School Profile

Located in the heart of Baltimore in the Johnston Square neighborhood, Saint Frances Academy is a leading urban American Catholic high school that provides educational excellence to students and remains engaged with and in support of the surrounding community. Saint Frances Academy provides relevant educational programs that serve as a basis for empowerment and provides a sense of culture by helping students and members of our community, particularly the poor and often neglected live as respectful and responsible members of God’s family. Established in 1828 by Mother Mary Lange – then Elizabeth Clarisse Lange (1784-1882), Saint Frances Academy is the oldest continuously operating, predominantly African American Catholic High School in the United States. She recognized the need for education for African American children and opened the school in her home in the Fells Point area of the city. The school was established with the mission to teach “children of color to read the Bible” – an act that was tremendously difficult during the era of American slavery. The institution continues to empower youth with the ability to overcome obstacles in the face of hopelessness. Today Saint Frances Academy offers a Catholic-education via a traditional co-educational, college-preparatory curriculum. The school currently serves students in grades nine through twelve. An honors program is available to select students and all students complete a community service component. Independently owned and operated by the Roman Catholic religious order of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, Saint Frances Academy is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education and is accredited by the Commission on Secondary Schools of the regional agency of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.