This article examines the historical context of the growth and development of Catholic education in the United States, and the commitment of Catholic colleges and universities -- viewed primarily through the lens of Jesuit Colleges and Universities -- to the professional formation of educators for service in Catholic schools. It is a story of the careful navigation by strangers in a strange land to create an unparalleled system of educational institutions, securing academic recognition through accreditation, and providing service to the K-12 Catholic educational system through the delivery of distinctive professional formation programmes for Catholic school educators. These historical challenges continue to the present day and represent a particular mission-driven service of Catholic higher education to the Catholic Church.