Open House Celebrates Dooley Center Renovation

The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica hosted their own home makeover unveiling on Sunday, April 15, with a gala open house in Dooley Center. The facility, which adjoins the original monastery building, was built in 1971, but was beginning to show its age. A large portion of the building is devoted to the care of the elder sisters and reflected the state of health care at that time. Now people are living longer, health care has advanced, and the technology in buildings is much different.

In the renovation, a hospital-like environment was made more homey and non-institutional. Nurse’s stations have been replaced by open desk areas,safety and monitoring devices include new electronics, dining and visiting areas have expanded, and each resident has new solid oak furniture handcrafted by Sister Elaine Fischer, assisted by other sisters. The new dining area, with its skylights and exterior wall of stone and glass, gives a roomy and cheerful eating space to Dooley residents who are unable to join the rest of the sisters in the monastery’s main dining room.

This is only one part of the building’s new look. When visitors approach the monastery, the changes are immediately apparent. The wall of the new dining room accents the front of the building. With a low wall of matching stone, there is a new entry, driveway, canopy and fountain. Large outside lamps from the former entrance have been moved there. Inside, the reception area has been expanded and beautified. A major feature is the presence of the marble statues of Saints Benedict and Scholastica. Just as they greeted visitors at the reception desk in the administration building, they will continue to welcome future generations of guests. An expanded gift shop offers items crafted by the sisters as well as other gift and religious items.

At the open house, sisters gave tours to the more than 200 visitors who came, and all assembled for a formal blessing ceremony. The sisters and guests moved through reception, dining, meeting, and living areas as Sister Anne Shepard led prayers appropriate to each place they stopped. The blessing was followed by a reception, and those attending received gifts of gratitude for their support: copies of the community’s history book “The Meaning of the Mountain,” CDs ofthe sisters’ choir singing Gregorian Chant, and balloons for the children.

The sisters were pleased with the response to the invitation and proudly shared their joy in the improvements to their home. Prioress Anne Shepard expressed the feelings of the sisters, saying, "The day of the rededication could not have turned out to be more beautiful. For more than two hours we had a steady stream of visitors touring the renovated spaces. Relatives of residents, friends, local health care providers and doctors, and donors walked the area and marveled at the simple, functional and beautiful space. Our sisters are so grateful for the guests who came and for the many people who made the changed spaces possible. The residents honestly believe their care is second to none."

Read Sister Anne's comments
View photographs and more photographs