Loretto’s impact cascades through generations

Every child who walks through our doors should know they are loved, seen and known. That’s where real learning begins.

Kathleen Fox, principal, St. Ann School

Kathleen Fox, principal at St. Ann’s School in Chicago, was educated at Nerinx Hall High School in St. Louis, a Loretto-founded school, and served as a Loretto Volunteer at Marian Middle School in St. Louis in 2012. Her Loretto background has indelibly shaped her journey. Barbara Roche SL served as an early and lasting inspiration. When she got to know Barbara, Kathleen says, she was “struck by her humility.” She shares, “Here was this outstanding woman who led a top high school [Nerinx Hall] for over two decades and helped to found Marian Middle School to help break the cycle of poverty through education. She had influenced countless young women’s lives, yet there were no airs about her and no ego. Instead, she had a simple focus to get the work done. As the principal of St. Ann, I try to emulate her focus and get the work done that is needed to best serve our community.” Kathleen, who advocates for equity in education, serves as a model for her students who come from varied backgrounds. She shares, “At St. Ann, we have our students state our core values each day: ‘To serve, to lead and to love with Christ as our model.’ I think it aligns very closely with the Loretto mission of ‘Work for justice, act for peace.’ We try to ensure that these core values are lived and not just said by giving our students opportunities to serve, lead and love others.”

Read all of the articles in the summer 2026 issue of Loretto Magazine.