The Missionaries of the Precious Blood are pleased to announce that for the first time since it opened its doors to lay residents in January 2007, Saint Charles Senior Living Community is fully occupied. With the rental of the last available unit, said Sr. Martha Bertke, C.PP.S., the manager of the apartments for seniors at Saint Charles, “we took down the sign on US 127 that said ‘apartments available now.’” She has initiated a waiting list for people who wish to make Saint Charles their home.
The Missionaries celebrate this milestone as a new chapter in St. Charles’ long history. A major remodeling project began in 2002, to convert the front portion of the former seminary, built in 1922, into senior apartments, both for Missionaries who had retired, and for lay people. Many Missionaries and volunteers spent countless hours in meetings and other planning sessions to see that project through to completion.
The first lay resident moved into Saint Charles in April 2007.
“This is a very exciting time for us,” said Sr. Martha, who became part of the St. Charles team in 2005. “The Missionaries had a great vision when they decided to make the changes to St. Charles. They had the dream of keeping the place and making it available to many.”
St. Charles has since become not only a home to C.PP.S. members, lay people and diocesan clergy, but a center for spirituality and the arts, as it has opened its doors for meetings, concerts and exhibitions.
The Missionaries are grateful to God and to all who have worked to make this day possible. They trust that God will continue to show them the best way to share St. Charles, in appreciation of the many gifts that God has shared with them.
