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Motherhouse Statues Then and Now

 Meghan Lewallen

Walking around the beautiful grounds of the Motherhouse in St. Louis, one notices the lovely statues that are all around. I wanted to show what some of the statues once looked like and present a glimpse into history.

Blessed Virgin Mary

The beautiful Blessed Virgin Mary statue was used for many May Crownings attended by sisters and novices, as seen in the photo below from 1959. A May Crowning is a ritual celebrated every May in which a statue of Mary is crowned with a wreath of flowers.

Then

Black and white photo of sisters and novices of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet placing a flower wreath on a statue of Mary.
Sisters and novices at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Motherhouse using the Blessed Virgin Mary statue in a May Crowning ceremony in 1959.

Now

A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Motherhouse.
A present-day view of the Blessed Virgin Mary statue where it currently rests on the Motherhouse grounds.

St. Francis of Assisi

The Motherhouse also has a statue of St. Francis of Assisi that has been moved around the grounds. In the 1940s, the statue sat in a shrine south of the chapel. Today, the statue of St. Francis of Assisi adorns the back patio of the Motherhouse surrounded by beautiful flowers and landscaping.

Then

Black and white photo of a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Mother Pius Neenan, standing in front of the shrine of St. Francis of Assisi.
Mother Pius Neenan at the shrine of St. Francis of Assisi in the yard south of the chapel on the Motherhouse grounds, circa 1940s.

Now

The statue of St. Francis of Assisi on the back patio of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Motherhouse.
The statue of St. Francis of Assisi on the back patio of the Motherhouse creates a wonderful place for prayer and reflection.

I hope everyone who visits the Motherhouse takes the time to walk around and observe the scenic campus.

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The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet are a congregation of Catholic sisters. We, and those who share our charism and mission, are motivated in all things by our profound love of God and our dear neighbors. We seek to build communities and bridge divides between people. Since our first sisters gathered in 1650, our members have been called to “do all things of which women are capable.” The first sisters of our congregation arrived in St. Louis, Missouri in 1836, and we now have additional locations in St. Paul, Albany, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Japan and Peru. Today, we commit to respond boldly to injustice and dare to be prophetic.

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