St. Theresa School is a private

Catholic school Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...

located at 2701 Indian Mound Trail, Coral Gables,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. It is the parish school for the Church of the Little Flower, and is within the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami The Archdiocese of Miami ( la, Archidioecesis Miamiensis, es, Arquidiócesis de Miami, ht, Achidyosèz Miami) is a particular church of the Catholic Church in the United States of America. Its ecclesiastical territory consists of Broward, Miami ...

History

In December 1922, the head of the order of the

Sisters of St. Joseph The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for S ...

, the Reverend Mother Marie Louise, purchased from George Merrick six acres of land on Indian Mound Trail. This location was the highest elevation in the entire city of Coral Gables. Ground was broken in October 1924 for the first unit of the new St. Joseph's Academy and construction was completed in September 1925. The convent was on the third story of the school. Mother Marie Louise and five other sisters were the first teachers. The St. Joseph's Academy formal opening was September 15, 1925. During the first school year, seventy students enrolled, six of whom were boarders. The first graduating class of thirteen eighth graders and one twelfth grader was on May 28, 1926. In 1932, St. Joseph's Academy was renamed St. Theresa School. By 1936, there were 450 students and 12 full-time teachers. There was a new kindergarten building in 1947. In 1948, Father Comber had built a separate new convent. In 1956, school enrollment was 1200. The last high school graduating class was in 1958 and had 42 graduates. The last ninth grade class was in 1959 and the school continues to have eight grades. The Sisters of St. Joseph had the responsibility for teaching at St. Theresa School until 1987. The

Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles is a Catholic religious institute of the Carmelite Order founded by Mother Maria Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It is based in Alhambra, California, a suburb of Los Angel ...

assumed that responsibility in 1991. Father Whittaker then converted the convent into a parish administration building. The Carmelite Sisters moved into a new convent located south of Father Comber Hall. As of 2009, there are currently 950 students attending the school from Pre-K through 8th Grade. It is accredited by the

Florida Catholic Conference Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to t ...

and recognized by the

National Council for Private School Accreditation The National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) is a private organization dedicated to accrediting American private schools on a national level. It was created in 1993 to form at-large standards after the U.S. Department of Education i ...

. Sister Caridad, OCD, former principal. In 2012, St. Theresa Catholic School expanded to include three-year-old Pre-kindergarten. In 2016, Sister Rosalie, OCD, returned to the school as principal once again.

Leadership

Below are lists of individuals who have led the school.

First Sisters of St. Joseph at the School (1925)

*Mother Marie Louise *Sister Cecilia *Sister Francis Joseph *Sister St. Mark *Sister Monica *Sister Winfred

First Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles at the School (1991)

*Sister Genevieve Marie Carvalho *Sister Marisa Ducote *Sister Rita Therese Hayden *Sister Mary Rita Munoz *Sister Mary Michael Ray

Principals

*Sister Mary Louise Hughes, SSJ (1925–1933) *Sister Andrew McLoughlin, SSJ (1933–1934) *Sister M. Augustine Curry, SSJ (1934–1937) *Sister M. Norberta Maroney, SSJ (1937–1942) *Sister M. Fidelis Kneiss, SSJ (1942–1945) *Sister Anna Marie Chauvin, SSJ (1945–1953) *Sister Anna Joseph Dignan, SSJ (1953–1959) *Sister Mary Frederic McMahon, SSJ (1959–1962) *Sister Louis Bertrand Duggan, SSJ (1962–68) *Sister Margaret Victor Keller, SSJ (1968–1972) *Sister Mary David Magee, SSJ (1972–1978) *Mr. Fernando Villamor (1978–1987) *Sister Margarite Renuart, OP (1987–1991) *Sister Genevieve Marie Carvalho, OCD (1991–1993) *Sister Marisa Ducote, OCD (1993–1995) *Sister Maureen Cochrane, OCD (1995–2003) *Sister Mary Kathleen Burns, OCD (2003–2006) *Sister Rosalie Nagy, OCD (2006–2012) *Sister Caridad Sandoval, OCD (2012-2016) *Sister Rosalie Nagy, OCD (2016-to present)

Notable alumni

* Raoul G. Cantero, III - Former

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

of the

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References

External links

St. Theresa Catholic School websiteWeb site about the life, writings, mission, and spirituality of St. Therese of Lisieux, the school's patroness

* ttp://www.cotlf.org/School/forms/History%20of%20STS.pdf/ History of STS {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Theresa School Buildings and structures in Coral Gables, Florida Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami Private elementary schools in Miami-Dade County, Florida Private middle schools in Miami-Dade County, Florida K–8 schools in Florida Catholic elementary schools in Florida Educational institutions established in 1925 1925 establishments in Florida