 classroom underneath for RE A new gymnasium equipped with a fitness centre and physical education offices was opened in 2010.

This was so that the lower story of the library could be converted into a Modern Learning Environment, to be used exclusively by the Religious Education department of the school.

The houses of Sancta Maria College are named after ports or harbours in New Zealand at which Bishop Pompallier's schooner landed.