A group of 24 Sisters from Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, more commonly known as Sisters of the Good Shepherd, will move from their long-time home at Immaculate Heart Convent in Normandy to a new permanent home at Mason Pointe in Town & Country in mid-December.

Lutheran Senior Services (LSS), which operates Mason Pointe, is preparing a special area for all 24 Sisters to live together. Sisters will receive long term care, assisted living and independent living services, along with a newly-built chapel for daily prayer. The chapel will include two large stained glass windows from Immaculate Heart Convent. One of the windows features the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The other window represents the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The windows were handcrafted in Germany and have been a part of Good Shepherd since 1924.

“Earlier this year, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd were searching for a new place to care for their aging Sisters, a single location where they could all live together,” said Carla Baum, Lutheran Senior Services Network Executive. “They knocked on the door of Mason Pointe… and like Divine Providence it opened. The Sisters and Lutheran Senior Services are meeting at a place that will benefit one another now and in the future.”

Sister Madeleine Munday, Province Leader for Sisters of the Good Shepherd Mid-North America, said, “This move is a beneficial arrangement for the future of senior care. The Sisters are eager to meet their new neighbors and share life with them. We feel confident that our Sisters are going to get great care at Mason Pointe.”

Sister Pauline Bilbrough, Local Leader for Immaculate Heart Convent, said, “Scripture tells us that we have not here a lasting dwelling place. Our foundress Saint Mary Euphrasia tells us to go forward and be the presence of Good Shepherd wherever we are.”

“The Sisters of the Good Shepherd will find everything at Mason Pointe they’ve had at their current North County location…and more,” said Gary Anderson, Executive Vice President and Administrative Officer of Lutheran Senior Services. “Lutheran Senior Services will also offer job opportunities for the current staff at Immaculate Heart Convent and room for accommodating more Sisters in the future. The Sisters’ current home on Natural Bridge Road is no longer suitable for their needs.”

“This is an important chapter for Lutheran Senior Services, which has roots in the Lutheran faith and service to one another,” said John Kotovsky, Chief Executive Officer of Lutheran Senior Services.  “We have always served people of all denominations, and, like the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, we are defined by our commitment to those we serve.  A Heritage Wall will tell the ‘story in pictures’ of the Jewish, Catholic, and Lutheran traditions that have occupied this West County space.”

Both organizations share similar histories and missions of serving others. Sisters of the Good Shepherd came to the United States in 1842, about the time that LSS was putting down its spiritual roots. Both organizations were founded to answer specific needs in the greater community and to provide physical and spiritual care for the most vulnerable. And both organizations have always approached their work with a combination of mission-driven and contemplative action.

“From all perspectives, Mason Pointe seems like the perfect place to support continuation of this work, and we look forward to welcoming our newest residents,” Kotovsky added.

Lutheran Senior Services acquired the former Cedars of Town & Country on February 1, 2016, and renamed it Mason Pointe.  With the addition of independent living apartments now under construction, Mason Pointe will become a true Life Plan Community offering all levels of living—independent living, assisted living, memory care, long term care, and short stay rehabilitation services.

Sisters of the Good Shepherd Province of Mid-North America is part of an international congregation of Good Shepherd Sisters with ministries in 72 countries. These ministries focus on social justice and human services for women, children, and families. For more information about Good Shepherd, visit www.sistersofthegoodshepherd.com.

Lutheran Senior Services (LSS) is a mission-driven, not-for-profit network that specializes in housing, care, and supportive services for older adults 62+. With 21 locations in Missouri and Illinois, LSS serves more than 11,000 seniors a year through options that include Life Plan Communities offering all levels of living, Affordable Housing for those with limited incomes, and Home & Community Based Services, which include Home Health, Hospice, and Private Duty. LSS builds upon 160 years of excellence in living out its Christian mission of Older Adults Living Life to the Fullest.