September 22, 2014

Follow the bouncing ball…

Today’s Mission Moment is a bit of history.  As you know, the ribbon cutting and blessing of our expanded and newly renovated Maternity Program space will take place this Thursday (3:00 p.m.).  What you may not know is that our Maternity Program had its roots in a program called Villa Maria.  Villa Maria was formed by Catholic Charities in 1956 to take on care for “unwed mothers” previously carried by St. Anne’s Home, a Catholic agency that was not a part of Catholic Charities.  Villa Maria originally opened in a large home on Florissant Road owned by the Sisters of Divine Providence.  In 1972, that building was sold, and Villa Maria moved to a former convent building on the grounds of St. Philip Neri Parish.  In 1983, the agency made its first stop at 1340 Partridge, where it took over space previously used by Mercita Hall.  When a fire badly damaged that property in 1992, Villa Maria moved to the motherhouse of the Sisters of Divine Providence on Florissant Road.  When that property was subsequently sold, the program moved yet again, this time taking residence in the former convent building on the grounds of St. Francis De Sales Parish in 1996, where it remained for nearly two decades.  The rest, as they say is history.  Villa Maria was part of the 2006 merger that formed Good Shepherd, and Villa Maria simply became our Maternity Program.  Although the program “moved” last Thursday, its address didn’t change.  The look and feel of the program changed considerably, however, and our young women are delighted to be in their new space.  We look forward to blessing that space and showing it off on Thursday.

Hope to see you there, and God bless!

Michael