Sisters of the Most Precious Blood Convent - O'Fallon, MO
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N 38° 48.722 W 090° 41.964
15S E 699750 N 4298432
Convent established in 1875 in O'Fallon, MO.
Waymark Code: WM4MJ4
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 09/07/2008
Views: 19
The Sisters of the Most Precious Blood settled in St. Louis and by 1873 they had established schools in eight different cities, one of which was O'Fallon. Two of the nuns, Sr. Camilla and Sr. Blanche, taught in O'Fallon and resided in a little log house, along with others who supervised the building of their permanent home. By June of 1875, the first convent building in O'Fallon was completed. Between 1885 and 1920, many additions and expansions were made to the facility. In 1925 a new chapel was begun, a building of extraordinary Gothic grandeur. Later, a Novitiate (residences and classrooms for the training of new sisters) was added. In 1878, a Normal School for Teachers was opened, and this was the future St. Mary's College of O'Fallon, which continued to educate area residents until 1988. St. Mary's College was well known for its exceptional nursing school. In 1964, St. Mary's Academy began as a small private Catholic high school for girls and it continued there until 1990.
For many years the primary ministries of the congregation continued to be education and the ecclesiastical arts. The liturgical movement which began to grow in the first half of the twentieth century greatly influenced the spirituality and ministries of the Sisters and found expression in music as well as art and education. The years after Vatican Council II, however, brought new needs and the Sisters expanded their ministries to include such areas of service as parish work, hospital chaplaincy, prison ministry, and care for the elderly. In old age or infirmity the Sisters continue to minister through prayerful presence and an offering of their suffering, giving a more visible witness to their contemplative roots.
More of the convents history can be found at:
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