With this invocation, two brave Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, Sister Mary Augustine and Sister Mary Maurice, traced the sign of the Cross above the doorsill of an abandoned blacksmith shop and thus began the school that would one day be called the Academy of the Holy Names.

Their story, however, did not end with the humble beginning on Zack and Franklin Streets in 1881. In the tradition of Blessed Marie Rose, who was immersed in the realities of daily living and able to discern clearly the needs of her time and place, the founding Sisters and their successors embraced the mission to bring Catholic education to the children of this community and beyond.

The Academy of the Holy Names is grateful for the generous support from the following alumni, parents,
grandparents, and friends who helped make the dream of a Heritage Center possible.