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Ursuline Education

An Ursuline Education sets our students apart—they not only receive a premier academic experience, but they also learn about the values espoused by our patroness. Our students experience intellectual, spiritual, and social growth while in and out of the classroom. An SUA student is confident, empowered, and strong. She is a critical thinker who also understands with her heart. She is compassionate and loving, and she contributes to her community. She has a voice; she is a self-advocate. An SUA student embraces the world around her. 

Our History, Our Patroness: The Foundations of St. Ursula Academy  

St. Ursula was a Medieval-era saint who was martyred for her faith in the company of her companions. Her bravery was legendary; she was willing to die for her belief in God, showing her undying love, strength, and confidence in Him.

In the 1500s, St. Ursula was the inspiration for Angela Merici, a woman of faith who heard stories of the saint from her father. Angela founded the Ursuline Order in Brescia, Italy, and lived by the order’s motto, Soli Deo Gloria, “For the Glory of God Alone.” Everything Angela said or did reflected God’s glory. She and her companions dedicated their lives to educating young women.

In December 1854, four Ursuline nuns arrived in Toledo, Ohio, from neighboring Cleveland. Their mission was to educate children of all ages and grade levels, and soon 200 were enrolled in their small school on Cherry Street. 

Because of the school’s growing enrollment, the sisters needed a larger location. In 1905, St. Ursula Academy moved to a location on Collingwood Avenue in downtown Toledo.

As the school once again expanded, St. Ursula Academy moved to its current location on Indian Road in 1959. To further meet the needs of its students, SUA expanded its campus in 2000, adding four new classrooms, athletic offices, a state-of-the-art field house, a fitness center, and a dance studio. In 2018, the campus was redesigned to add a new science lab, a black box theatre, an updated dining commons, and a consolidated student services center.

A look at the St. Ursula Academy crest reveals the timeless connection of our current students to St. Angela Merici and St. Ursula. It incorporates symbols of the gifts of knowledge, education, faith, and friendship—which were all part of the values so dear to both women, as well as to our current faculty, staff, students, parents, and benefactors.