About Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School was one of the pioneer schools on the reservation to incorporate Lakota studies as a vital part of the curriculum. This continues today to help students to develop as knowledgeable, spiritual, well-adjusted human beings.
And while Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School has been part of the Red Cloud Indian School system since 1931, our story begins 10 years before that.
In 1920, the first Catholic church of Porcupine was built across from a tiny general store in the village. In 1929, after the former mission chapel was converted into a schoolhouse, Our Lady of Lourdes grade school was founded by the "Blue Nuns" (the Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary). The Sisters of the Holy Humility of Mary ran the school for six years, but were later called back to their hometown of Cleveland. In 1937, four Sister of Notre Dame came from Omaha to run the school.
For four years, from 1942-1946, Our Lady of Lourdes was part of the public school system in the Porcupine District, taking students from small county schools that has closed.
In 1966, Our Lady of Lourdes was converted into a day school, which ran buses to and from the students' homes and operated much more closely with Red Cloud Indian School.