History and Heritage
Loreto St Michael’s is an all-girls Voluntary Secondary School run under the Trusteeship of the Loreto Education Trust. We currently have 920 students and approximately 60 teachers. In Ireland St Michael’s is one of more than 30 schools, which are linked through and supported full-time by the Loreto Education Office, situated in Foxrock, Dublin.
The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), commonly known as the Loreto Sisters, was founded in England in 1609 by Mary Ward. She was a pioneer who adapted the Jesuit model for women, specifically focusing on the education of girls.
Due to religious persecution in England, the order was later introduced to Ireland in 1821 by Frances Teresa Ball. Mother Ball established the first Irish house in Rathfarnham, Dublin, which she named “Loreto Abbey”.
From Rathfarnham, the name “Loreto” became synonymous with the schools established by the order. Today, the IBVM ministers on all five continents, operating over 30 schools in Ireland alone.
The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), commonly known as the Loreto Sisters, officially merged with the Congregatio Jesu (CJ) in 2025 to form one unified religious congregation. This historic union fulfills the 400-year-old dream of their shared founder, Mary Ward, bringing roughly 1,800 sisters worldwide under the single name of Congregatio Jesu. The canonical and legal merger was finalised at a special Mass in Loyola, Spain, in November 2025. Both orders have historically followed the spiritual principles of St. Ignatius Loyola. By unifying, both congregations aim to strengthen their global mission of education and empowering women and children.
The Loreto Sisters arrived in Navan in 1883. In 1853, St Anne’s Primary School was built. In 1904 Loreto Secondary School, St Michael’s was established. The Chapel and the Music Hall were added in 1930. The new school (Red Building) was added in 1978. As St Michael’s was also a boarding school, the dormitory area (upstairs in St Kieran’s building) was converted to classrooms in 1988/1989. Our impressive Sports Hall was built in the late 1990s and finally we added our Special Class for Moderate General Learning Disability students “An Croí in 2023. There are plans to build a 3 story extension over the next few years to house new specialist classrooms as well as a large Library and Special Education Area.
The IBVM / Loreto Network
Our administrative centre is at Casa Loreto in Rome, Italy. Altogether there are:
- 70,000 Loreto students worldwide
- 3,500 teachers in Loreto schools
- 1,400 support staff employed in Loreto schools
- 119 Loreto schools in 12 countries on 6 continents:
- Europe – Albania, Gibraltar, Italy, Ireland, Spain, United Kingdom.
- Australasia – Australia.
- Africa – Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Mauritius, Seychelles.
- North America – Canada, United States.
- South America – Ecuador, Peru.
- Asia – Bangladesh, East Timor, India, Nepal.
Mary Ward
Trailblazer for Women in the Church
Over 400 years ago, Mary Ward, the founder of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was born into a world of turbulence. Mary spent her life following God’s guidance in seeking something new. She envisioned a religious community of women who were not cloistered, had no specific religious dress, and were free to bring God’s love wherever there was need. How contemporary her foresight was in championing women’s role in spreading God’s compassion. This is her story.
Mary Ward Spirituality
We have as our inspiration and inheritance the charism of Mary Ward. At the heart of our spirituality is our relationship with Jesus. Like Jesus we desire to be in tune with God through prayer and reflection on daily experience.