The First Four Ursuline Principals of Saint Bernard Academy

Starting in 1920, four women from rural western Kentucky came to Nebraska City, Nebraska, to serve as principals of St. Bernard Academy. These women were part of a religious community known as the Company of St. Ursula, or Ursulines. Following the spirituality of St. Angela Merici, they had consecrated themselves to serve God as “Brides of Christ” and, through a vow of obedience, they were sent to Nebraska. Their work as educational leaders enabled the school to flourish. This historical study tells their story. The narrative begins with St. Angela and the foundation of the Ursulines, follows the community to its foundation in Kentucky, and describes how they obtained possession of St. Bernard Academy. Then, through correspondence and personal documents found in the archives of the Motherhouse of Mt. St. Joseph, Kentucky, and the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, a snapshot is provided into the joys, sorrows, tribulations, and triumphs of their lives