Since its founding in 1974, HEAD Corporation has recognized that little gets done without strong partnerships. It is with this in mind that HEAD created the Federal of Appalachian Housing Enterprises and Appalachian Community Credit Union. HEAD also realized that to accomplish its mission of bringing economic opportunity and spiritual growth to residents of Central Appalachia, it need to engage partners with like-minded goals. We have been fortunate to establish long-term relationships with numerous individuals, non-profits and religious orders. One of our valued supporters in Sisters of Loretto and their Motherhouse which first invested in HEAD’s mission in 1991.
The Sisters of Loretto Motherhouse is the traditional “home place” for the Sisters of Loretto and a spiritual center for the broader Loretto Community. The community “seeks to praise God and serve the near and farther neighbor by educating ourselves and others in the ways of peace and justice.” The Motherhouse are located on 788 acres in Nerinx, KY., about 60 miles from Louisville.
The Motherhouse of the Sisters of Loretto is dedicated to fostering a vibrant community life among the Loretto Community members, supporting them at whatever point in life they may be, and contributing to the well-being, freedom and development of each individual.
The mission of the Loretto Motherhouse is to “bring the healing Spirit of God into our world”. The community strives to accomplish this through caring for those in need; providing nourishment for body, mind and spirit; offering hospitality to those who visit; preserving the Loretto heritage; showing respect for the land, air and water around us; and practicing justice and mercy.
The Loretto Motherhouse property has been a working farm from the time Reverend Stephen Badin purchased the land in 1796 and named it St. Stephen’s Farm. It became home to the Sisters of Loretto in 1824, the center from which Loretto sent teachers to the western frontier and, later as far as China, South America, Africa, and Pakistan. The 788-acre property today is the permanent home for about 100 sisters and co-members and includes the farm, a licensed long term care facility, residential buildings, a liturgical art gallery and two retreat centers.
There is so much taking place at the Loretto Motherhouse it is hard to summarize. The Motherhouse offers an ecumenical retreat center for groups and individuals that is a place of peacefulness and spirituality. The Loretto community is known for its efforts toward peace and justice, including racial equality and women’s rights. Its work on environmental issues is recognized throughout the region. With a tradition of education that began in 1812 when the Sisters of Loretto opened their first school in Hardin’s Creek, Kentucky, they opened 225 schools across the United States. Today, there are four Sisters of Loretto affiliated schools in the United States for K-12 students as well as Webster University in St. Louis and Loretto Heights College in Denver.
HEAD Corporation treasures our long-term partnership with the Sisters of Loretto. Their values of Faith, Community, Justice and Respect mirror those upon which HEAD Corporation was founded.
For more information on the Sisters of Loretto and the Loretto Motherhouse or support them or to learn about becoming a Co-member, please visit their website at http://www.lorettocommunity.org.