By Owen Robertson, Co Editor in Chief
On Oct. 3 a joint announcement was made that The Benedictine Sisters of Florida and Saint Leo University have agreed to a real estate sale whereby the University is acquiring 37 acres of the
Benedictine Sisters’ land holdings, including the parcel with Holy Name Monastery, at 33201
State Road 52, in the town of Saint Leo.
The monastery parcel is directly adjacent to the west end of Saint Leo’s campus, and
its addition will permit expansion to accommodate enrollment growth. The acreage comprising
the purchase also includes parcels on the south side of State Road 52, directly across the
highway from the monastery. The Benedictine Sisters of Florida will construct a new
monastery on 40 acres they still own on the south side of State Road 52 at Wichers Road.
For the present, the Benedictine Sisters, a community of 16, will continue to occupy the existing Holy Name Monastery until their new monastery is completed. The building project is expected to take about two years and will include a fundraising effort.
Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees will begin considering how best to incorporate the new holdings as part of the update to the master plan for University Campus.
“This is a historic day for the Benedictine Sisters!” Sister Roberta Bailey, O.S.B., the prioress of Holy Name Monastery, said. “It is the result of five years of prayerful discernment, on-going consultation with our advisors at Zielinski Companies and many conversations with the administration at Saint Leo University. The current monastery building is actually our second home in our 123-year history in east Pasco County. We plant our roots deep and feel blessed that we can transplant ourselves across the street here near the university and in our hometown of Saint Leo. We are pleased that the land will remain in the ‘family’ and continue to be used for educational ministries that uphold the same Benedictine values that the Sisters espouse.”
Dr. Arthur F. Kirk, Jr., president of Saint Leo University, expressed gratitude for the ongoing relationship with the Benedictine Sisters.
“We have been so blessed to have the Sisters’ involvement in Saint Leo since our founding as the first Catholic college in Florida,” Dr. Kirk said. “Now the Sisters’ work will continue, they will live nearby, their presence will continue to enrich our university, and they will be able to see on a daily basis how the addition of this parcel enhances our educational mission.”
The university notes that this purchase does not include––nor does it affect––Saint Leo Abbey
Church, or Saint Leo Abbey, which are both owned by the Benedictine Monks of Saint Leo. The
Benedictine Sisters and Benedictine Monks, while sharing the same faith, are legally separate
entities, each with its own property rights and governance.
