For more than a century Loretto Academy was a part of the historical fabric of Santa Fe. The school began in1853 as part of an educational mandate created by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy. The Sisters of Loretto arrived in Santa Fe in covered wagons on September 26, 1852 to start the school for girls. It was the first of several schools in the region that were founded by the Sisters of Loretto. For 115 years the school in Santa Fe provided thousands of girls and young women with a high-quality education and spiritual guidance. In 1969 their student body became a part of St. Michael’s High School.
Vision of St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle
In 1859, Lamy also brought the De La Salle Christian brothers to Santa Fe, where they founded St. Michael’s High School. St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the founder of the order, was born in the 17th century in France. De la Salle worked tirelessly to ensure that poor children received an education during a time when only the wealthy were educated. He founded a training college for teachers and schools for languages, art, and science. Today, there are De La Salle schools in 80 countries. In 1969, Loretto Academy and St. Michael’s High School merged, becoming Santa Fe’s only Catholic high school.