Teaching the Faith: Origins of Catholic Higher Education in Philadelphia

This exhibit explores the creation of Catholic institutions of higher learning in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Some institutions were created in response to the increase in the city's population following both the Industrial Revolution and European immigration. Later, as women were given the right to vote in 1920, institutions that had educated young girls expanded to include further instruction. Despite being created at various times, all were founded and continued to be connected to a religious order.

At the creation of these institutions, they only allowed one gender. However, as time went on and norms changed, these institutions became co-educational.

While this exhibit talks about Catholic institutions of higher learning in the Philadelphia area, some may ask themselves "Where is Manor College?" This exhibit was created with the archival records that are preserved by the CHRC, and our archive collects only records of the Roman Catholic rite. Since Manor College is affiliated with the Byzantine Ukrainian Sisters of Saint Basil the Great, information on Manor College would not be part of our collection policy.