Ramona Convent, Archdiocese’s Oldest All-Girls School, Celebrates 125 Years
About 500 alumnae, faculty, students and staff recently filled the gym of Ramona Convent Secondary School, the Archdiocese’s oldest Catholic all-girls school, for the 125th Anniversary Mass celebrated by Archbishop José Gomez.
“Ramona was originally founded to provide educational opportunities for the daughters of local farmers in the San Gabriel Valley,” said Sister Kathleen Callaway, President of Ramona, which serves girls grades 9-12. “While the San Gabriel Valley has changed, our mission of empowering young women through education has not changed.”
Following the Oct. 4 Mass, Archbishop Gomez blessed the school’s statue of Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, who founded the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. Attendees then enjoyed a reception featuring displays of Ramona’s history including pictures, videos, artifacts and graduation dresses from the past.
As the oldest Catholic all-girls school in the Archdiocese still operating in its original location in Alhambra, Ramona was founded in 1889 when the area was considered wilderness and the population of the Los Angeles basin was only about 50,000 people.
Since its founding, more than 7,300 young women have graduated from Ramona. Countless others have received part of their education here. More than 6,000 alumnae and past pupils still serve their communities worldwide.
The celebration was not only about the past, but of a commitment to carry forward the mission of the Sisters of the Holy Names to provide a quality Catholic education, relevant to the times to the young women enrolled at Ramona.
Upcoming 125th Anniversary events include a Women’s Symposium on Jan. 29, 2015 with Guest Speaker, Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of the Catholic social justice lobby NETWORK in Washington D.C. The 125th Anniversary Gala is set for April 5, 2015 at The Castaway in Burbank. For more information, call (626) 282-4151.
Ramona Convent Secondary School, 1701 West Ramona Road, Alhambra, (626) 282-4151 or visit www.ramonaconvent.org.
