After the former convent is made into dormitories for international students, it will be renamed St. Joseph Hall.  “It will be named in honor of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the order that was considered the founding order of John Carroll,” President Richard O’Hara said.  O’Hara proposed the name, and administrators and board members approved.

Nuns from the Sisters of St. Joseph worked in JC until about two years ago, when Sister Maryanne and Sister Bernard left the school, according to O’Hara.  The most recent board chair, Sister Mary Helen Beirne, was also a member of the order.  “[The Sisters of St. Joseph] have been connected with JC since the founding of the school,” O’Hara said.  The convent originally housed the Sisters of St. Joseph.

According to O’Hara, there will be a rededication ceremony and reception later this year.  Students will be encouraged to attend, as well as art teacher Michael Gaudreau’s uncle, the designer of the convent, and all of the sisters who served at JC.

“St. Joseph is a wonderful patron, and [the name] is something that means a lot in the history of the school and several generations of alumni,” O’Hara said.

Martha Schick is a Managing Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.