75th Anniversary - Ursuline Academy

Celebrating 75 years of Ursuline education in Boston and Dedham

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Ursuline Academy's founding in Boston in 1946. We meet this historic milestone with pride in our heritage, confidence in our tradition of educational excellence, and optimism in the future of our community. Ursuline Academy is proud, privileged, and humbled to be part of the nearly 500-year history of the Ursuline mission.

Starting in 2021 and continuing through June of 2022, we will celebrate 75 years of educating young women in the Ursuline tradition with a year-long series of events, gatherings, and speakers. These events will begin virtually and will become in-person as conditions allow.

75th Anniversary Speaker Series

With intellectual curiosity one of the pillars of our mission statement, we hold fast to the idea that education is an important and ongoing endeavor. Ursuline wishes to offer a unique opportunity to share informative and inspirational topics with its entire community to promote dialogue on important issues of the day. To that end, we will offer a speaker series approximately once a month throughout our 75th anniversary year.

Upcoming Speaker Events

Wednesday, February 16, 2022: Lisa Damour

Don't miss Lisa Damour, psychologist, best-selling author, columnist, podcaster and contributor to CBS News. Look for registration information here soon.

And More !

Completed Events and Photos

Commemorative Mass (April 17, 2021)

Speaker Series: Rev. James Martin, S.J. (April 29, 2021)

Fr. Martin is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, and bestselling author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, and Between Heaven and Mirth. Father Martin has written for many publications, including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and he is a regular commentator in the national and international media. He joined us to discuss his new book, Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone.

Speaker Series: "From Brescia to Dedham: A Panel Discussion" (May 20, 2021)

Individuals with insight into the settings that formed Ursuline Academy's heritage - the town of Brescia, Italy; the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston; and Arlington Street and Dedham, MA - joined us for an interactive discussion on how these different locales contributed to the rich history of the Ursulines, culminating in the Ursuline Academy of today.

Panelists:

Sr. Elisa Ryan, OSU, Ursuline Central Province
Nancy Schultz, author of Fire and Roses: The Burning of the Charlestown Convent, 1834
Sr. Angela Krippendorf '59, OSU, former Provincial of the Northeast Province

Speaker Series: Mark Shriver (June 16, 2021)

June 16, 7 p.m. (virtual)
Mark Shriver

Mark K. Shriver is Chief Strategy Officer at Save the Children. Shriver joined Save the Children in 2003 and developed the agency’s domestic early childhood and school-age education programs, which today reach children in more than 200 underserved rural communities. Shriver was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1994 to 2002.

Shriver is the author of 10 Hidden Heroes, published in March 2021. He is also the author of Pilgrimage: My Search for the Real Pope Francis and A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father, Sargent Shriver.

75th Anniversary Golf Tournament (June 28, 2021)

Speaker Series: "Federal Hill Farm: From Skinner Estate to Ursuline Academy" (September 23, 2021)

Hear the fascinating stories that intertwined the lives of Isabella Stewart Gardner, one of Boston's wealthiest eligible bachelors and his new bride, a leading architect, and a chauffeur, gardener, and lady's maid. Sally Seufert Holmes '71 leads us through the history of the estate, the backstory of "Federal Hill Farm," and how it evolved into the convent and Ursuline Academy of today, which continues its legacy of strong women.

Ursuline is pleased to join with the Dedham Historical Society to share the fascinating history of the convent property.

Speaker Series: Dr. Ellen Geminiani (October 20, 2021)

Dr. Ellen Geminiani '79 - Sports Medicine, Children's Hospital, Boston
Wednesday, October 20, 2021 - A Virtual Event

Dr. Ellen Geminiani, MD, '79 is a sports medicine physician in the Sports Medicine Division at Boston Children's Hospital. In her role at Children's, she provides clinical patient care in sports medicine with a focus on figure skating and dance, as well as research and development to improve care and prevent injuries. Dr. Geminiani is also involved in clinical teaching of students, residents, and fellows. In her program, Dr. Geminiani spoke about injury prevention relating to student-athletes.

Speaker Series: Molly Burhans "Making Land Work for Good" (December 2, 2021)

Molly Burhans, founder/executive director, GoodLands.
"Making Land Work for Good: Property as a Powerful Force for Change"
Thursday, December 2, 2021

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our virtual event with Molly Burhans, an internationally recognized leader in cartography, social entrepreneurship, conservation, and innovation for faith-based impact-driven property use and management. She is the Executive Director and Founder of GoodLands, a social enterprise at the forefront of geospatial information policy, standards, and security related to the Catholic Church and affiliated organizations worldwide. Molly is a recipient of the Sierra Club's 2021 EarthCare Award and the 2019 United Nations Young Champion of the Earth Award for North America. She is a 2021 National Geographic Emerging Explorer, a 2020 Henry Arnhold Conservation Fellow, and an Ashoka Fellow for social entrepreneurship. Molly was profiled in the New Yorker in February 2021. CLICK HERE to watch the program.