Atlanta Catholic Centennial

The second religious order to open a school in Atlanta was the Sisters of St. Joseph of Georgia.

This order of nuns was first established in Georgia at the request of Rt. Rev. Augustin Verot, Bishop of Savannah and Vicar-Apostolic of Florida. In 1866 he brought eight Sisters of St. Joseph to St. Augustine, Florida, from the Mother House in Le Puy, France. Three of these Sisters were sent from St. Augustine to Savannah, Georgia, and in that city the first Georgia foundation was made in a small house at the corner of Perry and Floyd Streets on April 23, 1867.

It is interesting to note that Bishop Verot was himself a native of Le Puy, France, the city where the Mother House of the Sisters of St. Joseph was first established in 1650.

In 1870 the See of St. Augustine was erected and Bishop Verot was transferred to it. Rt. Rev. Ignatius Persico was appointed to the See of Savannah. When this change was made the Georgia community of the Sisters of St. Joseph was separated from the Florida community and also from the Mother House. It then became, in March, 1871, a Diocesan Coinmunity, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Georgia.

Loretta Academy

Loretta Academy, a school for boys, was the first school opened by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Atlanta. This school was opened in October, 1894. It was at the suggestion of the then pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church, Father Keiley, who later became the Rt. Rev. Benjamin J. Keiley, D. D., Bishop of Savannah, that this school was opened.

Loretta School was first opened in temporary quarters in a building on the west side of Capitol Avenue between Rawson Street and Woodward Avenue. It was conducted here by the Sisters for a year, while they were obtaining a suitable location and erecting a permanent school and convent building. According to present street numbering the temporary school was located at about 351 Capitol Avenue, S. W.

Loretta Academy and Convent was built by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1895 at a cost of $11,4OO.

The building was built on the west side of Pryor Street, between Rawson and Eugenia Streets. According to the present numbering system it was number 407 Pryor Street, S. W.

Sisters M. DeSales was the first Superior of the Convent and School. She had four assistants, Sister M. Clare, Sister M. Regis, Sister M. Ignatius and Sister M. Patricia. Eight grades were taught at Loretta Academy.

St. Anthony's Parish has reason to be interested in Loretta Academy. Besides a number of men in this parish who attended that school, one of our former priests, Rev. Father Herman J. Deimel, was a student at this school. Father Deimel is now the Catholic Chaplain at the United States Prison on McDonough Boulevard.

This school was conducted until August, 1915, when it was discontinued, due to misfortunes suffered by the order in Augusta, Georgia.

The building in which Loretta Academy was conducted was sold in 1916 and building alterations changed it into an apartment house, for which purpose it is used at the present time.

Besides Father Deimel, the following priests were formerly pupils at this school: Rev. Father Joseph Morris, who is a Paulist; Rev. Fathers Joseph Deihl, William Hanlon and Joseph Sullivan, who are Marists.