Name/Title
City of Chicago Building Occupancy PermitEntry/Object ID
047.0008Scope and Content
Certificate of Occupancy issued by the City of Chicago for 6550 South Harvard Avenue in Englewood. This structure was the first Loretto Novitiate in the United States.
In 1892, IBVM Sisters established an education ministry at St. Bernard Grammar School in Englewood, Chicago. The following year Loretto Academy, later renamed Loretto High School, opened. By 1962, the high school had closed and merged with Loretto Academy Woodlawn. Five years later the building and neighboring IBVM Convent were sold to the Chicago Board of Education. St. Bernard Grammar School remained open until closing in the late 1980s.Context
Born in 1585 in North Yorkshire, England, Mary Ward founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1609. Focused on education, the Sisters developed their ministry despite significant political, spiritual, and material challenges. In 1880, the Canadian Mission of the IBVM established a presence in Illinois, and the following year, the IBVM North American Branch was created. In 1892, their ministry expanded into Chicago, and by 1896, the Sisters had opened a school in Michigan. Over the following decades, further growth resulted in ministries in California and Arizona, both of which began in 1949. In the early 21st Century, the IBVM and its companions are active in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, California, and Arizona.Collection
Series 3: FoundationsLexicon
Search Terms
Religion, Religious Organizations, Sisters of Loretto, CatholicArchive Details
Restrictions
NonePrimary Language
EnglishArchive Items Details
Title
City of Chicago Building Occupancy PermitCreator
UnknownDate(s) of Creation
Nov 30, 1936Container
Box 45, Englewood, Folder 1Reproductions
Notes
Please contact the IBVM Archives for all inquiries or requests (archives@ibvm.us).
