Loretto Academy is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

school in

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

. It was opened in 1923 and was founded by Mother M. Praxedes Carty. is a part of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso The Diocese of El Paso ( la, Dioecesis Elpasensis, es, Diócesis de El Paso) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in West Texas. Covering , it encompasses the Texas counties of El Paso, Brewster, Culber ...

. Grades Pre-K3-5 are coeducational, while grades 6-12 are all girls.

Background

The Sisters of Loretto had previously established several schools in Las Cruces and

El Paso El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...

. In the early 1920s, Mother M. Praxedes Carty of the

Sisters of Loretto The Sisters of Loretto or the Loretto Community is a Catholic religious institute that strives "to bring the healing Spirit of God into our world." Founded in the United States in 1812 and based in the rural community of Nerinx, Kentucky, the ...

came to El Paso to establish a new school. On March 20, 1922, she purchased 19 acres of land in the Austin Terrace area, which was considered a bad place to put the school. The area was open

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

on a hilltop and was accessible by

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

. For the time period, it was considered to be a long distance from the downtown area. Because of the location, people were unsure if parents would send their children to the school. People began to call the project "Praxedes' Folly." The building was designed by

Trost & Trost Trost & Trost Architects & Engineers, often known as Trost & Trost, was an architecture firm based in El Paso, Texas. The firm's chief designer was Henry Charles Trost, who was born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1860. Trost moved from Chicago to Tucson, ...

. Gustavus A. Trost was friends with Mother Praxedes and may have done most of the primary architectural drawings. The buildings were "designed to face

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

" in a welcoming gesture for all people to join the community. They were built using stuccoed brick and red Spanish tile on the roof. The first building was started in the fall of 1922. The cornerstone for the chapel was laid down on March 20, 1924. The entire campus was not complete until the 1930s. However, the first school building was ready in 1923. Loretto Academy in El Paso opened on September 11, 1923 with 186 students, of which 20 lived at the school as boarders. In 1928, the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools admitted Loretto as a member. The boarding school closed in 1975. Students from

Ciudad Juarez Ciudad () is the Spanish word for City Ciudad may also refer to: * La Ciudad (archaeological site), Hohokam ruins in Phoenix, Arizona *La Ciudad, district of Durango City, Mexico *''La ciudad'', novel by Mario Levrero 1970 *La Ciudad ''The City ...

also attend the school. As of the early 1990s the school had over 900 students. After 22 years, in 2022, Sister Mary E. "Buffy" Boesen stepped down as president of Loretto. Loretto alumna, Nicole Ortega Cobb, became the next president of the school in June of 2022.

Notable attendees

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...

. *

Maureen McDonnell Robert Francis McDonnell (born June 15, 1954) is an American attorney, businessman, politician, and former military officer who served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014. His career ended after his corruption scandal and convic ...

. *

Karla Martínez de Salas Karla may refer to: People * Karla (name), a feminine given name * Petras Karla (1937–1969), Soviet Olympic rower Places * Karla, Kose Parish, a village in Harju County, Estonia * Karla, Rae Parish, a village in Harju County, Estonia * Kärl ...

. *

Amirah Kassem Amirah Kassem (born January 8, 1987) is an American-born baker, author, designer and media personality. She is best known as the owner and founder oFLOUR SHOPand a judge on the Disney+ food-art series ''Foodtastic.'' Her kitchen, table, home an ...

. *

Michelle Dipp Michelle Dipp is an American scientist, businesswoman, and investor. She is the co-founder and a managing partner at Biospring Partners and serves on the board of Abzena and Kiniciti. Early life and education Michelle Dipp was raised in El Pas ...

. *

Mago Orona Gándara Margarita "Mago" Orona Gándara (February 8, 1929 – February 18, 2018) was a Chicana artist. She is known for her murals which can be seen throughout El Paso, Texas and in Ciudad Juárez. Biography Orona Gándara was born and raised in El ...

. *

Mary Helen Garcia Mary Helen A. Garcia (born July 14, 1937 in Las Cruces, New Mexico) is an American politician and a Democratic former member of the New Mexico House of Representatives representing District 34 from January 1997 through 2015. She lost the 2014 ...

. *

Alicia Gaspar de Alba Alicia Gaspar de Alba is an American scholar, cultural critic, novelist, and poet whose works include historical novels and scholarly studies on Chicana/o art, culture and sexuality. Biography Gaspar de Alba was born on July 29, 1958 in El Paso ...

. *

M. Sue Kurita M. Sue Kurita is an American judge. Kurita graduated from Loretto Academy in 1972. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and a master's degree in counseling from Webster University. During Kurita's first yea ...

. *

Pat Mora Pat Mora (born January 19, 1942 in El Paso, Texas) is an American poet and author of books for adults, teens and children. Her grandparents came to El Paso from northern Mexico. A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, she received Honor ...

. * María Guillermina Valdes Villalva. *

Patricia Roybal Caballero Patricia A. Roybal Caballero (born 1949/1950) is an American politician serving as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives from the 13th district. Elected in 2012, she assumed office on January 15, 2013. Education Roybal Caballero ...

. * Andi Teran, author. *

Veronica Escobar Veronica Escobar (born September 15, 1969) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for , based in El Paso, since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as an El Paso County commissioner from 2007 to 2011 and the ...

Notable faculty

Lilliana Owens Lilliana M. Owens, S.L. (May 13, 1898 - September 27, 1992) was an American historian, writer, educator and Catholic nun. She was known for her historical writing and her Catholic comic books. Biography Owens was born in St. Paul, Minnesota o ...

. * Jacqueline Grennan Wexler.

Notes and references

Sources

External links

School Website

"Sisters of Loretto Have Long Tradition in Southwest".
Borderlands article.
"Early History".
*
God's Own Frontier
' {{authority control Catholic secondary schools in Texas Educational institutions established in 1923 High schools in El Paso, Texas Private K-12 schools in Texas

Girls' schools in Texas Trost & Trost buildings History of women in Texas 1923 establishments in Texas