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Front of Motherhouse on St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida being tented. 

Since I entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1976, forty-three years ago this month, I cannot remember us ever having the Motherhouse or Our Lady of Lourdes Convents tented for termites.

Emptying houses full of Sisters is no easy task. Besides finding places for all the Sisters to stay, all the food and beverages and medicines and pillows in the houses had to be removed also. The kitchen, a separate building attached to the Motherhouse by a stairwell, also was tented. The maintenance building or workshop is being tented too.

Back of Our Lady of Lourdes Convent being tented for termites. 

Seventeen sisters moved out of the Motherhouse and about fifteen from Our Lady of Lourdes Convent. And this was immediately following ten of the Lourdes Convent sisters having moved into the Motherhouse during the Hurricane Dorian experience over Labor Day weekend and the weekdays following it. They moved into the Motherhouse since it has a generator and Lourdes Convent does not.


Another view of Motherhouse being tented. 

Living in Florida presents its challenges: hurricanes and termites among them. However, we have served the needs of the Dear Neighbor in Florida since 1866, 153 years, and taking care of each other and of our home is something we do as vowed Religious. Stewardship of our resources is part of living the vow of Poverty.

We hope to try to return to normalcy soon.




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