Loreto Convent, Tara Hall belongs to the worldwide family of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called Loreto, which was founded by an English woman named Mary Ward, way back in the 16th century. Loreto Sisters and the Loreto Associates are involved in various ministries on every continent, carrying forward Mary Ward’s vision who saw Integrity, Justice, Freedom, and Love as essential qualities for any individual. She desired that girls specifically find their rightful place within the world and society within which they live, becoming people of reflection and discernment in making choices, and learning to “refer all things to God”. Mary Ward also emphasized the necessity for deep joy, or ‘felicity’.