In 1833, five Irish women, Mary Frances Clarke, Margaret Mann, Rose O’Toole, Eliza Kelly and Catherin Byrne, left their homes in Dublin, Ireland, and made their way across the Atlantic to work at a convent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
These women were the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary or as they’re more commonly known, the BVM Sisters.
The BVM Sisters would relocate to Dubuque, Iowa in 1843. A century later, in 1943, three BVM sisters traveled southwest and established roots in the Arizona desert. They opened doors to what is now Xavier College Preparatory.
Xavier has continued to grow and expand from 11 students to a student body of over 1,000 students, under the leadership of BVM Sisters Joan Fitzgerald, Lynn Winsor and Joanie Nuckols.
The school’s mission is to educate “Women of faith pursuing excellence.” The iconic motto was coined by Fitzgerald. Faith is the overarching element of everything a Xavier student does, while education is something Fitzgerald believes women have a right to.
Besides faith and education, Xavier fosters a community that is kind and appreciative of one another. Every day, Winsor encourages the students, teachers and staff with “Let’s be friendly!”
To incoming students, Fitzgerald advises, “Everything is important. Start out serious about your studies but also get involved so that you create a community around yourself so that you want to come to school and find it fulfilling.”
Winsor wants all future students to know that “We are a welcoming, caring community.”
