Family obligations have prevented me from continuing my exploring or doing further research into closed Kansas City, Missouri Catholic churches, so I'll stray a little from my main theme and feature the Loretto, formerly the Loretto Academy, a big structure built in 1903 to house the girls' school run by the Sisters of Loretto. In its day, it was one of the places to send your girls to school. It was (I read in a Kansas City Star article last year or so) also point of contention when integration came shortly after World War II (the Bishop, I read, forbade any Catholic parochial school to accept girls transferring from Loretto because of the integration).
I'm not exactly sure when the Loretto closed. Kind readers please inform me. When I moved to Kansas City in the mid-1990s, I believe the building had been purchased by some evangelical sect, which was using the building as an independent Bible college. At some point, it was rehabilitated, and now it's the home of some neighborhood non-profit association and it also has loft apartments. One can rent out rooms for meetings, I think, and one can rent out the chapel for weddings and commitment ceremonies and such things. At some point, I need to call over and get the story. As for the Sisters of Loretto themselves...a quick google search will confirm that they've gone off the deep end.
Sometimes when I drive by I think of the Loretto convent/hospital/school and chapel in Santa Fe, started by sisters recruited by the saintly proto-bishop of Santa Fe, Jean-Baptiste Lamy (fictionalized as Archbishop LaTour in Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop). That Loretto has been turned into a hotel, where we sometimes stayed when we vacationed in New Mexico as a kid. The chapel was a tiny gothic thing with a "miraculous staircase" to the choir loft built by an unknown carpenter (piously believed to be St. Joseph, I think). It was a spiral staircase built with no central support.But back to THIS building: The style is pretty classical--lots of dentil moulding and a nifty oxidized copper cupola top this red-brick symmetrical building. The cornerstone has been defaced (it must have made reference to the Blessed Mother (offending the evangelical sect) or to the Deity (offending everyone else in this heathen part of town). However, carved in wood relief over the main entrance are the words FIDES MORES CULTURA; those didn't get defaced by anyone (thank God for those sticky preservation requirements attached to historic tax credits). The chapel is substantial, you can see it as the center wing extending south, behind the main building (which faces north).
Although not a church, the Loretto campus is another example of what wiser men describe as the devastated vineyard in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council. When I daydream of the renaissance, I imagine it as a seminary (it goes like this: the FSSP or the reconciled SSPX have so expanded their seminaries that they break off the theology programs from Denton or Winona and establish it at the Loretto). The other crazy daydream is that I win a really big powerball jackpot, buy the building, start my school, and operate my Evil Traditionalist empire from the Loretto campus, much to the chagrin of those pursuing "alternate lifestyles" or living the wine-and-cheese liberal life around town.
Updated February 17, 2006
The girl's school was founded 1901 at 36th and Broadway in a private home, but the sisters (who were more like the heroic Sisters of Loretto that assisted Abp. Lamy in founding Santa Fe than the Sisters of Loretto we have these days) didn't waste any time: they bought the land at 39th & Roanoke in 1902, laid the cornerstone in 1903, dedicated in 1904. The school thrived for a long time, but in 1964, the school moved way out to 12411 Wornall, and the grand original school was sold to Calvary Baptist College in 1966. In 1989, the facility was transformed into a retirement home of some sort, and the chapel is rented out for weddings.
Although our concern is with the building, we follow the school out south to note that boys were admitted beginning in 1970, and by 1984, the school had petered out. The board voted not to reopen for the fall of 1984.
Curmudgeon: The reason the Loretto Sisters went off the deep end can be summarized in four words: Sister Mary Luke Tobin. This woman, the only U.S. nun to attend Vatican II, is of the opinion that this distinction entitled her to undo the work of dedicated nuns over the course of a century and a half. Maybe a St. Teresa will arise among them, but my understanding is that this woman hounded all who disagreed with her out of the order. Still, prayer can accomplish much.
ReplyDeleteI attended the Loretto School after it was moved out to 12411 Wornall. I only went there for my 1st grade year (1977-1978), but loved it dearly. By the time I started 2nd grade in Shawnee Mission Schools, I had already completed the reading textbook they were using for 3RD grade and I was doing multiplication and long division. I remember being asked by my 2nd grade teacher to help teach "borrowing and carrying" in arithmetic problems to my classmates. I loved this school so much, but my brother was unable to function at the level of independence necessary to attend such a self-paced educational system, and our parents put us both in public school the following year. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteMinor clarification. The organization that bought the 39th street building was Calvary Bible College.
ReplyDeletei also went to this school from k thru 7th grade when it closed. my mother went to the original Loretto too. i still have nightmares about the burial ground/graveyard that was behind the "new Loretto" that they took us out to explore regularly. after it closed, many of the remaining teachers and sisters went to what i think they called the New School or something like that over in westport. we still have the old yearbooks, and my aunt who went there and graduated from there the year it closed, still meets up with old classmates. thanks for the memories.
ReplyDeletesorry.. i just googled... the new school opened was named "Kansas City Academy" which from what i can tell, still has many of the same teachers as when i was there. eerie!
ReplyDeleteI attended De La Salle Military Academy, Class of 1957, and we used to date the girls of Loretto Academy, probably because none of us knew anything about dating in public High Schools! I'm only guessing, but I think most all the graduating classes of both High Schools were virgins! Probably not many people are left to remember now, but I'm the guy with the armful of books who backed into the panic bar latch on the East side of the school and managed to shatter the glass in the door, and have it shower down around me. Luckily, my leather motorcycle jacket took the hit and saved my body and my ducktails! Loretto was a girls-only school when I left KC in '59, but after returning from the Air Force in 1964, I seem to recall things had changed. The world is a different, but not necessarily better place. We were so young then....
ReplyDeleteI attended Loretto Academy for high school and am a 1974 graduate. It was the most wonderful happy experience of my life. I was heartbroken to see the school close. Our class was the last class to graduate of all girls
ReplyDeleteI went to Loretto from 1975-1981. I loved the school and would be curious what happened to some of the children that went there. I too feel it positively affected me for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteI went to Loretto in Kindergarten and remember it well. I loved the pods. It was such a fun school. Does anyone remember the name of the crazy lady that lived in the woods, or is that only something the kindergarteners talked about.
ReplyDeleteI attended Loretto from North Pod through West Pod (K-3rd) in the late 70's. It was an amazing place. My favorite classes were Sally Tureman's (sp?) on cultures like Ancient China and the Plains Indians. I've created a Facebook group for students from the Wornall campus - please visit http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5697249628. Perhaps an event is on the horizon...
ReplyDeleteMy mom taught at Loretto in the '60's and one of her benefits was tuition-free acceptance of her three daughters. Loretto did not refer to grades but I was there for what would have been 1st - 3rd grade in '67 - '69. Loretto has always been for me the Ideal. It is what school SHOULD be. When my family moved to the Boston area in '69 I was in Lexington public schools for 4th grade and was light years ahead academically, but the mean-spiritedness of the teachers and school-mates in New England, after the nurturing environment of Loretto was just devastating. My mom stayed in touch with Sister Susan Swain for decades after we left, and some visited us in Lexington. What an interesting dedicated life-loving group of women.
ReplyDeleteWe had to have been there at the same time. I went to Loretto from 1966 to 1970. My maiden name is Laurie Knapp. I remember a girl by the name of Kathy Riser who also went there. She and I also went to college together at St. Mary's in California
DeleteI was a boarder at Loretto Academy and in the last group that boarded there. That part of the school closed in 1955. In regard to the Lorettos going off the deep end...quite the contrary they are up and thriving quite well. A very diversified order of nuns still today. They are open to missionary issues in America and still the top leaders in the Catholic Church in America.
ReplyDeleteI graduated from Loretto in 1981. Would so love to hear from other during that time!
ReplyDeleteAnyone know about anyone from the class of 81?
Wishing you all the best and will certainly check on the facebook to read more.
Wishing everyone all the very best.
Brandon M. Chittenden-Williams
(Edinburgh, UK)
I was entering my junior year of high school when the school closed/moved. I was in North Pod for first grade in the early 70's and entered Loretto for high school around '82. It was the first and last time I ever jumped up in the morning unable to wait to get to school, the best grades ever. Wonderful. Although, I am not an educator, I always think about starting/helping a school in the spirit of Loretto. Some of my better friends during that time where Cole Martin, Jeremy Kohn, Ron Barret, John Kyger and Kaiser. Some of us went to Barstow after the Fall - Andrew Apple, Matt Swafford, David Baker.
ReplyDeleteEric Moore - Beijing, PRC
I attended Loretto from 4th grade through my Freshman year...I think the school on 39th and Roanaoke closed in 1966
ReplyDeleteIndeed the old campus closed in 1966. I was in that class and I have a sister who graduated from the Wornall campus in 1971. We were taught to think for ourselves and to be leaders. I believe that is why Loretto was the first Kansas City school to integrate in the late 40's. Equality was demonstrated in our day to day existence, it did not have to be taught. Wish it had survived, my daughter would have benefited from the school as I did. I now live within a mile of the Wornall Campus which is now the Lutheran Academy but nothing can compare with the beauty of the old building on Roanoke and, of course, my wonderful memories of my 4 years at the "old" Loretto.
ReplyDeleteThe Loretto nuns are still making an impact doing many things in the world and the motherhouse in Loretto, KY, cares for the many retired religious. The Roanoke campus is of the same architectural design as the motherhouse.
Greetings--My fiance' graduated form Loretto in 1971. Her class ring was 'stolen' years ago. Does ANYBODY know someone that may still have theirs, or have a picture of one ??? I have contacted the maker, Josten's, and they only keep records/dies for no more than 4 years. I am wanting to have another ring made for her birthday--as a surprise. ANY hlep is GREATLY appreciated.
ReplyDeleteBill@8165361390
I attended Calvary Bible College in thsi building from 1968-1972 and loved the elegant style.
ReplyDeleteI attended the school from my freshman through senior years, and I was a member of Loretto Academy's last graduating class, in 1984, at the Wornall Campus. An amazing educational experience: no doors on the classrooms, no bells, we called our teachers by their first names, were integral as students in the interviewing and hiring of prospective teachers, and Freedom with Responsibility was the school motto. Though I sense in your post a bitterness about non-traditional education, I am thankful it was there for me, as my own experience at the all-boy Pembroke Country Day school for my jr. high years was particularly miserable. At Loretto, I felt respected and recognized as a member of the community. I fondly recall afternoons in the school orchestra, playing alongside students from across the lower, middle, and high schools, under the amazing and feared Sister Patrice Taheny. This spring, our class hosted a successful reunion, inviting any student, teacher, or staff who was involved with Loretto during the 1980s.
ReplyDeleteMartha class of 79
ReplyDeleteLife is good. I worked for Sprint so I was in the old high school for training and work. It was very strange. I hope everyone is doing well and it would be great to see anyone that is still local.
I attended Loretto from the time I was in the 2nd grade through my Freshman. I was a boarding student for the first 2 years and they did away with boarding and I became a day student. Then I went to Westport HS until I graduated in 1958. I remember the huge staircase going up to the second floor, the wing where we all slept and the chapel where we attended mass every morning. Now I can look at the pictures and admire the beautiful building but when I was a little girl, it wasn't that pretty to me.
ReplyDeleteWish there were more pictures of the interior in the early days.
My sister and I attended Loretta Academy in the 1950-54. My oldest sister was a sophomore at that time. We moved to Dallas for 2 years and she graduated from Ursuline Academy. We moved back to KCMO and my middle sister went to Loretta and I went to OLGC. It was a great time. We were ahead of our classes in Texas, especially in handwriting.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe I misspelled "Loretto". Old timer's disease.
ReplyDeleteI've been following the "mudgeon for quite some time and come back often to see if any additional comments have filtered in on many of the parishes and schools that have gone by the wayside. My comments are primarily historical since I used to live immediately behind Loretto on 40th Street and my sister attended Loretto in the '50's. I, being a boy, had to go to Lillis High School. I remember going to Mass a number of times with my sister when my mom had to work on weekends and I was too small to go to Guardian Angels by myself. I also got to meet many of the sisters, one of which was my sister's favorite, Sister Scholastica. She allowed me to "pith" a frog in the biology class room when I was just a little one. I also took piano lessons from one of the nuns, that didn't last long. The neighborhood boys used to go play football in the "garden" located on the western part of the property. The nuns used to grow vegetables and grapes in the garden and we used to enjoy steeling a bunch of grapes to quench our thirst. I also remember the school having a "Hootenanny" when that was popular and it was held in the auditorium directly underneath the chapel.
ReplyDeleteNow 50 years later, I live in Arkansas and lo' and behold, we are working with the Sisters of Loretto to get information about a teacher come saint that opened the first Catholic School in Arkansas in 1829 in what is known as Plum Bayou outside of Pine Bluff. Dealing with them is somewhat tedious since they have a lot of questions. Mother Agnes Hart was the first american member (although she was born in Canada and moved to Kentucky in the 1810's) of the Sisters of Loretto and from what I read in the historical record was a saint in her time. We have one confirmed miracle by her intercession. Anyway, we are very concerned about the current sisters and their political proclivities.
We lived on 39th and played with the Harding kids, Delaney's and others. Played at Roanoke Park "down the hill". Simpler time!
ReplyDeleteI attended the "new" Loretto at 124th and Wornall, graduating in 1973. It was a wonderful place to learn, to dream and to experience. The Loretto sisters who taught there then were awesome! If the school had been open when it was time for my girls to go to high school, it would have been Loretto. Even though the sign outside the school says Metropolitan Lutheran/Calvary Lutheran schools, it'll always be Loretto!
ReplyDeleteI was a boarding student at Loretto Academy (high school)from 1952 to 1955 when the boarding school closed, and I graduated from Loretto as a day student in 1956. I knew Alice Recker (who left a comment earlier) and was happy to see her again when some of us got together for our 50th reunion in 2006.
ReplyDeleteI have great respect for Mother Mary Luke Tobin, who died just a couple of years ago. She was a major figure in the Church and in the Loretto community; her contribution was huge, and I honor her memory.
nice post keep posting
ReplyDeleteverizon has finally fixed my internet ,at lest for now.what a trip down memory lane.i am the big sister of anonymous. went to loretto until 1953. left the end of sophomore yr. graduated from ursuline in dallas in 1955. we lived on wet 38th street across 39th from loretto. dated (term used
ReplyDeleteloosely) one DON Roddy a delasalle
guy. best friend at that time was mary anne delaney.i now live in bryan tx and have since 1955.3 kids,5 grandkids,and g-ma to 3 great grandkids.life is good.
I WISH THERE WERE MORE COMMENTS POSTED. THEY ARE REALLY FUN TO READ.HAVE A NEW GREAT-GRANDBABY DUE IN NOVEMBER. THAT WILL BE 4. THEY ARE IN NORTH CAROLINA IN THE MARINES,SO I WON'T GET TO NSEE THEM ASS MUCH. MARY ANNE DELANEY HOLMAN GRADUATED IN 1953 ,ANYONE AROUND FROM THAT CLASS?mgbovicesbovices lartf
ReplyDeleteHi this is Mary Annes daughter Kathy. Mom passed away in 1993. I rrmember the the Christmas play they used to have. One yearI got to be an angel. Many years ago !
DeleteHi Loretto Alums,
ReplyDeleteI am doing family research for a family friend and I am hoping someone can help me either by looking through yearbooks or because they remember the person I am looking for.
This girl's last name is LEWIS (don't know the first name but a relative thought it had 7 letters in it).
She started as a boarding school student in about 1945 (age 10) when her mother died of cancer. She had 3 much older siblings (youngest at least 10-11 yrs older than she was).
This girl probably graduated from Loretto in about 1953.
If anyone knows who this girl might be, I would appreciate the information. If anyone has a yearbook for any years between 1945-1953, I would appreciate it if you would send me the names of any girl with the last name of Lewis (age/grade doesn't matter, but include that also). If anyone knows where I can locate any of the old yearbooks, I would appreciate knowing that also.
Thanks for your help!!
Susan
celottofam5@gmail.com
I went to high school at Loretto from 1954 graduating in 1958. I still a see a few of my classmates and we have a Zoom meeting 4 times a year. Great memories
DeleteThanks a lot for enjoying this beauty article with me. I am apreciating it very much! Looking forward to another great article. Good luck to the author! All the best!
ReplyDeleteThough I only went to Loretto on Wornall for my 8th & 9th grades..( 1985 graduating class) I have the best memories of the school, teachers and kids. Much of who I am, came from my experiences there. I loved Sister Patrice. Also fond memories of Jacque our Science teacher. I loved the building and the odd places we would meet and have class. I remember the beautiful 2 story library..., remember interviewing teachers who wanted to teach there. Someone posted about the orchestra, I wasn't in it.. But remember everyone all ages in the mezzanine playing. I loved being able to go out to lunch with friends. Eric Moore, I read your post.. I remember you.
ReplyDeleteI own a store in Overland Park, and Kris Whitaker was in today. I hadn't seen her since 9th grade! Does anyone remember the crazy games we played outside? I think we had a week of free play.. I remember ice skating with Amy Bink. Kris reminded me that Amy Bink drove a red Escort car. Also remember Joni who was in the Kansas City ballet. Does anyone remember the theater? I was in Guys and Dolls.
Someone posted that they have thought of starting a school like Loretto.. I also have thought of that. I have walked the grounds on Wornall many times over the years. Something magical happened there. It was a place that inspired me to think, imagine and dream.
Knowing that the possibilities are endless came from there.
I visited one of the pods in third grade, parents thought of sending me there then.. Finally got there years later. It was everything I had imagined in the years between.
I really want to search the archives for pictures from when I was there. I remember upstairs in a hallway they had pictures of graduates from the original school. I remember looking at their faces for hours.. I remember feeling connected to them.. much like I feel with the people who have posted here.
Thanks for this article and post.. Gina Whitcomb
Boys attended Kindergarten through 3rd grade prior to 1974 (though I'm not sure when it started) I attended K-2nd grade in the early 60s, until we moved out of town. My Grandmother boarded their in the early 1900s. Every year a Nun would take me to look at old photos and ask my to ID my grandmother--
ReplyDeleteI attended the old Loretto on 39th Street in 3rd and 4th grade. It moved the next year, and my parents felt it was too far to drive each day. I began fifth grade in my local school district (Shawnee Mission). Many of the kids had parents who had attended the same school with many of the same teachers. Most kids had attended the school since kindergarten. It wasn't like today, when nobody bats an eye when a new kid starts. When the class was asked what books they had read over the summer, my (very old) teacher did not believe me. I was asked to "prove it" so my mother and I packed the books into a book bag and I lugged it into the class. The teacher still chose not to believe me, and my fifth grade year was hell.
ReplyDeleteI loved Loretto. I remember Mrs. Carroll, Mrs. Adams, and Sr. Ann Loyola. In the two years I attended, I went way beyond "average curriculum" because I was ALLOWED to do so! So many more memories of the wooden floors, the beautiful chapel, and the gazebo behind the school where we pretended to re-enact "The Sound of Music" during recess. Occasionally, we were allowed to deliver a note to a teacher on the other side of the building - where the middle school and high school girls were. It was fun, yet scary, as they looked so big!
I sure wish Loretto had not moved south!
Oh my gosh I remember Mrs Carroll and Mrs Adams too! At Sr Patrice the music teacher. And Sr Ann-Michelle, and Sr Susan Swain...
ReplyDeleteIn 1958 or 1959 my younger brother had to take a remedial reading class, due to falling behind at SFX. I went along because I had discovered the huge library at Loretto. He, and my cousin, would spend the day in their class and I would spend the day in the library. I read every day, all day in a beautiful room filled with books and old, leather chairs that was lit with huge windows. The windows were opened (no A/C) and the aroma from the flowers filled the room. A little bit of heaven on earth!
ReplyDeleteI attended Loretto from 1966 (kindergarten) through 1970 (3rd grade). I had just turned 4 when I started kindergarten. Loretto allowed me to start at such a young age and gave me a great foundation. I was well ahead of classmates when we moved from Ksnsas City to the Philadelphia area. I loved going to school there!!
ReplyDeleteMy mother went to Loretto and graduated in 1963. I am trying to find information about the nun who was Principal at the time. Her name was Sister Mary Venard. She made life a living hell for my mother during her Senior year. I noticed that there is no one commenting during the years 1960-1965. She obviously left an impression.
ReplyDeleteMy mom attended The Loretto Academy, but I don’t know the years. She was born in 1902 in Edgerton, KS. I imagine she was there during WWI.
ReplyDeleteI attended Loretto from 1959 ro 1963. I knew Sister Venard. My freshman class homeroom teacher was Sister David Maureen. Our latin teacher was Sister Mary Rose and our algebra teacher was a layperson. Yikes, can't remember her name! I have our yearbook so perhaps I know the mother of the person who posted as unknown on February 02, 2021.
ReplyDeleteI loved Loretto and went to all the mixers from De La Salle and Rockhurst. Miss the simple times!
Does anyone have any iformation on the retirement home that was in the loretto in the late 80s after calvary left the property? I cant seem to find anything on the block of time from early 80s to mid 90s on the history of the property.
ReplyDelete