A group that last year sought to save the Institute of Notre Dame from closing, and later shifted to opening their own school to fill the gap left by the closure of the 173-year-old Catholic school, has announced a name and logo for that new school.
Saving IND Inc., the nonprofit formed by a group of IND alumnae and former faculty and staff, on Thursday said they expect to open the Marian Preparatory Academy in 2022.
Drena Fertetta, one of the leaders of Saving IND, explained that “Marian” refers to the “veneration of the Virgin Mary, our Mother.” Meanwhile, “Preparatory Academy” refers to the school’s goal of ensuring that “our girls are always fully prepared for the next phase of their lives” and that they are equipped with “a strong academic foundation, now and in the future.”
Saving IND also unveiled a logo for the academy: the school’s initials, “MPA,” in blue lettering, surrounded by white lilies, representing the Virgin Mary and purity.
“A lot of hard work and a lot of prayer went into the selection of this logo,” Fertetta said in a statement. “We feel it is the perfect representation of the mission, purpose, and values of the new school.”
Fertetta said the group will announce the location of the Marian Preparatory Academy “within the next 30 to 60 days” and they are looking at a 2022 opening date.
The Institute of Notre Dame closed at the end of June 2020, with officials citing declining enrollment and lack of funds.
Marian Preparatory Academy will not be directly affiliated with the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who resisted the group’s efforts to reopen the Institute at 901 Aisquith Street.
However, Saving IND officials said they plan to carry on traditions from the old school, blended with new visions.
“Is it going to be the same exact institution? No, it’s not,” Fertetta told Baltimore Fishbowl in May. “But the goal is to continue to be that level of empowerment, that level of engagement, and keeping traditions for years to come. I like to think of it as improving on what we had. Old traditions meet new ways, if you will.”
Saving IND will hold a bull and oyster roast on Oct. 22 from 7-11 p.m. at Superior Catering in Canton as a fundraiser for the Marian Preparatory Academy. Tickets can be purchased for $60 per person through Saving IND’s Facebook page and website.
It is a shame that the couldn’t use the old IND building. That neighborhood needs that school there.