God's Own Frontier #[nn]

In 1804, Father Charles Nerinckx arrived in Kentucky and laid the foundation for the Sisters of Loretto, a legacy that would grow across the frontier. Mary Rhodes, Christine Stuart, and Nancy Havern answered the call, becoming the first to join the order and opening a school that would become a beacon of education in Missouri, Kansas, and New Mexico. In 1962, as the Sisters celebrated their 150th anniversary, Bishop Lamy reflected on their enduring mission—rooted in faith, service, and the quiet strength of women who shaped communities on the edge of the known world.

The Johnson family visits the Chapel of the Sisters of Loretto in Santa Fe, where Mother Magdalen shares the story of the chapel’s remarkable spiral staircase—crafted by a mysterious carpenter, some say Saint Joseph himself—leaving the family in quiet wonder.