For nearly a century, St. Joseph Heights has been a cherished home to the Sisters of Notre Dame, serving as a place of faith, service, and community. As part of a thoughtful and mission-driven transition, the Sisters of Notre Dame and St. Charles Community have reached a preliminary agreement that will expand St. Charles’ ministry to the Heights property.
St. Joseph Heights has always held a special place in the heart of Notre Dame Academy, as it served as the provincial center for the Sisters of Notre Dame, Covington. For generations, it was not only the home of the Sisters but also a place where NDA students and alumnae connected with them through prayer, mentorship, and service. The Heights has been a symbol of the Sisters’ dedication to Catholic education and their mission to empower young women.
With the Sisters’ transition to new living arrangements over the past two years, SND USA conducted a comprehensive study which determined that repurposing the historic building was not economically feasible. As a result, the Sisters have made the difficult decision to raze St. Joseph Heights this summer. While we know this decision was not made lightly the Sisters are committed to ensuring the property continues to serve their mission and the broader community through St. Charles’ expansion.
“The upkeep of such a large building, we felt, was not a good use of resources,” said Sr. Marla Monahan, SND, vicar for religious for the Diocese of Covington. “Ten years ago, Pope Francis declared the Year of Consecrated Life, and one of the things he said to religious communities is to look at your buildings and see how they need to be repurposed. For him and for us, it is always about how that can promote the mission—how it can serve the mission—because that is why we exist in the first place.”
Approaching the transition of the property with great care, the Sisters first explored potential opportunities for their ministries to repurpose the building. “We tried to see if there was a potential other use for the building,” Sr. Marla explained. “To be good stewards of resources, to keep the focus on mission, we first reached out to Notre Dame Academy to see if their future plans might include something of the property or building.”
Notre Dame Academy’s Board of Directors formed a committee to thoroughly evaluate the opportunity to acquire the property as presented by the Sisters. A comprehensive study, which included input from several experts, was undertaken and many scenarios were considered to determine if and how St. Joseph Heights could be utilized to further the mission of NDA. The committee, and subsequently the Board, ultimately came to the difficult conclusion that, while acquiring St. Joseph Heights would present NDA with many opportunities for growth and expansion, the financial requirements associated with either repurposing the current building or razing it and developing new structures, when combined with continued maintenance and expenses, were simply too costly for NDA to undertake at this time. Prioritizing fiscal responsibility, and with an emphasis on long term financial sustainability, NDA made the difficult decision not to acquire the property. The Sisters then turned to St. Charles Community, one of their other sponsored ministries, to explore how the property could continue serving a meaningful purpose in its ministry.
“All of us realize that the brick and mortar of this building holds beautiful memories, but we also want our mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame to go forward,” said Sr. Shauna Bankemper, SND. “If we can provide an environment for that mission to thrive, that’s what I think the future of this property is about.”
Notre Dame Academy is very happy that the SND USA ministry, St. Charles, is able to use the space where St. Joseph Heights stands to carry on their mission. We are grateful that the property remains within the Notre Dame family and will continue to be a place of care and service. It will be wonderful to have a multi-generational campus, creating new opportunities for our NDA community to serve and act as servant leaders to the residents of St. Charles Community.
Nichole Smith, executive director of St. Charles Community, emphasized the positive impact of this transition, stating, “This expansion will enable us to reach more seniors in desperate need of compassionate care and services while honoring and preserving the legacy of the Sisters of Notre Dame in this region.”
The Sisters of Notre Dame and St. Charles Community remain committed to thoughtful planning for the future. To read the full joint statement from SND and St. Charles, click here.
For questions or more information, please contact Margie Schnelle at mschnelle@sndusa.org or 859-392-8229.