Off one of Phoenix’s busiest downtown streets stands a striking but modest stucco house. The construction and aesthetic is typical of the Phoenix metropolitan area, but something about this structure is different. A few unexpected elements catch the eye. Above the front door hangs the crest of Xavier College Preparatory high school. Engraved in the entryway is the crest of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And parked in the driveway, a vehicle sports a personalized license plate that reads, “Sista.”

The BVM Sisters and their dog, Dixie, stand in front of the stained glass window in their new chapel, part of brand new convent that recently was constructed for them in Central Phoenix (submitted photo).

This house is a convent, constructed over that past year despite a national trend of convent closings, and residing here are Catholic Sisters from the order of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVMs) and order of the Sisters of Mercy. The women living here have shaped the history of Xavier College Preparatory, Phoenix’s only all-girls, private, Catholic high school, as well as other Catholic schools throughout Arizona. Established in 1943, Xavier has operated under the leadership and ministry of the BVMs for more than 65 years.

The Sisters chose architecture firm Davis to design and Opus West to construct the convent, one of only about 900 convents nationwide, which will serve as a home for eight Sisters as well as a gathering place for women of the religious community. Funded by donations from the Xavier, Catholic and Phoenix communities, construction of the convent began in the summer of 2007.

“It had the feel of a traditional barn-raising,” said Dr. Carol Crockett, Xavier director of Development and graduate of the school. “The Xavier community put its arms around this project and said, ‘Let’s do this and let’s do it right.’ In addition to the hundreds of financial gifts and gifts of material and labor, we received handwritten notes of support for the Sisters and the project. People gave it a high level of very personal, prayerful support.”

“The way the Xavier community has rallied around us has been an amazing and humbling experience,” said Sister Lynn Winsor, BVM, Xavier vice principal for Activities and Athletics and also a graduate. “We are overwhelmed by the support of parents, alumnae, students, faculty and friends, and we are truly blessed for the support we have received.”   

“In some initial conversations about plans, permits and construction, we met some people who didn’t even know what a convent was,” said Tom Roberts, president of Opus West. “To me, this just reinforced the need for and importance of the project. Sisters dedicate their lives to making our world a better place, reach out to those that society may sometimes ignore, and advocate for those whose voices are not heard.”

Tim DeMore, owner and president of Arizona Drywall Co., Inc. and Contractors Wholesale Supply, agrees. “Members of any community have the responsibility to support one another. As a member of the Xavier and Catholic communities, it is critical that we support those who have devoted their lives to God and to the Catholic education of young women in Arizona. What the Sisters do is extraordinary, and the new convent is a tribute to them and to nuns across the world who minister and live their faith each day.”

Although their ministry is global, including communities in Africa and South America, the BVMs are a uniquely American order. The founding Sisters of the order journeyed from Dublin, Ireland to New York to Philadelphia in 1833, and in 1853 accepted the invitation of Bishop Mathias Loras to come to his Diocese of Dubuque, Iowa.

This was the beginning of the Sisters’ movement westward—in 1936 the first BVM Sisters arrived in Phoenix to open St. Francis Xavier grade school. Within 10 years, the BVMs were at St. Agnes, St. Matthew, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Tempe, All Saints and Salpointe in Tucson. They’ve also served at St. Catherine, St. Theresa, St. Mark, St. Paul, Most Holy Trinity, Pope John XXIII, the Diocesan Office and St. Joseph’s Hospital. The Sisters have ministered to Xavier since its founding in 1943.

The completion of the convent coincides with a Jubilee Year celebrating the 175th anniversary of the BVM order. During a Xavier mass last fall celebrating the anniversary, Sister Joan Fitzgerald, BVM and principal of Xavier said, “The anniversary is a milestone in religious life and Catholic education. Our order was one of the first groups of religious women established in the United States. We have a strong commitment to Xavier, and we want to celebrate our devotion with the Xavier community. We give thanks to the community for allowing us the opportunity to fulfill our mission.”

But the Sisters aren’t the only ones giving thanks. Throughout the planning and construction phases of the convent, Xavier alumnae shared their memories of the Sisters and gave thanks for the Sisters’ contributions to the school. Laid in the path leading up to the convent is a mosaic of bricks, each brick engraved with a name or special saying. The bricks reflect the names of those who helped make construction of the house possible, lie in memory of family and friends who have passed away, and proclaim blessings and well wishes to a group of incredible women whose good work is exponentially far-reaching and, by their design, quiet and often unknown.

“Standing next to these bricks, in the shadow of our new home, I am simply overcome with gratitude,” said Sister Joan. “The Sisters of Charity, the Xavier community, and the Valley’s greater Catholic community are a family, and families take care of each other. Buildings and places are often an expression of the spiritual, and in this case, the spirit is tangibly strong.”