St. Elizabeth’s

St. Elizabeth’s. . , As you look past the statue of Father Drumgoole and let your gaze drift down to the bay, you will see the property that comprised the “Girls’ Side” of the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin. The building pictured here, St. Elizabeth’s, was home for thousands of Mount Loretto girls from its opening in 1899 until it was closed in 1990., Father Drumgoole envisioned the Girls’ Side as a way to provide a home for the growing number of girls who could not come to the mission because of lack of space in the old inn that had become their home. He did not live to see it built, but his creation of St. Joseph’s Union made it all possible. When Archbishop Corrigan imparted a blessing on the home from the Holy Father Leo XIII, the funding for the entire project was already well underway. Monsignor Dougherty, the second Director of the Mission, expressed his faith in the ambitious project because “God’s little girls have been praying for a new Home and their prayers have always been heard.”, St. Elizabeth’s was built with its own convent, chapel and school. It was originally built for 500 girls. it was run by the same principles that governed the rest of the Mission. Education and discipline were important, but they must be applied in the context of training the heart for the love of God. This became the work of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin., The Sisters of St. Francis have always been an integral presence at Mount Loretto. Many Sisters arrived at the Mount to be of service and were like mothers to the children who lived here. We will always remember their love, devotion, prayerful ways and the joy the Sisters brought to the children who made the Mission their home., On this date, September 17, 2005, The Mount Loretto Alumni Association grateful dedicates this plaque to the memory of all the Sisters of St. St. Francis who made the Mission their home too.