Incarnate Word Academy (Houston) - History

History

Less than a few miles from where the Allen Brothers landed along the banks of Buffalo Bayou to begin their “great city” in 1836, Mother M. Gabriel Dillon and two other members of the religious order of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament arrived just 37 years later in 1873.

At the time, Houston’s streets weren’t paved and most residents did not yet have electricity. In fact the entirety of the town encompassed what we now know as downtown Houston. While its population was only around 10,000 residents, its Catholic leaders were already seeing the need for a Catholic school to serve the youths in the region. These three Sisters arrived and began what is the oldest Catholic high school in Houston. Although they had no real resources to speak of when they arrived, the Sisters came with everything they would need to begin the Academy – a deep desire to spread the Word of God and educate young minds.

Over time the Sisters and their successors would help grow the school from temporary quarters on Franklin Street to a more permanent home on Crawford Street, which has seen many transitions and upgrades throughout the years. Today, much like the city it calls home, Incarnate Word Academy has grown into a shining example of what can happen when people are willing to work hard and dream big.

Regardless of the changes to the school and the community, the commitment to educate and build up young women as leaders on a strong foundation of Catholic values has not changed.