For God so loved the world that He gave us his only Son

We love our Hanlon Hall. That’s why our students, Mother Joan Clare and all our Sisters are earnestly asking your help to make it a warm and welcoming place for the next generation of Academy students.

When I was a child, home and family life revolved around the kitchen or dining room table. Was it like that in your house, too? Meals enjoyed, discussions shared, physical and emotional nourishment received. Maybe this was also the place where you did your homework after school or following supper.

You and I were nurtured around our family tables, and as we grow older, we carry with us the memories of those conversations, as well as the lives and stories of those who have gone before us.

In our Motherhouse here in Baltic, CT one of our most cherished places is the dining room where generations of students and the Sisters who teach them have gathered for meals seven days a week since 1874. Can you imagine the tales those walls could tell about the 148 years of meals and lives shared in that room! Yes, it has a history of its own, and we love it.

Mother Mary James Hanlon, beloved principal of the Academy of the Holy Family. The students named the dining room in her honor to preserve her memory.

This part of our Motherhouse is so special to our Sisters and students that it even has a name, Hanlon Hall, in memory of a very beloved principal, Mother Mary James Hanlon, who tragically lost her life in a car accident in 1956.

I’m sure you can appreciate that this 148-year-old section of our Motherhouse, which hasn’t been updated in decades, has many
deficiencies and problems. It is sorely in need of repairs and renovations, starting with the two large columns supporting the three floors of the Motherhouse that are above this dining room. The windows are old and drafty. The three window air conditioners must be replaced, as well as the very old and worn floor tiles. And the heating system! It is so inadequate it should have been replaced a long, long time ago!

But we just don’t have the financial means required to take on this major project! So, on behalf of all our Sisters, I am appealing for your kindness, caring and generosity. Can we count on your support to help us accomplish this critical project? Your gift of whatever you can offer, will make a big difference in funding the repairs and renovations so terribly needed in Hanlon Hall, estimated to cost over
$145,000.

Our students come from many countries and cultures. Sister Kateri enjoys hearing their stories. Hanlon Hall is the perfect place.

Since 1874, besides being fed and nourished in Hanlon Hall, generations of our students have enjoyed conversations, shared and resolved struggles, and talked about life at the Academy of the Holy Family which is housed inside our Motherhouse. Today there are celebrations of foods from the many cultures who dwell under one roof here, graduation dinners, and everything in-between.

Hanlon Hall is also where the PreK – 8th grade children from St. Joseph’s Parish School next door, also staffed by the Sisters, come at noon to eat their sandwiches, salads, maybe mac and cheese, and the Academy’s high school sports teams even have their cook-out-eat-in barbecues after the last games of each season.

Just beyond the dining area is our ‘pantry’ where an undersized, overworked dishwasher limps along after each meal or event. But since there is no adequate barrier wall between the two areas, voices are raised while bread plates are being washed to serve as dessert dishes for the next course.

Still, we love our Hanlon Hall. That’s why our Sisters are earnestly requesting your help to make it a warm and welcoming place for the next generations
of Academy students and the Sisters who teach them. It won’t be the Ritz, but our very kind architect, who is donating his services, is working with us to make the vital changes that will upgrade and preserve Hanlon Hall at an affordable cost.

We are also very excited that a family who dearly loves the Sisters believes these improvements are so critical and important that they will match your donation, dollar-for-dollar, to ensure this project can be completed successfully. Your generous contribution, matched dollar-for-dollar, will ease the worries the Sisters are experiencing because we just can’t do this without your help.

After many discussions and much planning, our dream is to complete the needed repairs, renovations and upgrades in Hanlon Hall before the start of the August 2023 school year. But it is only through your generosity that this can happen.

We depend on you and ask you from our hearts to yours: please help us with your donation to take on this urgent and exciting project. May God reward you for whatever you can do.

Gratefully, in Mary, Mother of the Church,
Mother Marie Julie, SCMC
Superior General

Will you please help us accomplish the critical repairs and upgrades urgently needed in Hanlon Hall, the dining room within the Motherhouse where our Sister-teachers and their students have shared meals since 1874. That’s 148 years of A LOT of wear and tear! And remember, your faithful, generous support is so important to us that a family who are dear friends of the Sisters will match your donation dollar-for-dollar so that TOGETHER, we can raise the $145,000 needed to make this happen!xts

Help Us With Your Donation

“With Mary, our lives continually proclaim the greatness of the Lord and the joy experienced in rendering service to Him.”

Holy Rule

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