And then there were nun: Convents to close at O’Hara
MARPLE >> The sign “Welcome to our Home” is mounted near one of the convent doors on the Cardinal O’Hara High School campus.
The nuns will soon be asked to hang it by a new entranceway.
The four buildings were originally constructed for women religious serving the school, but the number of residents has diminished and few are still at O’Hara. As a result, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is planning to repurpose the complex into housing for international students attending its high schools.
“Over the course of many years, the demographic shifted,” said archdiocese Director of Communications Ken Gavin. “While all of the buildings are used to some degree by different orders, all are underutilized in terms of capacity that could be occupied.”
The decision is outlined in a prospectus created by the school. The operational master plan shows a $6 million investment will be made by the archdiocese, described as “market-leading” and designed to grow the school’s international student capacity, according to published reports.
The convent houses approximately 20 sisters — Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of St. Joseph and Sisters of St. Francis. The vast majority is not serving in ministerial or teaching capacities at the school and some have reached retirement age.
The plan will not begin until next year and will be conducted in a stepped process during a period of 36-48 months. Exact locations have not yet been determined, but the archdiocese intends to work closely with the superiors of all the affected orders to make certain appropriate accommodations within the bounds of the archdiocese are secured. The moves will be completed in close coordination with leadership from the various orders, said Gavin.
“While a transitional plan is going to be put in place, I need to be clear that the buildings are not being sold and that no one is moving out of an existing convent residence in the immediate future,” he added. “The first move will not take place until sometime in 2018.”
The decision has apparently come as a surprise to many within the school community and one person expressed disappointment in a letter to the Daily Times.
“The good sisters who live in the convent on the grounds of Cardinal O’Hara are being evicted to make room for international students who are paying to attend Catholic high school,” according to the author. “These sisters have given their lives to the church and now are being relocated for profit.”