Fr Jean-Claude Colin had a close association with Pompallier who accompanied the French Marist Missionaries to New Zealand.

The Society of Mary continued to build the foundations for a Catholic System of Education, sourcing religious teachers from Ireland, Europe and Australia.

The college bears the name of The Venerable Bede (AD 673–735) an English Benedictine monk, scholar, and saint.

[citation needed] The college was moved in 1920 to its present site on 220,000 square metres of fields and trees at the northern entrance to the city.

Over the years, buildings have continued to be added to the college, including the Alistair Macdonald Centre for the Performing Arts, Jarrow (a senior boarding dorm) as well as a new gymnasium.

[4] The celebration of the 100th anniversary of St. Bedes College, due to take place at the end of May 2011, was also postponed as a result of the earthquake until a year later in May 2012.

A new chapel was completed in 2019 A former staff member was charged in late 2024 for sexual offences against boarders at the college about two decades earlier.

[7] From its beginnings, St. Bede's College has taught its students by observing a tradition that combines Marian and apostolic elements.

For the most part of the previous century, the college had residential Marist priests and brothers as teaching staff.

The following old boys are members of the 54th New Zealand Parliament; Other distinguished Old Bedeans include: Four Bishops of Christchurch (Brian Ashby, Basil Meeking, John Cunneen and Barry Jones), John Adams (born 1963), third bishop of Palmerston North and more than 180 priests attended St Bede's.