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        Our School        

History

Mount Merici Academy: In the Ursuline Tradition Since 1911

Mount Merici Academy has a long and distinguished history of providing quality education to children and families in central Maine and beyond our borders. The year 2011 marks our 100th anniversary of our proud Ursuline tradition in the city of Waterville.

The Beginning of the Ursuline Tradition in Waterville

The beginning of the Ursuline ministry in Maine began in 1888, with the advent of a small group of six Ursuline Sisters who volunteered to come to Waterville in response to the appeal of Father Narcisse Charland. Father Charland was in charge of the Parish of Waterville which, at that time, was the home of some 4,000 Catholics, the majority of whom were Canadian-born.  Father unceasingly pleaded for Sisters from Canadian religious communities to come to Waterville to educate the children of the parish.  His fervent appeal fired the zeal of a 42-year old Ursuline from Three-Rivers, Mother Marie du Sacre Coeur.

Mother Marie du Sacre Coeur, the first to volunteer for the Waterville mission, was assigned to lead the group. They arrived in Waterville on March 9, 1888 and were enthusiastically received by Catholics and Protestants alike.  On March 11, just two days after their arrival, after an announcement at Mass that Catechism classes would begin at two o'clock that afternoon; 305 children presented themselves at the Sisters' door. On the third day, the Sisters opened a school with limited facilities, and classes were organized according to the Franco American school system.  The Canadian Sisters taught the lessons and soon after, some 400 children were receiving instruction. 

The Growth of Ursuline Education

Under the leadership of Mother Marie, the Ursulines devoted themselves entirely to needs of families in the Waterville community. Their mission here was just the beginning. Tragically, however, having developed pneumonia while in Augusta to open a school in St. Augustine Parish, Mother Marie died in February, 1893 at the age of 46. The entire city of Waterville mourned the untimely death of this courageous and faith-filled woman.

The Ursuline community, however continued to grow, and shortly after the turn of the century, the Sisters gave proof of their faith and courage in responding to the many requests of foundations in various areas of the Diocese of Portland. In Waterviille, St. Francis de Sales Parish remained the Ursuline Motherhouse until 1911 when Mount Merici became the Motherhouse, administration center and home to all Maine Ursulines during the vacation months.

The Creation of Mount Merici Academy

In 1911, property was purchased on Upper Western Avenue for a new school. The new location was proudly named Mount Merici Academy after Foundress of the Ursulines, Saint Angela Merici. Mount Merici was originally a boarding school with nearly all of its students being from out of town. In its early years, the school housed as many as 125 students of all ages in any one year.

In 1920, day students were accepted with the understanding that in order to receive a high school diploma, twelfth year students would spend the year in residence. In 1951, a change in policy regarding those students was made. Seniors were allowed to finish their education as day students.  This decision acted as a catalyst and resulted in an influx of students from neighboring cities and towns—a tradition that has continued over 100 years.

Mount Merici Academy Today

The one Ursuline school in Maine that has survived and retains its vitality today is Mount Merici Academy.  We have experienced many changes throughout the years, beginning as a boarding school, later accepting day students, expanding our facility to accommodate a steadily growing school population and serving as an all-girl Catholic high school and later a co-ed elementary school through grade 8.

Today, Mount Merici Academy remains a private, co-educational Ursuline Catholic elementary school. We offer programs for children ages 3 and 4 in Nursery School, a half-day Pre-Kindergarten program for up to 30 students, and exceptional educational programs for students Kindergarten through Grade 6. As such, it is unique in the Diocese of Portland as it is governed by a lay Board of Directors under the guidance of The Ursuline Sisters of the Northeast Province. Mount Merici is a school that is geared to the needs of a growing world by educating young people to live spiritually, intellectually, and socially.

The school is fully administered and staffed by a dedicated lay principal and Maine State Certified faculty, whose dedication today keep the Ursuline spirit alive through the offering of Christian-centered programs of academic excellence.

The mission of Mount Merici Academy is proudly still today what the Ursuline educational philosophy has been throughout the centuries: "the full development of each child's God-given potentials of intellect, will, and heart...the formation of the whole person."

We are honored to continue their mission by educating students in the proud Ursuline tradition.

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