Our Mother of Sorrows Monastery and Retreat Center (West Springfield, Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Our Mother of Sorrows Monastery and Retreat Center
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | West Springfield, Massachusetts |
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| Architect | Comes, Perry, and McMullin |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000904 |
| Added to NRHP | August 30, 2002 |
The Our Mother of Sorrows Monastery and Retreat Center is a very old building in West Springfield, Massachusetts. It used to be a special home for a group of Roman Catholic priests called the Passionists. This building is unique because it's the only one of its kind in the city, built in a style called Spanish Colonial Revival. It was also the very first monastery in western Massachusetts.
Construction on the main building started in 1925. It was made bigger in 1955. For many years, until 1993, it was a place for priests to live, pray, and help others. After that, it became a home for older people. Because of its history and special design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
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What is a Monastery?
A monastery is a building or group of buildings where people, often monks or nuns, live together. They follow religious rules and dedicate their lives to prayer and work. The Passionist Order is a group of Catholic priests and brothers. They were founded in Italy in 1720. They came to the United States in 1852.
History of the West Springfield Monastery
In the early 1900s, many Catholic people moved to Massachusetts. The Passionists decided to build a new monastery in western Massachusetts. They chose this spot in West Springfield. The building was designed by an architect named John T. Comes from Pittsburgh. It was finished in 1923. The monastery is a large building with a unique Spanish Colonial Revival style. It has a red tile roof and rounded arches over its windows and doors.
Life at the Monastery
From 1923 to 1993, the Our Mother of Sorrows Monastery had a few main purposes:
- Home for Priests: It was a quiet place where the Passionist priests lived. They followed a strict daily routine of prayer and work.
- Retreat Center: It offered a peaceful space for other priests to come and rest. It was also a training place for new priests.
- Community Outreach: Later on, the monastery started offering weekend retreats for regular people too. These retreats allowed visitors to spend time in quiet reflection.
The monastery tried to be mostly self-sufficient. This means they grew much of their own food in gardens on the property. They even had a small clinic to care for sick members.
Changes Over Time
As the years passed, fewer people came for retreats. Also, the number of priests living at the monastery began to get smaller. In 1990, the Passionists started using the building as a home for older people. But in 1993, the monastery officially closed its religious functions. The building was then carefully updated. Today, it is an assisted living facility, providing care for seniors.
See also
