Topic archive

Tag Empowerment of Women and Children

Empowerment of women has been a hallmark of Loretto since its inception. We strive to educate Loretto students and others in this value. It comes out of our devotion and admiration to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who stood at the foot of the Cross as a woman of faith and courage. Learn about the Mary Rhodes Award, which recognizes women working for justice, especially for other women.

Immigration Spotlight – August 28, 2026

Handmade banner with a graphic of a fat person standing on top of a thin person laying down. Text reads "Is anyone free when another is oppressed? The Loretto Community"

Please join us Friday, August 28 at 11 am EST/8am Pacific, for the next Immigration Spotlight presented by the Loretto Latin America Caribbean Committee (LACC).  To request the Zoom link, use the contact form at the end of the post.…

Rooted at Marian … Rising at Nerinx

A young Black woman smiling brightly as she stands and talks at a podium. She is wearing a blue sweatshirt and a silver necklace with her hair brown shoulder length hair straightened and pulled back with a clip on one side.

By Bridjes O’Neil, Marian Middle School Marian Middle School was built on the belief that opportunity takes root early — especially for girls with immense promise and limited financial means. At Marian, that belief becomes a foundation. For Marian girls,…

A bridge to love

A photo of residents at the Bridge Community in Denver from the 1990s smiling together.

Mary Catherine Widger SL tells the story of a child with an intellectual disability whose parents hoped would make his First Communion. This was in the late 1970s. Mary Catherine served in the special education office for the Archdiocese of…

Pillar Place served as a safe haven

A woman in a Santa hat smiles as she is holding a baby.

Donna Day SL served for eight years as director of Intercommunity Housing at Pillar Place, located in the former Loretto Academy building in St. Louis. Pillar Place brought critically-needed housing and services to the local mostly-Black community. While Loretto supplied…

Vacation time! Fun for all!

A blurry older photo of a group of adults and kids in front of Colorado mountains smiling for a photo on a hike.

Early on, Sisters Mary Catherine Widger and Sue Rogers felt that the archdiocesan special ed staff should get to know their students apart from a classroom, and that the students should experience vacations, summer camp, eating out. Disneyland here we…

Operation Babylift: 50 years later

In recognition of the fifty-year anniversary of Operation Babylift, multiple news stories are being produced commemorating the event and noting the role that Loretto Community members played in the operation. “The Vietnam War: Flight to a New Future,” with reporting…

Sharing stories of saving orphans’ lives

Three women, one holding a baby stand in a doorway in this black and white archival photo.

Mary Nelle Gage and Ruth Routten captivated listeners at Regis University in Denver with their powerful stories of courage, tragedy and the remarkable rescue of orphans in Vietnam and Cambodia. Their presentations were part of the “2025 Stories from Wartime”…