Holy Family University is an accredited Catholic, private, co-educational university. The University is under the patronage of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the model for all families. Through various activities and the curriculum, concerted efforts are made to deepen the students' awareness of the Holy Family and the modern family as an important social unit. Chartered in 1954, Holy Family boasts a vital history among colleges in the Philadelphia area. The founding of Holy Family College in 1954 by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth marked the culmination of an evolutionary cycle begun in 1934 with the opening of the Holy Family Teacher Training School. During the early years, the college functioned as an affiliate of the Catholic University of America.