St. Mary's Academy is a private
Catholic K-12 school in
New Orleans,
Louisiana run by the
Sisters of the Holy Family.
Founded in 1867, it is one of the oldest
Black Catholic schools in the country.
It admits girls and boys until grade 7, and admits only girls for grades 8-12. The academy has a long tradition as a private Catholic college preparatory co-educational elementary and a middle/high school for young women.
History
The school was founded in 1867 by the
Sisters of the Holy Family, the second
Black Catholic religious order in the United States, as a place where Black children could be educated during segregation. The founder, Venerable
Henriette DeLille
Henriette Díaz DeLille, SSF (March 11, 1813 – November 16, 1862) was a Louisiana Creole of color and Catholic nun from New Orleans. Her father was a white man from France, her mother was a "quadroon", and her grandfather came from Spain. She ...
, was a
Creole of color
The Creoles of color are a historic ethnic group of Creole people that developed in the former French and Spanish colonies of Louisiana (especially in the city of New Orleans), Mississippi, Alabama, and Northwestern Florida i.e. Pensacola, Flori ...
who has since become venerated within the Church.
The school has undergone two moves in its history, having started closer to the heart of the city (in the
French Quarter).
It moved within the neighborhood shortly thereafter, and finally came to its present location in
New Orleans East in 1965.
The school built a brand-new facility following
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, which heavily damaged the previous structure. The new building, which began serving male students in the lower school, was completed in 2011.
In September 2022, the school announced the hiring of its first-ever lay president, Pamela M. Rogers.
Athletics
St. Mary's Academy athletics competes in the
LHSAA.
Notable alumni
*
Leah Chase, Louisiana Creole chef
* Tiffany Doss, College Softball Player, Class of 2014, First Player from SMA to ever receive a college softball scholarship.
References
External links
St. Mary's Academy website
Catholic secondary schools in New Orleans
Catholic elementary schools in Louisiana
Private K-12 schools in New Orleans
Girls' schools in Louisiana
Educational institutions established in 1867
1867 establishments in Louisiana
Catholic schools in Louisiana
African-American Roman Catholic schools
Sisters of the Holy Family (Louisiana)
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