Founded in 1963, at the request of Msgr. Bryan Walsh to educate Cuban refugees who were under the care of the Catholic Welfare Bureau, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy was inaugurated by 69 freshman girls and two teachers, who were housed in one of two classrooms at the neighboring elementary school.
Given its very humble beginnings, the school’s future rise to success must have seemed impossible, but the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the pioneers and keepers of this institution, came with a mission: “to educate young women to face the future strengthened by their faith, prepared and confident in their abilities to achieve their goals and committed to their Catholic and American heritages.” They built a site for academic and spiritual study, which set these ideals in motion – ideals that have guided this institution and her progeny for more than 50 years.
In fact, this 6-acre, iconic setting has become an important success story for thousands of local young women, and the past and present successes of Our Lady of Lourdes Academy testify to the value of the school’s brand of faith-based, college preparatory education.