Topic archive
Motherhouse
“Our Old Kentucky Home” – The Loretto Motherhouse is the heart of the Loretto Community. Located in Marion County, Ky., the site and the nearby town are named after our priest-founder Charles Nerinckx. Thousands of women entered the Community through its doors to follow God’s call of service. Today, it remains a home to our members, who gladly welcome visitors. Learn more about our Motherhouse.
Sustainable Intentional Community Gathers at Loretto Motherhouse
During the weekend of Feb. 22-24, the Motherhouse welcomed the Sustainable Intentional Community gathering that included 17 participants plus several other people who joined for an hour or two. Participants included Mary Kay Brannan, Johanna Brian, Susan Classen, Martha Crawley,…
A Picture Is Worth a 1,000 Documents
Last June the Archivists at the Loretto Heritage Center noticed buckling in the hardwood floor beneath the racks of documents. At least one sensitive nose also smelled musty, moldy smells. Investigation in the dark crawl space beneath the building revealed…
Our Loretto Motherhouse Farm Is an Ecosystem of Its Own
Did you know that our Loretto Motherhouse farm is an ecosystem? Remember that an ecosystem is made up of living and non-living things that interact and exchange energy. A farm ecosystem differs from a forest or a lake ecosystem in…
A Little Paint Goes a Long Way
Photos courtesy of Debra Kehl As I travel back and forth to the Motherhouse, I’ve noticed the Knobs Haven sign along the road needed a touch-up. In October I told JoAnn Gates I would paint it. The letters on this…
Loretto Motherhouse Crèches from Around the World
This Yuletide season nativity scenes of all shapes and sizes grace the halls, windowsills and outdoors at Loretto Motherhouse in Nerinx, Ky. They are a sight to behold! Most of the crèche collection featured there belongs to Anthony Mary Sartorius…
St. Mary’s Haven
By Michelle Essex, Loretto Motherhouse Infirmary Administrator At the Loretto Infirmary there is now St. Mary’s Haven, formally known as St. Joseph’s Hall, or St. Joe’s. It is a familiar yet revitalized home to support our residents with memory or…
The Secret Garden Revisited: A Reflection
A bird feeder hangs outside on my Infirmary window. A Chipping sparrow visits it daily and is occasionally joined by a Harris’s sparrow. After eating they fly to the Japanese maple growing near my window. The gray squirrel who lives…
Teaching: From the Three Rs to the Higher Branches
Two buildings on the grounds of Loretto Motherhouse are in the midst of significant anniversaries. The buildings that today we call “Rhodes Hall” and the “Novitiate/Academy Building” together mark 175 years of young ladies’ education at the Sisters of Loretto…
Getting to Know Florence Wolff
By Katie Santa Ana Flipping through the paper finding aids of the Sisters of Loretto archives, one name appears at the top of each page more often than not: Sister Florence Wolff. Her carefully typed pages served as the guide…
Loretto Recognizes Responsibility to Work With Others to Defer Climate Change in Ohio River Basin
Editor’s Note: This is the last of the four-part series. The Loretto Motherhouse is situated in the Ohio River Basin. The basin is an area that drains into the Ohio River from the convergence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers…
Motherhouse Natural Flyway for Neotropical Migratory Birds
Did you ever spot a Kentucky Warbler or a Yellow-breasted Chat? They fly freely in the Loretto Motherhouse forests. They are neotropical migratory birds that are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. A neotropical bird is defined…
Our First Registered Nurse
By Katie Santa Ana While the Sisters of Loretto are well known for the hundreds of teachers in their history, many Sisters also chose medical professions. While Sisters of Loretto served early on in nursing roles – such as during…