A comment often echoed around the subject of the Ursulines and their prominence in New Orleans is that they “have been there as long as the city has.” Arriving just seven years after the city was founded, this sentiment is nearly correct. For most of New Orleans’ history, the Ursuline Sisters have been there. When they arrived, their primary mission was to provide universal education for girls. They intended to educate not only white girls from a high class, but offered an opportunity for daughters of the working class, indigenous people, and enslaved workers to receive an education.
While they eventually were able to fulfill their mission, when the Ursulines arrive in New Orleans what the people really needed was healthcare. The Sisters met the need and began nursing in the city. Although this was not on par with their specific mission, The Ursulines maintained a commitment to service, social work, and justice through their work in healthcare.
Often appearing in the prereferral of accounts of New Orleans, it is clear that the Ursuline sisters are an institution in New Orleans. They maintain a presence through Ursuline Academy, a private school for girls in the city. It is maintained as the oldest, continuously operating school for girls in the United States.
