Demolition of Tiffin convent to follow July 17 auction |
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Written by LAURIE STEVENS BERTKE, Chronicle Writer
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Tuesday, 13 July 2010 00:00 |
TIFFIN—Moving forward with a plan the community approved last summer, the Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin are to begin demolition on two large sections of the convent on their motherhouse grounds next week.
Members of the community voted last July to raze the buildings in an effort to reduce maintenance costs and redirect those resources toward ministry, according to Tiffin Franciscan Sister Jacquelyn Doepker, the community minister.
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| The Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin are demolishing the portions of the convent located east of the archway on their campus, including this section that was built in 1905. (Chronicle photo by Laurie Stevens Bertke) |
“Our focus is on mission and ministry,” explains Sr. Doepker. “Resources that we were using for these buildings can then be helpful in terms of our ministry, especially where our sisters are working with the poor and don’t receive a salary. The only way we can maintain those is if we’re not spending too much on our grounds here at the motherhouse.”
Slated for demolition are two four-story sections of the convent that were built in 1905 and 1950. These comprise about two-thirds of the motherhouse buildings, according to Tiffin Franciscan Sister Diane Mueller, the motherhouse administrator and project director.
Offices that were located in those buildings have been moved into the oldest section of the motherhouse, which was built in 1871 and includes the sisters’ chapel. This portion of the convent is to remain standing and its front entrance is to be revamped to improve its accessibility and visibility after the other buildings are razed.
The new, ground-level entrance is to incorporate a stone sign from one of the convent’s old entrances, which bears the Latin words, “Deus Noster Refugium Et Virtus.” Sr. Mueller explains the phrase translates to, “God is our refuge and our strength,” which has been a theme for the community.
The remaining portion of the convent is to house the community’s administrative offices as well as residential space for up to 14 sisters. Currently there are no plans to rebuild on the site of the sections that are to be torn down, which are located near the cemetery and grotto on the sisters’ campus.
“We do hope to keep it a contemplative space,” says Sr. Doepker.
The community has been studying its buildings for several years, and Sr. Doepker says an “overwhelming majority” of the sisters voted in favor of the demolition to free more resources for mission and ministry.
“Looking at the needs of the sisters, especially residential needs and office needs, we really don’t need all the space that we have,” says Sr. Doepker. “And we have a number of large buildings that are inefficient, and even though they are still stable, we don’t need them.”
The community explored the possibility of renting or leasing the buildings to another entity, but was unable to find a partner that was interested in using the space, which was mostly residential.
“At one point, we had enough beds here to house 100 sisters,” says Sr. Mueller. In more recent years, about 25 sisters were still living in the sections of the convent that are to be razed. During the past year and a half, they have gradually moved into other housing on the motherhouse grounds.
 The sisters have also redistributed some of the fixtures, furnishings and appliances from these buildings around their campus, which includes the St. Francis Spirituality Center, the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center and the nursing home, villas and apartments affiliated with St. Francis Senior Ministries.
Remaining items are to be sold at a public auction this Saturday, July 17 beginning at 10 a.m.
Sr. Doepker says the sisters originally planned to have a large garage sale, but an antique dealer advised them that an auction would be more appropriate.
Pieces for sale include antique furnishings, household goods, religious artwork and statues, and a decorative oak stairway banister. More details on these and other items that are to be sold are available at www.ucwaltonauctionco.com/property.aspx?item=07710&agency=34050.
Asbestos removal is to begin the Monday following the auction and should take about three and a half weeks, Sr. Mueller says. The sisters hope to complete the demolition and have the front side of the main building enclosed by winter so they can finish interior renovations during the colder months of the year.
Sr. Doepker notes the sisters contracted a demolition company that will recycle as much of the building material as possible.
“It will be a big savings to us, not to need to maintain those buildings, and we’ve consolidated what we need into a smaller space,” she says. “So we just feel that it’s good stewardship and it’s looking forward to the future, because with the diminishing number of sisters that are earning a salary, we really can’t afford to maintain buildings that we don’t really need.”
Originally founded in 1869 after the Civil War to care for orphans and the elderly, the Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin today have 102 vowed members serving in a variety of ministries including care of the elderly, parish ministry, health care, education, retreat work, home mission outreach and ministry in Chiapas and Cuernavaca, Mexico.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 July 2010 00:00 |
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