Grand Rapids Dominican Motherhouse at Marywood

During the early 1900s, Sisters responded to the request to staff parish schools throughout Michigan. Some were small rural schools in outposts like Beaver Island and the Leelanau Peninsula. Others were in an urban setting, e.g., Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Two Academies were owned and operated by the Dominican Sisters. In 1896, Holy Rosary Academy for girls opened in Essexville; and Sacred Heart Academy for girls opened in 1900 in Grand Rapids.

In 1921, the cornerstone was laid for the Marywood Motherhouse at the intersection of Fulton Street and Lakeside Drive in Grand Rapids. Over the years, more than 1000 Sisters at a time have called this place home. Sacred Heart Academy moved to the Marywood campus in 1922 and was renamed Marywood Academy in 1925. Sacred Heart Academy, as all the other Michigan missions of the Dominican Sisters, evolved over the decades. The academy thrived and eventually the Sisters chose to expand again. They purchased land on Fulton Street east of downtown in 1917 and opened a new building in 1922. The new location was called Marywood in honor of the Virgin Mary and because of the beautiful woods at the spot. Eventually Sacred Heart Academy became known as Marywood Academy and remained open until 1989. In 2022, the building was sold for other uses. 

You can learn more about the history of the Congregation by visiting their StoryMap here.