This progressive Catholic school helped shape generations of young KC women

The Sisters of Loretto, a Catholic order that originated in Kentucky, came to Kansas City in 1899. Their mission here and in other growing cities was to educate young women, and potentially prepare them for college.

The nuns quickly outgrew their first school on Broadway Boulevard — so in 1902, work began on a new facility at West 39th Street and what’s now Roanoke Road.

The large T-shaped complex was designed by Barnett, Haynes & Barnett, an architectural firm later responsible the dazzling Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis.

Though Loretto Academy wasn’t a church, it did include an ornate chapel and sizeable auditorium, along with classrooms and living facilities for the girls who boarded there. (Not all of them did.)

Despite being tucked into a residential neighborhood, the academy was surrounded by large swaths of well-tended green space often used for recreation and outdoor events.

From the outset, non-Catholics were admitted, and the curriculum was less restrictive than that of many other religious schools.

In fact, Loretto Academy made headlines in 1947 when it admitted its first Black student, well before others in the area did. That action resulted in some withdrawals, but enrollment soon stabilized and the school’s reputation as a progressive institution solidified.

In 1966, the Loretto Academy moved south to a much larger campus at 124th Street & Wornall Road — leaving the building in the hands of the Calvary Bible College.

Today, the Loretto (as it’s known simply now) lives on as an upscale event space available for weddings and other special occasions. Office space and apartments inside it are also part of the building’s 21st Century multi-use profile.

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This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 5:30 AM.