The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary are more commonly known as the Loreto (or Loretto) Sisters. Our Lady redirects here. ...

The Loreto Sisters belong to one branch of The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), the religious order founded by an Englishwoman named Mary Ward in 1609. Mary Ward had a vision for a different mode of religious life for women. She envisioned women living a life in companionship and discernment, inspired by the gospel and engaging with the world without the constraints of the traditional cloister, nor an established 'Rule', placing them under the governance of men. She also believed that women were equal to men in intellect and should be educated accordingly. Mary Augusta Ward Mary Augusta Ward (June 11, 1851 - March 26, 1920), was a novelist. ... Mary Augusta Ward Mary Augusta Ward (June 11, 1851 - March 26, 1920), was a novelist. ...

Today, the order she inspired is worldwide and has been divided, historically, into three main groups known as The Roman Branch, The Irish Branch and The North American Branch. This situation changed in September 2003, when the sisters of the North American Branch voted by an overwhelming majority, to reunite with the Irish Branch. From this, confirmed by Papal Decree, a 'new' entity has been forged, now referred as The Loreto Branch. In 2004 the Roman Branch received permission from the Vatican to change its name, to reflect more closely Mary Ward's vision of a Jesuit order for women. The Roman Branch is now The Congregation of Jesus.

In Ireland, the Sisters run a number of day-schools for girls, and until recently conducted girl boarding school's at Rathfarnham, Dublin (see Loreto Abbey). A boarding school is an educational institution where some or all pupils not only study, but also live, amongst their peers. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ...

Schools all over the world work in association with the sisters, such as the Loreto Schools in Australia. The Loreto Sisters, along with Mary Ward, helped establish Loreto schools around the world. Mary Ward believed in the strength of women, she argued with the Bishop and other priests that women in time would come to do much. ...

At the invitation of Bishop Michael Power of Toronto, the Loretto Sisters arrived in the city in 1847 and founded their first school. By the 1920s their motherhouse was at Loretto Abbey (Armour Heights) and still houses a girls' secondary school. The Sisters also founded Loretto College School on Brunswick Avenue in 1915 and started a college and residence for women at St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto. The sisters also had many other schools across Canada, both at the elementary and secondary levels.

The Loreto Sisters arrived in Australia in 1878 in response to a request by the Bishop of Ballarat, Bishop O'Connell. The group from Ireland, led by Mother Gonzaga Barry, set up a convent in Ballarat, Victoria and their first school, Loreto College Ballarat, was known as Mary's Mount. In 1892 a day school was established in Randwick in New South Wales and in 1897 Loreto Normanhurst, also in New South Wales, began as a boarding school. The Randwick day school move to Milson's Point in 1901 to begin, what is now Loreto Kirribilli. The IBVM in Australia have schools in Brisbane (Loreto Coorparoo), Adelaide (Loreto College, Marryatville), Melbourne (Loreto Mandeville Hall)and Perth (Loreto Nedlands Primary School). Loreto Normanhurst is an independent Catholic day and boarding school for girls in Sydney, Australia with an enrolment of approximately 900 students from Year 7 to Year 12. ... Loreto Kirribilli is a private Roman Catholic girls school in Sydney, Australia with an enrolment of approximately 1050 girls from Kindergarten to Year 12. ... Loreto Mandeville Hall is a Roman Catholic school for girls in Toorak, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ...

Was joined by mother Teresa when she was young

Loreto Provinces around the world

• Australia
• United Kingdom
• India
• Ireland
• USA

Australian Schools

• Loreto College Ballarat, Victoria
• Loreto Normanhurst, New South Wales
• Loreto Kirribilli, New South Wales
• Loreto College Marryatville, South Australia
• Loreto College Coorparoo, Queensland
• Loreto Nedlands Primary School, Western Australia
• Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, Victoria
• John XXIII College Perth, Western Australia
• Bayview College, Victoria
• St Mary's College, University of Melbourne

External links

• Follow links from About Us / Loreto Around the Globe to discover other Loreto Schools Around the World
• Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Loreto Sisters / Mary Ward Sisters
• Home Page Of Loreto College Coleraine
• Institute of Mary - article in the Catholic Encyclopedia.