OUR LEGACY
The School of Brown County Ursulines
In 1845, Archbishop Purcell invited 11 Ursulines under the direction of Mother Julia Chatfield to come from Boulogne-sur Mer and Beaulieu, France to St. Martin in Brown County, Ohio to establish a school. The first three boarders arrived in October and classes were organized for local day students.
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The Brown County Ursuline Boarding School closed in 1981.
The Chatfield Edge
In 1958, the Sisters founded the Ursuline Teacher Training Institute to provide a quality liberal arts education to women joining the Ursuline Order. In 1971, the public was admitted and the school was renamed Chatfield College in honor of Sr. Julia Chatfield.
In January 2023, Chatfield college closed its doors as a 2-year private college and became The Chatfield Edge, a nonprofit agency focused on supporting postsecondary education attainment. The Chatfield Edge continues our legacy by providing education attainment services, academic scholarships, mentoring, and job readiness support to qualified first-generation and non-traditional students in Greater Cincinnati.
Hope Emergency Program
A Legacy of Hope for Hungry People
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Around 1975, Sr. Dorothy Thompson, OSU began collecting food and clothing for the poor. When her sister, Sr. Miriam Thompson, OSU took over the program, she used a corner of the basement in the Ursuline Chapel. After a few moves to different locations, Sr. Miriam settled in Fayetteville, Ohio at a former feed mill.
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Over the years, the number of families requesting help has grown. When Hope Emergency first opened its doors, there were less than 50 families per week who were asking for assistance.
Today, the weekly number has risen to an average of 265. It is located at 5333 Kernan Road between Lynchburg and St. Martin, Ohio.
The Archives
The history lives on through The Ursuline Archives, which preserves the art, artifacts, and stories of the Ursuline legacy.
Our goal is to honor this profound history by sharing it with the public through engaging programs, guided tours, and special events.
Through these initiatives, we continue to foster the values of education, history, and community, ensuring that the story of the Ursulines and their impact on Brown County and beyond is celebrated for generations to come.
