Letter from St. Mary’s Academy President Iswari Natarajan

Dear SMA Community,

Since the 1990s teachers and staff from St. Mary’s Academy, Loretto Academy and Nerinx Hall High School have traveled to Loretto’s Motherhouse in rural Kentucky for the annual Teacher Immersion. Loretto’s home since 1824, the Motherhouse encompasses a working farm, residence for Loretto community members, retreat facility, administrative office and skilled nursing facility on 800 acres of serene land. 

I participated in this life-changing window into Loretto’s history and mission two years ago; it imbued me with a deeper understanding and sense of responsibility and purpose as I assumed the role of head of school. Our teachers and staff attendees, about 100 to date, routinely return from the Motherhouse with a commitment to sustain the Loretto mission of working for justice and acting for peace because the Gospel urges us. With that understanding, the participants often see themselves as part of a bigger plan and realize their duties to ensure the legacy and essence of Loretto in their schools. Attendees often reflect, “Once you get Loretto, it never leaves you.”

Added to the annals last week are Carrie Assell, K-8 religion teacher, Kyle Berg, lower school and middle school counselor, Ana Fonseca, high school Spanish teacher, and Shannon McFall, grade 6 science teacher. Despite severe weather that reimagined outdoor activities and a tornado watch spent in the basement, our team was able to engage in nearly all the planned experiences. While unable to take a hayride to survey the vast land, they were able to work with the Motherhouse’s farm director, Cody, an expert in sustainable farming, and his wife, Angela, who coordinates farm education programs. Aligned with Loretto’s commitment to environmental stewardship, our team helped create protective cages for newly planted trees that will grow for generations on the rolling green property. 

For two full days and parts of two others during these teacher retreats, the participants dig deep into the history, mission and spirituality of Loretto, and what it means to be a teacher or staff member in the Loretto tradition. The group of 12 quickly get into sync with a different pace, usually waking up to bird calls, walking the lake at twilight and wandering the land. The time is truly immersive. They experience the history firsthand, pray together, and are invited into conversations about Loretto’s future. They are constantly learning — learning about regenerative farming, learning about Loretto’s involvement in slavery and boarding schools for native children and learning from wise elders and one another.

“Meeting these wonderful women who dedicated their lives to teaching and their mission makes me fully understand the mandate I have now within my school,” says Mrs. Assell. “We are Loretto through our actions and our example. I intend to keep Loretto alive not only within my SMA community but within all parts of my life. I am forever grateful for having had the opportunity to learn the Loretto past, to meet the Loretto present and to be a part of the Loretto future. It will live through us.”

We are very grateful to Regina Drey SL for shepherding our SMA team to the Motherhouse and organizing the immersion experience for the three schools. Watch her reflect on the trip and see some familiar faces from past immersions. 

Sister Regina says, “For me, the experience is a return to my roots. I began my Loretto journey at the Motherhouse 60 years ago, and so being there is a return to something beloved and familiar. For the teachers, however, it is a new experience, almost a revelation. The immersion creates lasting bonds among the participants and a sense of unity as Loretto schools.” 

This is the community we strive for every day. It is real and lasting.

Warm regards,

Ms. Ish

*Ms. Natarajan’s letter shared with permission of St. Mary’s Academy.