by Patricia Erikson
The real estate agent took the Sisters to see the small stone chapel. The rest is history.
For the Aztecs, it was the prophecy of an eagle, perched on a prickly pear cactus and devouring a snake. For Brigham Young and the Latter Day Saints, it was a dream about a barren valley skirted with timber. For two Sisters of Mercy, it was two stained glass windows whose names mirrored their own.
Mexico City. Salt Lake City. The Saint Joseph鈥檚 College campus on Sebago Lake. All three locations are thought to have their location influenced by divine inspiration.
When College Archivist Sister Mary George O鈥橳oole tells the story of how Saint Joseph鈥檚 College moved from its original home in Portland, Maine to the shore of Sebago Lake, the audience settles into their seats to enjoy a raconteur at work.
Sister Mary George in the 色虎视频 Archives
As the local expert on College history, Sister Mary George makes sure her audience knows that Saint Joseph鈥檚 College, like many institutions, has varied its name over time. Originally established in Portland in 1912 as St. Joseph鈥檚 College & Academy鈥揳nd known for a few years as College of Our Lady of Mercy鈥搕he College has remained 鈥淪aint Joseph鈥檚鈥� since 1956.
Sister Mary George sets the stage for her listeners, 鈥淚n the mid 1950s, the college faced a challenge: it was squeezed into a small building on the grounds of the Sisters of Mercy Motherhouse, a location known for its striking, gold-domed brick building on Stevens Avenue in Portland. Looking far afield for ample real estate, Monsignor George Johnson suggested that he and two Sisters of Mercy鈥揗other Mary Evangelist and Mother Mary Edwina鈥搕ravel to Standish to evaluate the gentleman鈥檚 estate of Harry M. Verrill as a potential site for relocation.鈥�
Sister Mary George then lists off what the scouting trio would have discovered: two buildings鈥揳 manor home (now Xavier Hall) and a stone cottage (now St. George Hall)鈥搕he pond, orchards, and the lake. A lovely estate overall.
Sister Mary George continues. 鈥淎fter seeing all of this, it was time to go home. They certainly didn鈥檛 acknowledge that they were interested in purchasing this estate in the first place. It didn鈥檛 seem right. And then, the real estate agent asked, 鈥榃ould you like to see Mrs. Verrill鈥檚 chapel?鈥� No nun in her right mind is going to say, 鈥楴o, we don鈥檛 want to see the chapel, we have to get home. It鈥檚 almost time for supper and prayers.鈥� Being good sisters they said, 鈥榦f course.鈥� And the real estate agent took them to the small stone chapel tucked on the hillside sloping toward the lake.鈥�
Stained glass windows depicting saints were once installed in the stone building that served as a chapel for the Verrill family. Photo: courtesy 色虎视频 Archives.
鈥淪ister Mary Evangelist and Sister Mary Edwina go through the front door of the chapel and, lo and behold, Mrs. Verrill鈥檚 chapel has two stained glass windows. Usually churches and chapels have stained glass windows which depict scenes of figures important to the development of the church. They were used as teaching instruments in order to help people because literacy was not at a high rate in centuries past. The Catholic Church observes hundreds and hundreds of saints. 鈥�
Sister Mary George looks upward and encourages her audience to imagine the stained glass windows that the聽Sisters encountered in Mrs. Verrill鈥檚 chapel. 鈥淭he Sisters enter the chapel, look up, and the one over the front door is Saint John the Evangelist. The one over the back of the chapel is Saint Edward the Confessor. So we have Sister Mary Evangelist and Saint John the Evangelist. And we have Sister Mary Edwina (a form of Edward) looking up at Saint Edward the Confessor.鈥� Sister Mary George pauses for effect and raises her eyebrows.
鈥淪ince 1953, all of the Sisters in Maine had been praying that decision makers would figure out what to do鈥搒tay in Portland or move elsewhere? Answer to prayer? God鈥檚 providential care for us and our college that the sisters were sponsoring? No question.鈥�
Whether divine intervention was involved, or not, Saint Joseph鈥檚 College found its new home on the shore of Sebago Lake in October of 1956.
