Mother Seton Academy (MSA) is an independent, tuition-free Catholic middle school in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

. Established in 1993, it serves students in grades 6 to 8 from underserved, low-income families. Named after Saint

Elizabeth Ann Seton Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (August 28, 1774 – January 4, 1821) was an American Catholic Church, Catholic religious and educator, known as a founder of the country's parochial school system. Born in New York and reared as an Episcopalian, she ...

, the founder of the first free Catholic school in the United States, MSA was created through a collaboration of six religious congregations within the

Archdiocese of Baltimore The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore () is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in northern and western Maryland in the United States. It is the metropolitan see of the Ecclesiastical Province of Baltimore. The Archd ...

School Sisters of Notre Dame School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide religious institute of Roman Catholic sisters founded in Bavaria in 1833 and devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and min ...

, Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia,

Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (; abbreviated DC), commonly called the Daughters of Charity or Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, is a society of apostolic life for women within the Catholic Church. ...

Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (I.H.M.) is a Catholicism, Catholic Religious institute (Catholic), religious institute of sisters, founded in 1845 by Fr. Louis Florent Gillet, Redemptorists, CSsR, and Mother Theresa Maxis D ...

Xaverian Brothers The Xaverian Brothers or Congregation of St. Francis Xavier are a Roman Catholic religious institute founded by Theodore James Ryken in Bruges, Belgium, in 1839 and named after Saint Francis Xavier. The institute is dedicated to education. His ...

, and the

Society of Mary (Marianists) The Society of Mary (, abbreviated S.M.) is a clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men ( brothers and priests) commonly known as the Marianists or Marianist Brothers and Priests. Members append the post-nominal letters "S.M ...

. Operating under the NativityMiguel model, the academy emphasizes academic excellence, personal growth, and leadership development in a multicultural environment. With a current enrollment of about 80 students, the academy maintains small class sizes and offers extracurricular activities such as art, music, sports, and community service. All students receive full scholarships. MSA's Graduate Support Program provides ongoing assistance to alumni, helping them succeed in high school and higher education.

History

Early years

Mother Seton Academy began in 1993 in a building at St. Patrick’s Church in East Baltimore. Initially, the school served 20 students with a staff of six and featured an extended school day and year. In 1994, it relocated to a larger space at the former convent of St. Stanislaus Parish in Fell’s Point, adding a seventh grade and doubling its enrollment. In 2003, trustees of MSA explored starting a capital fund to purchase the location on South Ann Street.

Collaborations

The school has benefited from collaborations with organizations and community members. The school has worked with

AmeriCorps AmeriCorps ( ; officially the Corporation for National and Community Service or CNCS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in ...

volunteers. The

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore () is the archdiocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in northern and western Maryland in the United States. It is the metropolitan see of the Ecclesiastical Province of Baltimore. The Archd ...

has helped raise funding for the MSA. In 1997, Rafael Alvarez and

David Simon David Judah Simon (born February 9, 1960) is an American author, journalist, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work on ''The Wire'' (2002–2008). He worked for ''The Baltimore Sun'' City Desk for twelve years (1982–1995), wrote '' ...

hosted readings of their books to benefit MSA. In 1999, The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation provided a grant that allowed the school to set up a free band program. In 1999, Corpus Christi Community Center worked with MSA to set up an after school tutoring program.

Current location and expansion

In 2006, Sister Charmaine Krohe became president of MSA. Since 2009, the academy has been located at 2215 Greenmount Avenue after purchasing and renovating the former St. Ann School.

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

owner

Steve Bisciotti Stephen J. Bisciotti (; born April 10, 1960) is an American business executive and the current majority owner of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He founded Aerotek, the largest privately owned staffing and recruiting ...

and other donors funded the purchase and renovation of the new location. In 2019, the school added a new gymnasium. Jeremy Freeman, the director of men's basketball operations for

Holy Cross Crusaders The Holy Cross Crusaders are the athletic teams representing the College of the Holy Cross. They compete in NCAA Division I, primarily as members of the Patriot League. In ice hockey, a sport not sponsored by the Patriot League for either sex, th ...

, coached basketball at MSA.

Awards

In 2002, MSA was awarded the Milch Award by

Loyola University Maryland Loyola University Maryland is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Baltimore, Maryland. Established as Loyola College in Maryland by John Early (educator), John Early and eight other members of the Society of Je ...

for its service to the community.{{Cite web , date=May 19, 2002 , title=Diplomat addresses Loyola grads , url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/248479390/?match=1&terms=%22mother%20seton%20academy%22 , access-date=2024-11-16 , website=Baltimore Sun via Newspapers.com , language=en

References

1993 establishments in Maryland Educational institutions established in 1993 Private schools in Baltimore Preparatory schools in Maryland Catholic middle schools in the United States