New St. Francis convent will be first in 58 years
Construction has begun on a new 3,200-square-foot convent for St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Bend . Hayden Homes, the parish community and numerous partners have come together to build the new convent, the first in Central Oregon in 58 years.
The new convent will be the residence of the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, who will be arriving from Texas to teach at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School beginning in the fall.
“St. Francis Church had an immediate housing need for the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco; as a local home builder that believes in building a strong community, we were proud to be a part of the solution,” said Dennis Murphy, CEO of Hayden Homes. “G enerosity has been rooted at Hayden Homes since our inception and the spirit of giving is at the core of who we are as a company. We are grateful St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School provides students in our community academic excellence while instilling the virtues that will guide them to be service minded leaders.”
The new convent will feature six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a chapel, two laundry rooms, kitchen, dining and living areas. Construction of the new convent began with a groundbreaking and blessing attended by Fr. Jose Thomas Mudakodiyil and Fr. Victor Meña as well as the Building Committee members: Dennis Murphy of Hayden Homes, Dan McLean of Tri-County Paving, Crystal Mooney, St. Francis School Principal and Kevin Link of SunWest Builders.
“We are grateful Hayden Homes, the Parish community and numerous partners have come together to ensure that the Salesian Sisters will have a new home as they join our community in Bend,” said Crystal Mooney, St. Francis School Principal. “Education is central to their charism and their presence will be most impactful to our students and families. Their order has been rooted in education and the Catholic Faith for 147 years; bringing their expertise and traditions to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School will deepen our 82 years of education in Bend.”
The convent is scheduled for completion in August.
