The site, which is about 20 minutes north of the present convent in Augusta, Georgia, will be in the city of North Augusta, South Carolina, if the sisters' petition is granted for the property to be incorporated, according to a July 14 press release.
In October 2008, the Episcopal Church-affiliated sisters announced that they would sell their properties in New York State and relocate all of the sisters to the Augusta convent. The move was planned as a temporary step, while they searched for a location in which to build a new convent and a new future, according to the release.
In October 2008, the Episcopal Church-affiliated sisters announced that they would sell their properties in New York State and relocate all of the sisters to the Augusta convent. The move was planned as a temporary step, while they searched for a location in which to build a new convent and a new future, according to the release.
"We have felt that God has been with us throughout this process," Sr. Ellen Francis said in the release. "Even though it has taken longer than we first expected to decide where we would ultimately settle, it seems to me that this is the place where God is calling us to be, to grow, and to thrive."
The Order of Saint Helena has served and ministered in the Augusta area since the 1960s, the release said, and the sisters "hoped to find a location that would be convenient for guests and for the ministries of the sisters, and also be a quiet and natural setting for retreat and contemplation."
Sr. Ellen Francis said that the new property has all of the qualities the sisters were looking for: a beautiful, wooded place close to a major highway, airport, and other facilities.
The sisters plan to design and build an energy-efficient convent that will house the sisters and provide hospitality for guests.
The decision to consolidate three houses into one was a difficult one, but necessary since the sisters had been facing increasingly serious budget deficits, as well as a shortage of "sister power" for ministry and running the order, the release said. Some sisters are aging and in need of special support, and at the same time the order is accepting new members.
"We need to provide a nourishing and supportive environment for our new sisters," said Sr. Ellen Francis, "and give all of the sisters hope for the future of our community and for religious life in the Episcopal Church."
The order has three new members, in addition to 16 life-professed members. Several women are in vocational discernment.
The Order of St. Helena was founded in 1945 and is dedicated to prayer, ministry, and service to the church. The sisters engage in guest ministry at the convent, spiritual direction, chaplaincy, parish ministry, writing and the arts, retreat leading, peacemaking and prayer.
Four years ago the order published The Saint Helena Breviary using expansive language. The monastic edition is designed for use in community settings for singing and praying Matins, the Midday Office, Vespers and Compline. A personal edition can be used by anyone to follow the calendar of prayer of the Episcopal Church as well as the daily hours of prayer of the sisters in the convent chapel.
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