Founded in 1847, Saint Francis College is the oldest Franciscan college in the United States, not to mention one of the oldest Catholic colleges nationwide. A century and a half ago, its founders, six Franciscan friars, came to Loretto to establish a school with "the threefold educational purposeof spiritual guidance, formal schooling, and community service." Today, the college is continuing its Franciscan mission, renewing and rebuilding the community of Saint Francis College in hopes of providing a spiritually rewarding education.