The Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy was founded as a parochial community by Msgr Johannes Zwijsen on November 23, 1832, at Tilburg in the Netherlands. It was his intention to "simply to “establish a school where poor children could be taught reading, writing, sewing, and knitting”. The community soon spread beyond the parish, and in 1874 was invited to open a school in the United States.
When the Sisters arrived they first established a grade school and a girls’ high school for day and resident students in the small mill town of Sprague, Connecticut, where the motherhouse is located.[2] In 1970, the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church, split off as a separate community and continue to operate HFA.
The Academy is approved by the State of Connecticut and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and colleges.[3] It is owned and operated by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church.[4]