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History

Two hundred years and counting! Loretto has responded to the call of God to serve God’s people. From children to adults, from elementary to graduate-level education, from eldercare to advocacy for the homelessness and underserved, Loretto has left its mark on the world as it seeks to “work for justice and act for peace.” Learn more about the history of Loretto.

Home » History

The Enduring Mystery of the Loretto Chapel Staircase

By Loretto Community / October 9, 2024 /

Published by Atlas Obscura on October 8, 2024 It’s considered a miracle, an engineering marvel, and even a scientific anomaly, depending who you ask. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, the…

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Loretto Magazine – Fall 2024

By Loretto Community / September 18, 2024 /
Cover of the Fall 2024 Loretto Magazine "An event-full Loretto summer Inside ... Loretto holds Election Assembly 200 years at Loretto Motherhouse Celebrating Loretto's jubilarians Mary Luke Tobin Award honorees Visiting a tribal community in Pakistan"

Download Read Loretto Magazine Loretto Spotlight Video – Eleanor Craig SL A letter from President Barbara Nicholas SL Is this how it is with you? We are entering the season…

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Living history

By Loretto Community / September 18, 2024 /
A black and white photo of a nun in habit looks down at a small child in a white dress as she shows her a spinning wheel.

In this 1961 photograph, taken in the museum at Loretto Motherhouse, Antonina Ryan SL shows an old spinning wheel to Marian Wheatley Medley, daughter of Carl Wheatley, Loretto’s farm manager.…

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Seeking Home: Commemorating 200 years at Loretto Motherhouse

By Eleanor Craig SL / September 18, 2024 /
An older white woman with white hair and a blue shirt holds a small microphone and is shown speaking to a crowd in the pews in front of the altar of a Catholic Church.

In the beginning … This story is about an unusual group of women, daughters of Maryland settlers. They were young women who came together on the Kentucky frontier in the…

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Unforeseen uprooting 200 years ago led the Sisters of Loretto home

By Loretto Community / September 17, 2024 /
A white haired senior smiling softly at the camera as she sits in front of a window on a sunny green day.

In 1824, the Sisters of Loretto were forced to move from their home of the past 12 years to the current location of the Loretto Motherhouse 9 miles up the…

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The Santa Fe Staircase: Loretto Chapel’s Famous Architectural Wonder

By Loretto Community / August 26, 2024 /
A woman hands out programs and warm smiles as you enter a beautiful church. A winding staircase is visible behind her to the right.

Loretto Mother Magdalen Hayden (some spell her first name Magdalene) was one of two sibling sisters who established Loretto missions that served persons of color. In 1847, Mother Bridget Hayden…

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Community joins Sisters of Loretto in Seeking Home Walk

By Loretto Community / August 1, 2024 /

Published by the Paxton Media Group on July 3, 2024 Celebrating its 200th year at the current Motherhouse location, last Thursday the Sisters of Loretto joined with more than 100…

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Archives conducts reframing project of artifact collection, plans to target over 180 items

By Loretto Community / August 1, 2024 /

Published by the Lebanon Enterprise, July 31, 2024 After receiving funding for the project earlier in the year, members of the Loretto Heritage Center stated that the effort to reframe…

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Loretto archivists: Caretakers? Detectives? Techies? All of the above!

By Loretto Community / July 15, 2024 /

The Loretto Heritage Center includes both an Archive and a Museum where the 200-plus-year history of the Sisters of Loretto and the 40-plus-year history of the Loretto Community are documented…

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Wish You Were Here: Loretto History in Postcards

By Loretto Heritage Center / July 2, 2024 /

Most everyone has received postcards from friends having fun while traveling to beautiful and interesting places, and hopefully we’ve had the opportunity to send a few, as well. Postcards are…

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Sisters of Loretto to recreate the Motherhouse’s founding journey to celebrate campus’ 200th year

By Loretto Community / June 24, 2024 /

Posted by the Lebanon Enterprise on June 19, 2024 In 1824 the sisters of Loretto made the 8.5-mile journey to found what is now the Loretto Motherhouse. On June 27,…

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Loretto’s 2024 Jubilarians: Celebrating with abundant hope!

By Loretto Community / June 10, 2024 /
Archival photo of the 1949 Loretto Heights College reception class - eleven women in habits posing for a photo with joyous expressions on their faces.

In John’s Gospel, you can read the story of Jesus talking with some of his followers: “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi, where are you staying?”…

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