TRADITIONS & EVENTS
Traditions at Our Lady Academy play a vital role in shaping the school’s identity and fostering a strong sense of community. As the only all-girls Catholic high school on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Our Lady Academy places special emphasis on cultivating values such as faith, service, sisterhood, and academic excellence. These values are brought to life through the school's time-honored traditions, which connect students not only to each other, but also to generations of alumnae who have walked the same halls and share the same legacy.
From Big Sister Little Sister as a freshman to cherished events like May Crowning and Ring Day , OLA traditions provide meaningful opportunities for students to deepen their faith and build lasting friendships, while marking key moments in a student's journey. These moments serve as touchstones in the high school journey, creating memories that students carry well beyond graduation. Each tradition reflects the school’s mission to nurture the whole person—spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and socially.
Moreover, these traditions help strengthen the bond between past and present. Alumnae often return to participate in or support OLA events, creating a powerful sense of continuity and legacy. In a world that is constantly changing, the traditions at Our Lady Academy offer a sense of grounding, reminding students of their shared values and the enduring strength of their community. Through these rituals, OLA fosters not just an education, but a lifelong sisterhood rooted in faith, excellence, and love.
BIG SISTER LITTLE SISTER
The Big Sister–Little Sister tradition at Our Lady Academy is a beloved part of campus life that fosters friendship, mentorship, and a deep sense of community between the senior and freshman classes. This special bond begins with a much-anticipated Big Reveal, where each freshman discovers the identity of her senior “Big Sister.” This joyful moment marks the start of a yearlong connection built on encouragement, support, and shared experiences.
Through this tradition, seniors take on the role of mentors—offering a steady shoulder, a listening ear, and a caring heart to guide their Little Sisters through the early years of high school. It is a relationship built on mutual respect, understanding, and shared experience, where younger students find encouragement and comfort in the wisdom and strength of those who have walked the path before them.
The Big Sister–Little Sister tradition beautifully reflects the spirit of Our Lady Academy: one of compassion, leadership, and deep connection among students. It serves as a reminder that no one walks their journey alone, and that the bonds formed here are lasting ones, rooted in love and support.
MERCY DAY
Mercy Day is one of the most meaningful and cherished traditions of the school year. Celebrated each September, Mercy Day honors the legacy of Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, whose mission of compassion, education, and service continues to inspire the values at the heart of OLA. This special day is a time for students, faculty, and staff to come together in faith and reflection, celebrating the Mercy heritage that forms the foundation of the school’s identity.
The day typically begins with a school-wide prayer service, offering a time to reflect on the life and mission of Catherine McAuley and how her vision continues to shape the OLA community. Alumnae often take part in readings, music, and symbolic ceremonies that emphasize the importance of mercy, justice, and service in everyday life. With a school-wide and alumnae tea party to follow, Catherine McAuley's belief in tea symbolizing comfort, community, and care lives on! Students are split into sisterhoods at the beginning of their OLA career, Diversity, Justice, Stewardship, Hospitality, Integrity and Compassion, and Respect and Dignity. These sisterhoods come to life Mercy Day with the chance to celebrate with students with different interests, involvement, and grades.
Mercy Day is more than a celebration; it’s a powerful reminder of OLA’s mission and the enduring call to lead lives of compassion, leadership, and love.
INTRAMURALS
This beloved OLA tradition has grown over more than 50 years into one of the most anticipated events of the school year. Intramurals is a class-based competition where each grade works together to create a themed performance—complete with costumes, props, a backdrop, a banner, and a choreographed dance. These performances are presented before a panel of alumnae judges, with classes competing for the coveted 1st Place title.
Spectators travel from near and far to witness the creativity and teamwork on display during this dynamic student production. Each class is given two weeks to develop and perfect a five-minute themed performance. The event is judged across multiple categories: originality, costumes, banner, props, dance, and spirit. All costumes and props are handcrafted using everyday materials, and students rehearse secretly on weekends and after school to maintain the surprise element leading up to the big day.
“The object of Intramurals is to unite the students as a class and afford them the opportunity to work as a team. There are many elements that go into this production, and all must be accomplished in just two weeks. This is the most sought-after title our students compete for each year. The award for Best Class Production is undoubtedly the highest honor a class can win,”
— Mrs. Theresa St. Mary, Intramural Chairperson
Intramurals is more than a competition—it's a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and Crescent spirit.
MAY CROWNING
This beloved OLA tradition has grown over more than 50 years into one of the most anticipated events of the school year. Intramurals is a class-based competition where each grade works together to create a themed performance—complete with costumes, props, a backdrop, a banner, and a choreographed dance. These performances are presented before a panel of alumnae judges, with classes competing for the coveted 1st Place title.
Spectators travel from near and far to witness the creativity and teamwork on display during this dynamic student production.
Each class is given two weeks to develop and perfect a five-minute themed performance. The event is judged across multiple categories: originality, costumes, banner, props, dance, and spirit. All costumes and props are handcrafted using everyday materials, and students rehearse secretly on weekends and after school to maintain the surprise element leading up to the big day.
RING CEREMONY
At Our Lady Academy, the Ring Ceremony is a cherished tradition that symbolizes the passing of leadership, responsibility, and sisterhood from the senior class to the juniors. More than just receiving a ring, this meaningful event marks a pivotal moment in each student’s journey—when the juniors step into their new roles as leaders of the school, guided by the example of those who came before them.
During the ceremony, seniors present the class rings to the juniors in a heartfelt exchange that honors the bonds formed through shared experiences, faith, and academic growth. With each ring passed, the seniors offer encouragement and wisdom, entrusting the juniors with the values and spirit that define Our Lady Academy. This ritual reflects the strength of our school community and the enduring legacy that each class leaves behind.
The Ring Ceremony serves not only as a rite of passage but also as a reminder of the responsibility to lead with compassion, integrity, and grace. As the juniors accept their rings, they commit to upholding the traditions of Our Lady Academy and to nurturing the underclassmen who will one day follow in their footsteps. It is a powerful celebration of unity, mentorship, and the ever-growing circle of OLA sisterhood.