Sisters of Loreto
Encyclopedia
Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)
Roman Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on Holy Scripture: In the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a virgin. The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honour as Mother of God...
, more commonly known as the Loreto Sisters (abbreviated as I.B.V.M. as the postnominal initials for members of the Insititue), is a women's Catholic religious order founded by an Englishwoman, Mary Ward
Mary Ward (nun)
The Venerable Mary Ward, I.B.V.M., was an English Catholic Religious Sister who founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Loreto Sisters...
, in 1609 at Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
in northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It was named, Loreto after the shrine at Loreto, Marche in Italy where Mary Ward used to pray.
In North America, the original spelling of "Loretto" is used. Mary Ward was declared "Venerable
Venerable
The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
" (the first of three steps towards being declared a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
) by the authority of Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on 19 December 2009. After being suppressed for a short period in 1639, the Institute was slowly revived, receiving complete canonical
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
approval in 1877. Today it is engaged in a wide variety of ministries: Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
schools, literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
programmes, spiritual direction
Spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their own personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing...
, counselling, managing shelters for homeless women as well as several aspects of the movement for greater justice and peace in the world. They are active in every continent. Today, the Loreto Sisters have set up 150 schools worldwide, educating over 70,000 pupils.
Foundation
Mary Ward was inspired by the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola (now often referred to as "Ignatian spirituality"). She had a vision for a different, new and modern mode of religious life for women. She envisioned women living a life in companionship and discernment, inspired by the GospelGospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
and engaging with the world without the constraints of the traditional cloister, nor an established 'rule' placing them under the governance of the local bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
. She also believed that women were equal to men in intellect and should be educated accordingly. The circumstances of the time and the widespread suspicion of Jesuits did not allow her to succeed with the foundation of an order according to her vision. Indeed, although the Institute experienced significant success after its foundation in 1609, it was suppressed in 1630, a situation which lasted nine years, when the Institute revived somewhat. However, it was not until 1703 that, what is termed the Second Institute, received papal approval for its rule from the then-pope Clement IX and canonical recognition as a religious institute by Pope Pius IX in 1877.
Development
In the early 19th century, the Loreto sisters developed as a distinct community in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Under the guidance of Sister Frances Mary Teresa Ball the Irish Branch established schools. In 1847, Sister Teresa Dease with 5 sisters was invited by the Bishop of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada to set up schools. Like in Ireland, the order thrived in Canada establishing several schools and communities. In 1880, the first community was established in the USA at Joliet
Joliet
There are several people and things named Joliet:*Louis Jolliet, a 17th century explorer of North America*Joliet, Illinois, United States, a city named after Louis Jolliet**Joliet Prison*Joliet, Montana, United States...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Because of the difficulties in overseas communication and the different directions of the North American versus European education systems. Canada and the United States communities suggested that a North American Generalate would best serve the needs of the times and as a result the North American Branch was officially created in 1881.
At the invitation of Bishop Michael Power of Toronto
Michael Power (Canadian bishop)
Michael Power was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto.-Early years:Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to Captain William Power and Mary Roach. He went to Seminary of St. Sulpice, Montreal and Seminary of Quebec and was ordained a priest in 1827 by Bishop Dubois...
, the Loreto Sisters under Mother Teresa Ellen Dease
Teresa Ellen Dease
Teresa Ellen Dease was a Roman Catholic nun and the foundress of the Loreto Sisters Teresa Ellen Dease (b. 4 May 1820 in Naas, Ireland; d. 1 July 1889 in Toronto, Canada) was a Roman Catholic nun and the foundress of the Loreto Sisters Teresa Ellen Dease (b. 4 May 1820 in Naas, Ireland; d. 1 July...
arrived in the city in 1847 and founded their first school. Since the 1920s their motherhouse has been at Loretto Abbey (Armour Heights) and still houses a girls' secondary school: Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School
Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School
Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School is an all-girls Catholic high school in Hogg's Hollow neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. It was established by the Loretto Sisters in 1847 and is part of the Toronto Catholic District School Board....
. The Sisters also founded Loretto College School
Loretto College School
Loretto College School is a Catholic high school for young women in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by the Loretto Sisters Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1915, whose founder, Blessed Mary Ward, advocated excellent education for young women so that they might “do great things”...
on Brunswick Avenue in 1915 and started a college and residence for women at St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. The sisters also established many other schools across Canada, both at the elementary and secondary levels.
The Loreto Sisters arrived in Australia in 1878 in response to a request by the Bishop of Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
, Bishop O'Connell. The group from Ireland, led by Mother Gonzaga Barry, set up a convent in Ballarat, Victoria and their first school, Loreto College, Ballarat
Loreto College, Victoria
Loreto College is a Roman Catholic secondary school for girls in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.-History:It is one of many Loreto schools distributed over the world. The school was founded in 1875 by the Loreto Sisters as their first foundation in Australia. Since then it has become one of seven...
, was originally known as "Mary's Mount".
In 1892 a day school was established in Randwick
Randwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and in 1897 Loreto Normanhurst
Loreto Normanhurst
Loreto Normanhurst is a private, Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for girls, located in Normanhurst, a suburb on the upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, also in New South Wales, began as a boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. The Randwick day school move to Milson's Point in 1901 to begin what is now known as Loreto Kirribilli
Loreto Kirribilli
Loreto Kirribilli is a Roman Catholic, day school for girls, located in Kirribilli, a Lower North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
. The IBVM in Australia have schools in Brisbane (Loreto College, Coorparoo), Adelaide (Loreto College, Marryatville
Loreto College, South Australia
Loreto College Marryatville is a private, independent Catholic, day and boarding school for girls, located in Marryatville, an eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia....
), Melbourne (Loreto Mandeville Hall
Loreto Mandeville Hall
Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak is a Roman Catholic day school for girls in Toorak, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of many Loreto schools distributed over the world, established by the sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Loreto Sisters, founded some 400 years...
) and Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
(Loreto Nedlands Primary School).
The 19th Century saw the establishment of Loreto Schools and Colleges in India and run some of the most highly regarded places of education for women. The same century saw sisters from Ireland establishing a mission in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1878. The first years of the 20th century (1904)saw the establishment of a convent in Spain by the Sisters who had a convent in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
was part of the order from 1928 till 1950, during which she founded the Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity is a Roman Catholic religious congregation established in 1950 by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, which consists of over 4,500 sisters and is active in 133 countries...
in Calcutta.
Today
Today, the order she inspired is worldwide. It has historically been divided into three main groups known as the Roman Branch, the Irish Branch and the North American panget Branch. This situation changed in September 2003, when the sisters of the North American Branch voted to unite with the Irish Branch. From this, confirmed by Papal Decree, a new entity has been forged, now referred as The Loreto Branch. In 2004 the Roman Branch received permission from the Vatican to change its name, to reflect more closely Mary Ward's vision of a Jesuit order for women. The Roman Branch is now The Congregation of Jesus.In Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the Sisters run a number of day-schools
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
for girls', and until recently ran a girls' boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
at Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham or Rathfarnam is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and 16. It is within the administrative areas of both Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils.The area of Rathfarnham...
, Dublin (see Loreto Abbey).
The South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n province has apostolates in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, Witbank and Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
all of which focus on marginalised women; the sisters also have a mission in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
which was established in 2006.
Like the Sisters in other provinces, those of the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
province, though small in number, work primarily with disadvantaged women and children.
The Sisters of the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n province work in Aboriginal
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
welfare, rural communities and care for the aged as well as having outreach in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
.
In North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, the Sisters have communities in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and throughout Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Although the North American
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
Sisters are involved in many aspects of education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, they are also involved in many community outreach programs. This includes Mercy Home for Boys and Girls (Chicago), Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
(Wheaton), Pillars Community Services (Hickory Hills
Hickory Hills
Hickory Hills may refer to several places in the United States:* Hickory Hills, Alabama - two locations:** Hickory Hills, Lauderdale County, Alabama** Hickory Hills, Morgan County, Alabama* Hickory Hills, Georgia* Hickory Hills, Illinois - two locations:...
), the Loreto Center (Wheaton) and Wells Spring Women's Center (Sacramento).
In South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
the Congregation of Jesus has three private schools in Brazil (Instituto de Educação Beatíssima Virgem Maria - IEBVM, Colégio Santa Maria and Colégio Mary Ward) and three schools in Chile. The brazilian nuns often go on missionary travels to Piauí, one of the poorest states in Brazil.
Loreto Provinces around the world
Australian Schools
- Loreto College Ballarat, Victoria
- Loreto College Coorparoo, Queensland
- Loreto College Marryatville, South Australia
- Loreto Kirribilli, New South Wales
- Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, Victoria
- Loreto Nedlands Primary School, Western Australia
- Loreto Normanhurst, New South Wales
- John XXIII College Perth, Western Australia
Portuagal
Canadian Schools
External links
- Follow links from About Us / Loreto Around the Globe to discover other Loreto Schools Around the World
- Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Loreto Sisters / Mary Ward Sisters
- Home Page Of Loreto College Coleraine
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