“The move is a blessing. I look forward to connecting with more of our Sisters and to having more space to prepare for and provide spiritual direction.”
This architect’s rendering of the Monocacy Manor Convent Addition shows where it adjoins to the original, historic “White House” structure, marrying old with new in a space specially designed to meet our Sisters’ evolving needs and to enable them to continue to serve the community.
Help Our Sisters
Fund the Future
A new place to live … to pray … to continue to serve
An overhead view of the convent addition shows its position adjacent to the main White House residence.
The School Sisters of St. Francis have been a vital part of the Lehigh Valley’s community and spiritual life for nearly 80 years. We intend to be part of its future, as well.
As our devoted Sisters have aged and our ministries have evolved, so, too, have our needs. To allow our retired Sisters to age in place and to ensure that our younger Sisters remain in active ministry for as long as possible, we are building a long-term residential addition at Monocacy Manor in Bethlehem, Pa.
Our Sisters need YOUR help to complete this $2.78 million project.
We have been blessed with nearly half of the necessary funding to undertake essential renovations of the historic “White House,” as well as to begin construction of our new adjacent residence. These projects represent a significant investment in our future and greatly enhance our ability to continue to serve the community that we — and you — love.
Because you share our commitment to both preservation and progress, we respectfully ask for your help in completing this vital project. Your investment in our future is an investment in the future of our broader community.
Please consider lending your support.
DONATE ONLINE
With your credit card or Paypal account.
Mail Your Donation
Send checks payable to “School Sisters of St. Francis” to:
School Sisters of St. Francis
395 Bridle Path Road
Bethlehem PA 18017
If you are interested in naming opportunities within the new building or have a question about your donation,
please contact Sister Bonnie Kleinschuster at bkleinschuster@schoolsistersosf.org or 610-730-0957.
“For almost two-thirds of my life, I have lived at Monocacy Manor — my home! To know that my home will now be well suited for my special needs as I continue to deal with this aging process is a blessing and a comfort.”
A Legacy Lives On
Our Sisters have lived and served at Monocacy Manor since 1947. Our former St. Francis Academy thrived here for decades, as did our former St. Francis Center for Renewal. Monocacy Farm Project — a service ministry situated adjacent to our residence — is a vital part of the Lehigh Valley’s emergency food system and carries forth our mission to care for creation and cultivate healthy relationships among people of all faiths.
With our Sisters’ now experiencing both the blessings and challenges of elderhood, the time has come to provide a more suitable environment for them to age in place as they continue to serve the spiritual needs of the community. With 13 new bedrooms with private bathrooms and multi-purpose common areas, this addition to our convent makes that possible now and for the future.
Christian education has always been the cornerstone of ministerial life of the School Sisters of St. Francis. Since the close of St Francis Academy in 1987, various schools whose mission aligned with that of the Sisters have leased space in the buildings once home to SFA.
Now, the torch has been passed to St. John Chrysostom Academy (SJCA), an Orthodox Christian school that has been providing classical education to K-12 students since 2022. SJCA now needs the entirety of these buildings to accommodate its increasing enrollment. At the same time, another building on the property will be renovated and repurposed to accommodate ongoing spiritual and educational programming and our precious community archives.
Over these many years, we have been so very blessed — by the endless opportunities to serve, by the relationships we have cultivated and continually renew with our students and friends, and by the generosity of our benefactors. We remain deeply appreciative of your special part in our history and your continued support for our future.
“This new space is equipped to help us navigate safely as we age, and I am so grateful.”
Serving All of
God’s People
The charism of the School Sisters of St. Francis is intimate union with God in the midst of apostolic service. We are called to serve the poor and otherwise needy and to address the very real needs and social concerns of the times in which we live. Our vital ministries are the instruments by which we engage God’s people and meet their physical and spiritual needs. Our interior relationship with God and the external support of our friends help us to keep these ministries vital and relevant.
THE BLESSINGS OF
OUR NEW BUILDING
13 bedrooms with private baths
ADA compliant throughout
Dedicated Prayer Room
Library & Technology Room
Two spacious common areas,
each with kitchenette
Three-season room to “enjoy
the outdoors from indoors”
Modern Elevator
Dedicated Room for
Medical Staff & Records
Hairdressing Station
Additional Laundry Space
Indoor connector for easy movement to ‘White House’
St. Francis Academy students Ann Marie Janders, Kathleen Burkhardt, Dolores Mitko and Rosemary Weber work on a science experiment in 1961.
Sisters Marguerite Stewart and Ann Marie Yenca — both now in their 90s — stay spry by blending exercise with a little fun, such as this bean bag toss game.