Convent of the Sacred Heart

 

1853 -- 1960

The Convent of the Sacred Heart was the first Catholic school in St. Joseph. The “Academy of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart” received its charter from the Missouri legislature on December 13, 1855. The shining dome on top of the Convent became a St. Joseph landmark for captains of steamboats.
The Convent celebrated its centennial in 1953 with a two-week long observation. That same year the Sacred Heart order expressed to the bishop a desire to leave St. Joseph, but he declined their request. Nuns were needed to teach in their colleges and the order was having difficulty covering the difference in the cost between tuition and the actual cost to educate. In 1959 the Benedictine nuns agreed to open a new girls’ high school and the Convent was allowed to close. There were 60 girls in the last graduating class of 1960 -- the 104th commencement for the school.

The Convent of the Sacred Heart Alumnae Associaton remains strong today and holds an annual luncheon and other activities throughout the year. The Convent women are strong supporters of Bishop LeBlond High School.