In honor of Loretto’s bicentennial in 2012, Loretto Academy in El Paso has been writing a series of articles and profiles on Loretto history. Many will be published weekly throughout 2012 in the El Paso Times. Here are the first articles in this series. Check back often – as we will update them throughout the year!
Unrelenting Spirit: The History of Loretto Academy in El Paso
The road that led the Sisters of Loretto from Santa Fe to Denver also led, in time, from Santa Fe to Las Cruces, NM, then to San Elizario, TX, and finally to El Paso, TX in 1892…
Profile: Lupe Arciniega, SL
The experience of befriending the stranger is a constant in Sr. Lupe Arciniega’s life.
Profile: Francetta Barberis, SL
She dared to put on a religious habit at age 17, and take it off at 65 to become what Sargent Shriver called “the greatest breath of fresh air Washington had ever known.”
Profile: Frances Ann Bechtold, SLSr. Frances Agnes Bechtold came to Loretto Academy in El Paso in 1964. Generations of students successfully entered science fair competitions under her rigorous guidance.
Profile: Mother Praxedes Carty, SLMother Praxedes, an astute visionary regarded by some members of the Sisters of Loretto as their second foundress dreamed of a college for women in the El Paso/Juarez borderplex…
Profile: Adeline Gemoets, SLOne of the earliest local women to enter the Sisters of Loretto was Sister Adeline Gemoets born in March 1892…
Loretto Magazine Articles
We invite you to read up on 200 years of Loretto history, which has been told in a series of articles for Loretto Magazine. Choose your era and jump in:
Catholics Settle in America: 1630-1812
Loretto Foundation and Early Days: 1812-1830
Education Mission Expands: 1830-1900
Education Efforts Diversify:1900-1960
Decade of Renewal: 1960-1970
New Government Structure: 1970-1990
Co-membership Flourishes: 1990-2000
Sister Communities and Pakistan: 2000-2012
For a breezier read, take in some early Loretto history – in comic book form! It’s available here.
Take an online guided history tour of the Loretto Motherhouse here!