Photo by Kacie Fuselier

Final Mass Celebrated in Chapel

The Sisters of St. Joseph, joined by friends, faculty and students, celebrated their last daily mass in the Chapel at St. Joseph’s Academy on August 25. Monsignor William Greene was the celebrant and offered a special blessing for the Sisters moving from Mother Alice Hall into their new CSJ Retirement Center on Hundred Oaks and Parker, near the Catholic Life Center.

“Your presence will truly be missed, but we will strive to uphold your charism and be the example of Christ on this campus.” Mary Kathryn Romero '10

Fr. Greene, who has been saying daily mass for the Sisters for 10 years, called the day “wonderful though bittersweet,” and said the relocation of the Sisters was tinged with sadness but also joy, excitement and newness.

“Since 1868 in Baton Rouge, the Sisters have dedicated their lives to their various ministries,” Fr. Greene said. “We witness the developments that continue to unfold on this campus and in the other works of the Sisters, and we know that they are still going strong.”

SJA President Sr. Adele Lambert said that since 1964, Mother Alice Hall has been a comforting residence to a community of Sisters, including those displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It has also served as a welcoming place for visiting religious and special guests. The new address at 3134 Hundred Oaks will join the Kleinert Street address in the hearts and memories of all, Sr. Adele said.

Senior Mary Kathryn Romero, student body president, along with senior Lucie Calderon, vice president, presented the Sisters with baskets of thank-you letters from a grateful student body. “Over the years, you have been a great example of Christ to the students here,” Romero said. “Your presence will truly be missed, but we will strive to uphold your charism and be the example of Christ on this campus. … We are so very thankful for you and your gift, and we wish you the best of luck as you begin this new chapter of your lives.”

With the move of the Sisters from Mother Alice Hall, the building will undergo a second phase of renovations, completing the process which transforms the $6 million building from its original use as a residence and children’s home to strictly academic space. The Sisters will turn over the building to SJA, meaning the school will have complete access to every building on campus.

Principal Linda Fryoux Harvison said the gift of the use of Mother Alice Hall and the Chapel at St. Joseph’s Academy cannot be measured. She also bid an emotional farewell to the resident Sisters. “I promise that you are leaving this place in caring hands,” she said. “You have touched each of us with gentleness, joy and peace, and we will continue to work beside you to continue the mission of the Sisters and the school. We know where you are moving, and we will always be in touch. Your physical presence may not be here, but your legacy and spirit will always be in our hearts. You are our sacred thread.”

Sister Jane Aucoin, the Sisters’ archivist, is among those moving to the new retirement center. She has lived in Baton Rouge since being displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. “I am confident, excited and hopeful,” Sr. Jane said of the move. “I know that in moving many times in my life, it always works out. There is a beautiful saying in the African-American community: ‘God is never late.’ That is what I am counting on.”

Sister Marie Broussard is another Katrina evacuee who will be moving to Hundred Oaks. “I have very mixed feelings today,” she said. “Everyone has been so nice and so welcoming on this campus, so moving is certainly sad. But we will look forward to this new chapter.”

Sister Ursula Harelson taught chemistry and math at SJA for 35 years and lived in Mother Alice Hall during that time. “I feel as though I am leaving a part of me behind, a part of me I love very much,” Sr. Ursula said. “The new residence is lovely and wonderful, and they have certainly thought of everything to make the rest of the years of our lives easy and comfortable. It’s a new chapter, but it is a bittersweet day for me.”


Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director