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Holy Name of Jesus School opened its doors in September,
1891. Father Joseph Gerlach has merited the title of founder
of the parish school; his fellow Jesuits said that "the
parochial school was his hobby." In 1909, the Sisters of Mercy
were persuaded to take over the administration of the school
and to assume a large debt by purchasing the school
property.
The school has been located on a variety of
sites around what is currently the Loyola University campus.
The cornerstone for the building now in use was laid on July
24, 1932 and classes began here on January 3, 1933. The
quality of education and facilities alike led real estate
advertisements in the local newspapers to say 'close to Holy
Name School' as a way to entice prospective buyers. After
World War II Holy Name experienced the same growing pains as
other parishes, particularly in the realm of education. In
1949, enrollment at Holy Name reached 860 students. Six years
later the high school was bursting at the seams. It was
decided that the Sisters of Mercy would build a new high
school, between Freret Street and LaSalle Place, which was to
be Mercy Academy, a most-esteemed all-girls' high school, and
was dedicated on March 19, 1961.
Today, Holy Name of
Jesus continues the tradition of offering an outstanding and
affordable Catholic education to the children of New Orleans
and the surrounding civil parishes.
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