“As the plans continue for our provinces to merge and our provincial headquarters to move to St. Louis in July 2011, we are planning to gradually turn three wings of St. Joseph’s Provincial
House into senior housing” according to  Sister Claire Debs.

Other highlight from the full press release…

• The Heritage Ministries, known as the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, will
always remain in Emmitsburg. In 2009, the shrine was awarded a grant from the
American Association of Museums. This grant enabled the Daughters to receive a
comprehensive report of strengths and recommendations compared to standards and best
practices. With this valuable information, the Daughters of Charity have initiated an
exploratory committee to research possibilities of growing and sustaining the shrine.
Currently, the Daughters of Charity subsidize over half of the shrine expenses. Plans are
being created for the shrine to become self-sustainable within the next five to ten years
with the support of benefactors and foundations.
• Alternative uses of the underutilized space within St. Joseph’s Provincial House,
especially in the area of services for seniors, are being considered. First, the current
retirement facility for the elderly Sisters, St. Vincent’s Care Center and Villa St. Michael,
will continue operating at its current location. Secondly, St. Catherine’s Nursing Center is
considering possible expansion in both nursing care and assisted living. Only minor
renovations would be needed to implement the growth. Finally, the Daughters are
working with Homes for America, a nonprofit housing development corporation, to offer
senior housing for both lay and religious community people.
• The four provinces of the Daughters of Charity each have their own archives department.
With Visioning of the Mission and the new plans for the building, the archives from each
location will move, expand, and become the archive headquarters for the new province in
2011.

“Although we are going through so much transition, the Daughters of Charity will always
live and work in Emmitsburg,” Sister Claire responds to a common question. “The sisters on
local missions such as Mother Seton School and Seton Outreach Center will reside in a
renovated wing of the building.”