Today, I embark on my 14th year of homeschooling. I’ve graduated my two oldest, so now, it’s just my big dude and me. Fourth grade, here we come!
So, I thought for the start of the school year, I’d share a bit of history about this abandoned convent and school behind me.
In 1907, Father Rice from Scotland was ordained and was sent here, to Montgomery, Alabama, to serve the African American community. He built St. John the Baptist Church and it was completed in 1914. He also wanted a school next door.
So, he asked the would-be St. Katherine Drexel for help. She sent two sisters from her order—The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. That’s how the convent and school behind me was established.
Sadly, after 70 years of service, the convent had to close its doors in the 1990s, because of dwindling numbers and no “replacements for the aging sisters.”
As I walked around the building, it was evident that it’s been abandoned for a long time. I looked through a broken window and the paint on the walls has peeled, trash is strewn everywhere, and wooden beams lie around.
Because I have a wild imagination, I could see in my mind what it once looked like filled with Sisters and children. I could hear the ghosts of their voices as they probably recited their Baltimore Catechism answers.
“What is the purpose of this life?”
It’s always a little sad when you see buildings like this, but I’m reminded that life is always changing and we must learn to trust in God and adapt to each new situation while maintaining the integrity of our faith.
My homeschooling journey began when my girls were little and I had no idea what I was doing. Now, I’m a seasoned homeschooling mom with two kids out of the house and one still with me. Each year, I have to learn to adjust.
The most important thing is that we never stop learning about our beautiful Catholic Faith, Catholic Pilgrims. Whether your kids are still in school, they just graduated, or it’s been years since you’ve had kids in school, it’s important that YOU continue to learn about our Faith.
Have a blessed Monday.
