‘Meaningful’ community living in the works

Young adult women looking for a meaningful alternative to living with their parents, sharing an overcrowded rental or an expensive, noisy college dorm may find what they’re looking for at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish in Springfield.

The Dominican Sisters of Springfield have announced they are opening a house of hospitality in the now-vacant parish convent on North Milton Avenue. Women ages 21-35 who are intentional about their faith and open to the adventure of learning about simple living with a focus on prayer and service are encouraged to consider “Cabrini House.”

“Our mission is inviting and welcoming young adult women to an intercultural experience of intentional living in a community of faith,” said Sister Mary Jean Traeger, OP, pastoral facilitator at St. Cabrini.

Intercultural, because of the Dominicans’ commitment to dismantling racism. “We can only permanently transform structural racism in our culture when we transform ourselves. We have women of color in our congregation — our sisters in Peru — but here in the U.S. we are all white women,” Sister Mary Jean explained. “Most of us have none to very little experience living interculturally. We’d like Cabrini House to be a place of exploration in that regard. We expect to learn as much as we are able to teach.”

“This is something we’ve dreamed of doing for many years,” said Sister Teresa Marron, OP. “When Sister Mary Jean was asked to serve at the parish and Sister Beth Murphy and I moved in to the parish house with her, we looked at the empty convent and said, ‘Oh! Maybe now is the time! Maybe this is the place!’”

The Dominicans and St. Cabrini parishioners are sharing the cost of making necessary repairs to the building. Bishop Thomas John Paprocki has given the approval. The next steps include seeking a zoning variance from the City of Springfield and for the Dominican congregation to determine which of their members have the gifts and the desire to move into the convent as anchors for the new community. “Two or three additional sisters will join the three already living in the parish house,” said Sister Rebecca Ann Gemma, OP, prioress general. “We are beginning a process of discernment to determine who they will be. By late spring or mid-summer we’ll be ready to receive four or five young women who will complete the community.”

“I’ve been awed by the speed at which we’ve been able to proceed,” said Sister Mary Jean. “The Holy Spirit is working with us, no doubt.” When the Dominicans decided to pursue the project they went first to the parish pastoral and finance councils to talk about the feasibility of repurposing the convent, vacant for a few years after having been rented to social service agencies for several years. “The councils encouraged us from the start and have been of great assistance in the process of readying the house for use as a residence again,” Sister Mary Jean said.

The Dominicans have also received some help from the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. When the Franciscans heard of the project they offered furnishings for the convent’s nine bedrooms, dining room, and living room. “Our Franciscan sisters’ assistance has been invaluable in moving the project forward because it’s relieved us of the burden of seeking out enough furniture for a virtually bare home,” Sister Mary Jean said. “We are grateful to them and to their employees who handled the logistics of furniture delivery.”

Women who are interested in applying for residence at Cabrini House can start with a conversation with one of the three sisters who live in the parish, or by sending an email inquiry to . Residents will be single women between the ages of 21-35 who are working and/or going to school, active in practicing their Christian faith, and able to pay reasonable rent and contribute to household expenses.

Sister Beth Murphy, OP, director of the Office for Communications of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, contributed to this article.