Sisters of Charity announced in 2007 that their Motherhouse will be deconstructed. Sisters who had been living in the building have now moved to their new home in Caritas Residence.

Many items from the Motherhouse have been donated to churches and various nonprofit organizations. For example, the Casavant pipe organ is going to St. Agnes Parish; stained glass from the Chapel will go to St. Benedict Parish and Sacred Heart Boys School; auditorium seating has gone to Dartmouth Players, Evergreen Theatre in Margaretsville and the Yarmouth Regional Arts Council.

Other items will be sold at Public Auction:

Session 1: Thurs, Nov 20 – Sale 11 am. View Wed 3-5 pm
Includes large lot of commercial dinnerware, dining tables, stainless warming carts, coffee and tea urns, stainless prep tables, lockers, large commercial appliances, quantity of fridges, stoves, washers, dryers, deep freeze, stainless steel stacking shelves, linens, cutlery, commercial scrub buckets (several with wringers). Also computers, TVs, hundreds of other item such as baking, cooking, fans, fire extinguishers, serving carts and so much more.

Session 2: Sat, Nov 22 -- Sale 10 am. View Sat 8:30 - 10 am (Mount Saint Vincent Motherhouse)
You'll have a chance to purchase art, antiques, furniture, china, silver, even small stained glass panels and pews. A commercial auction will be held on Nov. 20.

Proceeds from the sale will help support the work of the Sisters here and internationally.

S. Donna Geernaert made the announcement on June 26, in a building update meeting with Sisters and staff at the Motherhouse. Sisters were asked for ideas about names for the new residence, and 50 suggestions were received from across the Congregation. The Congregational Leadership Team carefully considered all suggestions and made the decision at their most recent meeting.

The criteria for the choice were
a) we want to express continuity with our heritage and
b) we want a new identity specific to this moment in time.

S. Donna said, “we believe the name we've chosen serves us well for both. It makes a clear statement of who we are as a congregation, and who we wish to be.”

Caritas -- from Deus Caritas Est, inscribed on the official coat of arms for the Congregation -- is the link to the past. Though normally translated as “God is love”, caritas also translates to charity.

Caritas Residence will be easy for people to remember and identify, it will take away any confusion with the Mount Saint Vincent Motherhouse, and it's distinctive from any building names at the adjacent Mount Saint Vincent University.

S. Donna said, “it brings our roots and values into the present moment. And most importantly, it takes us into the future, here in Halifax, with a renewed focus on mission.”

“So in the new building, we will have Caritas Residence and the Sisters of Charity Centre, which includes Archives, the Heritage Room, Leadership Team and Congregational Administration offices.

The name for the new chapel has also been decided.

The chapel in the new Caritas Residence is designed to incorporate a number of the stained glass panels from the current chapel in the Motherhouse. The largest of these – and what will be a feature piece in the new chapel – is the large Immaculate Conception stained glass panel from the back of the current choir loft. It will be placed on the north side of the new chapel – and will represent the name of that chapel. The new chapel will be called the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, as the current one is, in the Motherhouse.

On the second floor of Caritas Residence will be another smaller, private chapel which will carry forward the Queen of Peace name from DePaul Hall. The beautiful stained glass panel of the cross and basin, that was specially made for DePaul, will be moved into the new Queen of Peace Chapel in Caritas Residence.

S. Donna also gave Sisters and staff a revised timeline. Because of the harsh winter conditions that faced construction crews, occupancy has been pushed back just a bit.

It's anticipated that the offices, archives and all associated with the Sisters of Charity Centre will move on or about October 7.

Sisters from the retirement residence in the Motherhouse will move on or about October 22. They will have a chance to settle in a bit, and then welcome residents from DePaul Hall on or about November 1.

Into December/January and beyond, there will be opportunities to celebrate with the dedication of the new Immaculate Conception Chapel and an Open House for many of our friends and supporters.

The tempo of the construction work has increased with the arrival of more favorable weather.

Each stage is now started and completed on the upper floors, working down to the first floor. It's also started on the side of the building closest to the Motherhouse, and then moves to the other side.

The grading of the site around the building is almost complete. Paving will start soon on portions of the new entrance roads and parking lots. The landscaping contractor has started to plant trees and grass in some areas.

Various committees -- including interior design for the residence and SC Centre, chapel design, and residence transition -- are meeting on a regular basis to complete the planning required for a smooth transition.

One year ago – on February 7, 2007 – ownership of the Motherhouse building reverted to the Sisters of Charity. That put the Congregation in a position to decide, once again, the future of the building and property.

The priority has always been to provide a user-friendly, purpose-built residence for retired Sisters in the area. The second priority was the Sisters of Charity Centre, which will provide space for the Archives, Heritage Room and administrative offices. A six-storey building is now under construction, which will include the residence and the Sisters of Charity Centre. Shannex was contracted to provide the new building, with occupancy expected by September 2008.

In late Fall 2007, expressions of interest were received regarding the Motherhouse building and the 6-8 acres of land on which it sits. Upon review of these, and other consultations, it has been decided that the most viable option involves deconstruction of the Motherhouse building.

The Sisters of Charity will now explore the best way to proceed, ensuring that the building is dismantled in a manner that is both environmentally sensitive and economically sound. The final stage will deal with the disposition of the remaining land.

Please visit the Motherhouse Project Archive for further information.

The chapel will have a capacity of 150, allowing for visitors from the broader community. Seating will be specially designed upholstered chairs for greatest flexibility and comfort. The chapel's orientation to the building, the furnishings and layout will all be conducive to a communal sense of prayer. The layout allows for a circular view of the altar, popular in modern churches and identified as a desire by many Sisters.

In order to ensure a sense of continuity as well as newness, a number of pieces from the current chapel will be moved to the new chapel. Entrance doors will be reused, and the stations of the cross may be. The large Immaculate Conception stained glass panel from the back of the current choir loft will be placed on the north side of the Chapel, and seven smaller stained glass sections from the back of the current chapel will go to the south and west sides.

The top three floors will accommodate Sisters living independently, and some who require Assisted Living. Each floor will provide community rooms complete with kitchen, and laundry facilities. A large activity room will also be available for all Sisters living in this residence.

All floors will have glassed-in sitting areas and balconies to take advantage of the beautiful views over the grounds and the Bedford Basin. A rooftop mezzanine will provide reception space for Sisters to share the view with small groups on special occasions.