Incarnate Word Academy, a Catholic college preparatory high school for young women, was established in 1873 by the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and the Blessed Sacrament. The religious order of the Sisters of Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament began in France in 1625. In 1853, at the request of Bishop Odin, the first bishop of Texas, the sisters came to the United States and settled in Brownsville, Texas. From that time on, additional foundations were made in Victoria and Corpus Christi, Texas.
In 1873, the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament began a foundation in Houston, Texas. The sisters arrived in Houston from Victoria on April 25, 1873 and moved into an abandoned Franciscan Monastery next to the old St. Vincent Church on Franklin Street. A chapel was erected on May 5, 1873. In November of that year, the sisters moved to 609 Crawford Street. Two months later, the sisters opened Incarnate Word Academy, Houston's first Catholic High School which has carried on its excellent tradition ever since.
In 1878, a state of Texas charter empowered Incarnate Word Academy to issue diplomas. Today, the Academy is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the Texas Catholic Conference Education Department. The Academy is also a member of the National Catholic Education Association.
Incarnate Word Academy, its governance and operation, is the direct reponsibility of the Congregation of the Sisters of Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. The Congregation appoints and authorizes the president and the principal of the school to carry out this responsibility. The Incarnate Word Academy Advisory Board assists in the continued growth of the school.
