The college was founded through the collaborative efforts of four clergymen from three different denominations:
Roman Catholic,
Anglican, and
Uniting. All four were strong believers in
ecumenism, which continues to guide the College ethos to this day. Father Rollo Enright, the Catholic parish priest at St Peter's, Rochedale, had a strong commitment to
ecumenism and was the driving force behind the push for the ecumenical concept of the college when it became clear that the proposal to build a Catholic College at Daisy Hill was rejected by the Catholic Education Office. Father Leo Burke was the founding Catholic parish priest of St Edward's, Daisy Hill and remains involved with the college to this day as its
patron. Another ecumenist, Patrick Doulin, was parish priest of St Mark's Anglican community, Slacks Creek, and the official representative of the Anglican
hierarchy.
Reverend Bryan Gilmour, the pastor of Logan Uniting Church, was a prominent leader of the ecumenical movement within his own
Church and, with the others, enthusiastically supported the establishment of John Paul College as an ecumenical school. It was indeed, he who when it appeared all avenues to establish the college were exhausted, suggested that the founders pray that, "''not our will, but God's, be done''". ==Houses==