Order of the Company of Mary Our Lady Celebrates 100 Years In the United States
Since 1607, beginning in Bordeaux, France, the Sisters of the Company of Mary have been educating and forming young people around the world with faith, love, and purpose.
In 1650, the Order expanded to Barcelona and established the first school for girls in Spain. In 1754, the sisters courageously crossed the Atlantic to found the first educational institution for girls in the “New World,” (present-day Mexico). Soon the Order expanded throughout other countries in Latin America.
In 1926, the Mexican government intensified its persecution of religious communities. As a result, the Company of Mary sent many of the sisters to the U.S. In July of 1926 they made their way to Arizona. With courage and great apostolic passion, they sought a way to continue their mission in these new lands. Their mission began as an act of courage, planting seeds that continue to flourish today.
As we celebrate this centennial year, we are honored to share their remarkable story and invite you to join us in celebrating this legacy through the many special events planned throughout the year.
The role of religious sisters in education in the United States, leading to the arrival of the Sisters of the Company of Mary in 1926.
Religious sisters played a foundational role in the growth of the Catholic faith in the United States by building and staffing the world’s largest private school system. Their historical contributions focused on creating institutional infrastructure, educating immigrant populations, and pioneering higher education for women.
PhD, Modern European History, UC Irvine
MA, European and Latin American History, Cal-State University Los Angeles
BA, History, Cal-State University Fullerton
Sister Kathy is a member of the Order of the Company of Mary Our Lady. She taught for over twenty years in K-12 schools before returning to grad school to obtain her doctorate in European history. After completing her studies, she served in school administration while teaching primarily at UC Riverside. In 2017, she served as a campus minister at USC and UCLA. Presently, she is part of the high school administration team at Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac in Temecula. She continues to work in pastoral ministry and spiritual direction.
Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., PhD
President of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith, one of the largest science-based Catholic apologetics institutes in the world. He is the author of twenty books, including the award-winning books New Proofs for the Existence of God and Science, Reason, and Faith: Discovering the Bible.
His latest release is the Science, Reason, and Faith Catholic Study Bible, and he is the author of the database for the MagisAI App. Father Spitzer has his own weekly EWTN television show, Fr. Spitzer’s Universe. He has appeared on the Larry King Show (with the late Stephen Hawking discussing the origins of the universe). He has also appeared on the History Channel, the Today Show, and a PBS series. He started seven institutes dedicated to faith and reason and happiness/purpose in life.
