Boutwells Landing, Good Shepherd Sisters a good blend
From left, Good Shepherd Sisters Ann Joseph Dye and Beverly Hedgecoth work on a jigsaw puzzle in the basement of their town home in Oak Park Heights. The sisters moved out of their convent and into the new town home within the last year. Photo by Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
By Julie Pfitzinger
For The Catholic Spirit
On a quiet street within Boutwells Landing, four contemplative nuns — all Sisters of the Good Shepherd — have found peace, contentment and prayerful solitude in a townhome tucked into the midst of this senior-living community in Oak Park Heights.
The three-bedroom home (one member of the group, Sister Teresita Mater, is here during the day but spends nights in the assisted-living section of Boutwells Landing for health reasons) is warm and filled with light, especially in the sunroom, which the sisters have transformed into a simple chapel.
The women — along with three apostolic members of the sisters’ community who live in another town home nearby and two others currently in the skilled care section of the senior development — arrived at Boutwells Landing last spring. (Six other sisters who also made the move have since died).
Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Judy Jewison, co-founder of REALM, a national company based in the Twin Cities that helps organizations come up with innovative elder care solutions, was contacted by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in late 2010, after it was decided their convent in North Oaks, where they had lived since 1969, would close.
“The convent had 125,000 square feet of space and fewer than 30 in residence,” said Sister Judy. “It had become unsustainable. It was time to take the next step; within the group of sisters, some were healthy, some required skilled care and some were in between, so we knew we needed to think about finding a continuing-care retirement community to meet all their needs.”
Seeking a shared vision
After researching a wide variety of places across the Twin Cities, knowing this is where the sisters wanted to remain, Sister Judy held a series of conversations with the sisters, asking them to share their vision for the future.
“It was important for the sisters to go through the process as opposed to having it done for them,” said Sister Judy. “It opened a space for acceptability and possibility.”
What soon emerged as the best possibility was Boutwells Landing, a senior living development that features town homes, apartments, assisted living, skilled care and memory care options. Owned by Presbyterian Homes and Services, residents come from a variety of faith backgrounds. While accepting an order of nuns might have seemed like “a leap of faith,” according to community relations director Holly Minners, the result has been a blessing all around.
“The sisters have blended so wonderfully — better than anyone could have imagined,” she said. “Having them here has been enriching not just for the sisters but for the community members as well.”
The response by Boutwells Landing has been tremendous, according to Sister Judy. They even converted a former office space in the Town Center into a eucharistic adoration chapel, adjacent to the assisted-living wing. Minners said they have noticed many residents visiting the chapel regularly. The Town Center also houses a large chapel — the sisters attend Mass with the residents each week.
Space for ministry, prayer, dog
Good Shepherd Sister Patricia Ann O’Sullivan pets Heidi, the dog the sisters brought to their new townhome from their convent. Photo by Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Another space in one of the building’s wings was converted for the sisters so they would be able to continue operating their Contemplative Bread Ministries. It’s a long-standing business for the sisters and while they no longer bake the Communion hosts, they distribute orders to churches across the country.
Sister Ann Joseph Dye, one of the contemplative nuns, works at the bread ministry along with Sister Beverly Hedgecoth. In addition to appreciating the fact that their new distribution center is all in one place and on street level (at the convent, the business was located in four rooms in the basement), Sister Ann Joseph is pleased with the reception the sisters have received from the Boutwells community.
“Our neighbors know we are contemplative. They have a deep respect for the fact that we are cloistered,” she said. As a Sister of the Good Shepherd for 60 years, Sister Ann Joseph “never thought” she’d move again, but believes Boutwells Landing was a good choice. She is also happy they found a place where they could bring their 10-year-old dog, Heidi.
Sister Teresita Mater, who has belonged to the order for 66 years, acknowledged that she felt uncertain about the move.
“We knew it would be a profound change,” she said. “The Lord just arranged it and everything is fine. I’ve been impressed from day one with the beautiful Christian spirit that pervades here. There is nothing here that impedes our contemplative life.”
In fact, they are finding even more opportunities to pray. According to Sister Patricia Ann O’Sullivan, the sisters spend time in prayer every day for each one of their neighbors on the block where they are living.
“We have a list of names,” said Sister Teresita. “It is a special thrill when we can add new ones to the list.”
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