OLA - What is in a name?

What is in a name?

There have been many conversations regarding the name of the school – was it “Our Lady of the Angels” or “Our Lady of Angels?” The answer lies in the earliest yearbooks for OLA and the building itself.

The 1929 OLA yearbook, Domina Angelorum, specifically identifies the school as Our Lady of the Angels.

• The dedication reads as follows: “To Reverend Mother Clarissa of the Sisters of St. Francis, whose educational ideals, unfailing confidence in youth, and heroic courage have made Our Lady of the Angels High School a magnificent reality, The Class of `1929 gratefully dedicates the ‘Domina Angelorum.’”
  
  
• Senior Edna Mae Kirschman, Class of 1929, wrote a brief history of the school entitled “Our Lady of the Angels High School.” In it, she wrote the following: “All this was done before the new school received a name. Mother Clarissa requested His Grace [Most Reverend Archbishop John T. McNicholas] to provide a name for the new high school that was to serve his Archdiocese. He kindly responded by naming it ‘Our Lady of the Angels,’ a name dear to all Franciscans and especially dear to His Grace because of hallowed memories of inspiration received at the shrine of Our Lady of the Angels in Assisi.”

The 1930 OLA yearbook contains a brief history of where the name “Our Lady of the Angels” originated.

• “Among the places dear to the heart of every Franciscan is the shrine of Our Lady of the Angels. This shrine, situated in Assisi, is of ancient origin, dating as far back as the fourth century. It was built in honor of the Mother of God by four pious pilgrims from Jerusalem, during the Pontificate of Liberius (353-357). Shortly after the chapel was built, it became celebrated on account of the many graces received in it by the faithful, and for the frequent visits of the angels who hovered about singing the praises of Our Lady, hence the name ‘Our Lady of the Angels.’”
  
  
• “In the sixth century, St. Benedict took possession of the shrine. For seven centuries the gentle Benedictine Monks kept guardianship over the sacred spot, which in the course of the centuries had almost become a ruin. St. Francis must have held a singular attachment for the place, even from the earliest days of his conversion, for St. Mary of the Angels was one of the three churches that he was to rebuild.”

• “The little chapel stands just beneath the majestic cupola of the great Basilica which Pope Pius V. had raised over it in 1569. It was elevated to the rank of a Patriarchal Basilica by Pope Pius X. in 1909. He also confirmed to Our Lady of the Angels the title Mother Church of the Franciscan Order."

Interestingly, the OLA yearbooks from 1929 – 1937 refer to the high school as “Our Lady of the Angels.” In 1938, the “the” was dropped and the school was simply “Our Lady of Angels.”

Diplomas dating as far back as 1946 also refer to the school as “Our Lady of Angels High School” – no “the.” Likewise, official class photos dating as early as 1941 do not contain a “the” in the title of the school.

Why was the “the” not used in diplomas and official correspondence? We are not sure. However, the answer to the question of the correct title of the school lies in the building itself. The inscription above the main entranceway of the school clearly reads “Our Lady of the Angels High School.”