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History

Ursuline Academy is an independent, Catholic, college preparatory school for young women. The Academy is owned and operated by the Ursuline Sisters and inspired by the gospel challenges in the spirit of St. Angela Merici, the foundress of the Ursulines and a woman truly unique for her time.  The Ursulines have a rich history and are present around the world

The Early Years in Boston

While the Ursuline Order dates back to its original founding in 1612, its contribution to the Greater Boston community began during the tumultuous times of the early 19th century, when anti-Catholic feeling was at a high point. In late 1819, an Ursuline School opened its doors in Charlestown to 280 pupils. In 1834, the school had blossomed into one of the area's leading education centers, serving Catholics and Protestants alike. That year, bigotry led a mob to burn the convent to the ground, reduce years of planning, building and hope to ashes. The Ursuline Sisters were forced to leave the Boston area.

Ursuline Academy, 12 Arlington Street, Boston

Ursuline Academy, 12 Arlington Street, Boston

In 1946, at the invitation of then-Archbishop Richard Cushing, a group of Ursuline Sisters returned to Boston to open Ursuline Academy on Arlington Street to 45 students. Within 10 years, the student body at the Academy had expanded, and a search for larger quarters began.

The Move to Dedham

In 1957, The Ursuline Order acquired a 28-acre estate in Dedham, Massachusetts, a site which has since been continually upgraded and further developed. Since the official opening of the school in Dedham over 60 years ago, each decade has been marked by progress and challenge.

Since the first class graduated from the school on Arlington Street in Boston in 1947, Ursuline Academy has embodied the mission and vision of the Ursuline Order and the inspiration of St. Angela Merici. Today, the  community is working as effectively as ever toward the same mission envisioned by St. Angela five hundred years ago: educational opportunity for young women.  Though there are fewer Ursuline Sisters involved today in the educational ministry, the Academy's students are served with the same dedication and commitment by a faculty of lay members, several of whom are alumnae or parents of alumnae.

As always, Ursuline Academy faces the ongoing challenge of keeping up with modern educational expectations by providing a wider range of academic, athletic, and extracurricular programs. Its ability to adapt to changing times, combined with the many blessings of a devoted faculty, talented students and committed supporters, accounts for the remarkable staying power and consistent effectiveness of Ursuline Academy.