Villa Walsh Academy incorporates the spiritual and educational tradition of the Religious Teachers Filippini, our religious Community founded in 1692 in central Italy.
Religious Teachers of Filippini
This Community focuses its efforts on educating girls, assisting women and helping the needy. St. Lucy Filippini, a courageous young woman, along with Cardinal Marc Antonio Barbarigo began the religious Community to impact the families and thus her society, which neglected girls and women.
Following her example, the Sisters, in this Institute of consecrated life, dedicate themselves to forming young women who are prepared to make the teachings of Jesus and His Church relevant as they experience their true identity as daughters of God, and are thus empowered to be Jesus for others, in order to build a world where justice and peace prevail.
The Sisters are present in Italy, England, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Brazil, India, Albania as well as the United States. This Sisterhood, shared among the American Sisters who have been here since 1910, is one that the students also readily share in every country where they are present. It is a charism not only of the Institute but also of the young women whom they encounter and educate.
Villa Walsh Academy
Villa Walsh Junior College was established in 1948 and became Villa Walsh College in 1957 with the primary purpose of preparing religious educators. The moving force behind their preparation was Sr. Violetta Florio, M.P.F., a woman totally immersed in the training of these future teachers.
Renamed Villa Walsh Academy in 1967, 13 local lay girls were admitted as day students and joined the 11 aspirants who were already on campus. Under the leadership of its first principal, Sr. Elizabeth Parente, M.P.F., the Academy opened a new chapter in its history as a flourishing girls’ school.
After six years of devoted service, Sr. Elizabeth was reassigned. In 1973, Sr. Frances Lauretti, M.P.F., was named principal of the Academy. The very next year, Sr. Giacinta Basile, M.P.F. became the third principal. In the fall of 1976, Sr. Doris Lavinthal, M.P.F., the fourth principal, started the expansion of the Academy into a rigorous all-girls college preparatory Catholic school.
As the Academy continued to grow and develop, more classroom space was needed. In 1990, the construction of a 16-classroom building, Regina Pacis, started and eventually opened in 1993. In 1992, Sr. Doris Lavinthal was appointed Director of the Academy and Sr. Patricia Pompa, M.P.F. became the school’s fifth principal.
In the fall of 2013, the Sr. Doris Lavinthal Athletic Center opened. Dedicated to the beloved Sr. Doris, who was a passionate sports enthusiast, the state-of-the-art climate controlled gymnasium features a basketball/volleyball court, retractable bleachers, a yoga room and athletic offices.
In 2019, Sr. Patricia was elected Provincial Superior of the Province of St. Lucy and became responsible for the Filippini mission across the entire United States. In November 2019, the Academy named its sixth principal, Sr. Elaine Bebyn, M.P.F., who was elevated from Assistant Principal to Principal and leads the Academy to this day.
On September 15, 2023, located on the first floor of Mother Ninetta Hall, the state-of-the-art Sr. Patricia Pompa Library and Media Center was dedicated and blessed by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. At the dedication, Sister Patricia shared her desire that the next generation of students use the space to "read, research, and grow in faith."
