On September 2nd the French Sisters completed the final leg of the journey to their new mission on the steamer Caroline. They traveled from Savannah, Georgia to Picolata, Florida via the intra-coastal waterway and the Saint Johns River. While living with the Sisters of Mercy, our French Sisters learned how to speak English.

In November of 1866 the Sisters opened classes for Black male children in an old building on the O’Reilly House property. While the O’Reilly house was being renovated, they they taught in a building facing Saint George St. It was made of tabby and coquina; the same material used in the building of the O’Reilly House. These two buildings were separated by an orange grove.

On December 28, 1866, the Sisters moved into the O’Reilly House making it their convent and eventual schoolhouse. The building is located on Aviles St. It still stands today and serves as a museum.

The Sisters opened classes for the black children in the O’Reilly house and started evening classes for adult blacks. The boys were taught separately from the girls and classes for the Black adults were held on the first floor of the convent (O’Reilly House).

Five sisters from Saint Augustine were sent to open the Savannah mission and free school for black children. the schoolhouse was a rickety frame building more like a barn than a classroom. The school was on the property of Saint John's Cathedral. The sisters also opened an orphanage for boys on Taylor Street.

Father Delafosse arranged for the sisters to move into a house on the Christian Brothers’ former house on Charlotte Street. They lived at this location on Charlotte Street for ten years working and teaching in old, dilapidated buildings.

Sister Julie Roussel and a novice, Sister Bernard Martin, arrive in Mandarin to establish a school for colored children in the original St. Joseph’s Church, where 27 black children and 51 white children learned their ABCs and arithmetic. The sisters returned to Saint Augustine due to poor conditions after 3 months.

Sisters of Mercy leave St. Augustine. Two Sisters of Mercy, Sisters Mary Ann (pictured here) and Monica Nicholson, remained with the Sisters of Saint Joseph to assist them with the mission of the community. These two women eventually became Sisters of Saint Joseph.

The Sisters of Saint Joseph take over Saint Mary's academy and teach the white female students on St. George St. They moved into the convent in September and began classes in October.

The Sisters returned to the house on Charlotte Street, which used to belong to the Christian Brothers. Before this, they were living in the Mercy Sister’s Convent/St. Mary’s Academy (pictured here).

Sisters of Saint Joseph begin their mission work in Fernandina. They establish several free schools for black and white children including St. Peter Claver School and St. Joseph’s Academy.

Bishop Ignatius Persico separates Savannah from St. Augustine.

Sisters of Saint Joseph begin their mission work in Palatka. They establish several free day schools for black and white students.

The Sisters civil status was legalized and the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Saint Augustine was incorporated. They were granted their first state charter which gave them the authority to teach. Before this, graduates could not have been recognized by the state of Florida. By obtaining a charter, the Sisters could also accept the deeds drawn up by Bishop Verot conveying the land that was left in trust by O’Reilly.

The new Motherhouse on St. George St. was completed and occupied. The Sisters still reside on the property today.

The Saint Joseph’s Academy opened. All the schools were free of tuition until the Academy offered admission to day students.

Sisters of Saint Joseph begin their mission work in Elkton. They established several schools including St. Ambrose School.

In September, a “select” school for the Black children was opened on the third floor of the Convent of Mercy. This facility was called “select” because it was the best schoolroom the Sisters had ever been able to use for this purpose. It was known as Saint Cecilia’s School.

The Sisters purchased a printing press to be used by their students at St. Joseph’s Academy and the first publication of Pascua Florida was published

Saint Mary’s orphanage was opened in Jacksonville.

Sisters of Saint Joseph begin their mission work in Orlando. They establish several free schools including Saint Joseph’s Academy.

Sisters of Saint Joseph begin their mission work in Ybor City. They establish several schools including St. Joseph’s Academy and St. Benedict the Moor School.

the Old St. Joseph Convent (St. Mary’s convent and academy, pictured here) the White boys and Black children’s schools were located was given for a cigar factory. This required the Sisters to place the boys’ school in the City Building. The Black school, Saint Cecilia’s, was moved to an old school building formerly used by the Black Public School until the new facility, made possible by the donation from Mother Katherine Drexel, was ready in April of 1898.

Mother Katherine Drexel gave the money for the construction of new brick school building for the Black children. It remained to be known as Saint Cecilia’s.

Pablo Beach, Fernandina, Tampa: Sisters opened up and visited hospitals for the sick and wounded soldiers during the Spanish American War

Saint Augustine: Mother Lazarus was excommunicated over a controversial decision of Bishop Moore.

The SSJ of Saint Augustine were separated from Le Puy. Sisters began traveling to Ireland for postulants.

Sisters of Saint Joseph begin their mission work in Miami. They establish St. Catherine Academy and Mercy Hospital.

The four-story St. Joseph’s Academy on St. George and Cadiz for both day and resident students was open after renovations.

The Sisters no longer taught in public schools 12 and 13 in Saint Augustine after House Bill No. 577 intended to keep the public school neutral ground religiously, and to prevent the appropriation of public school funds for denominational purposes. Although it failed in the Senate, the Sisters decided to no longer teach in public schools.

The parish of Saint Benedict the Moor was erected by the Diocese on the same property as the St. Benedict Schoolhouse. The school’s name was changed to Saint Benedict at that time.

Three Sisters of St. Joseph at St. Benedict the Moor School in Lincolnville generated headlines across America when they were arrested for what was then a state crime. The charges stated the Sisters were violating a 1913 Florida law prohibiting “white teachers for instructing Blacks." The three were later acquitted on the grounds that the law did not apply to private schools, enabling the Black students to continue to get the private education they deserved.

Cathedral Parish School opened and all the children from the white, free schools were transferred there.

By the 1920s, the Lincolnville neighborhood was thriving, and the Excelsior High School opened in 1925 as the first public Black high school in St. Johns County

Villa Flora was purchased by SSJ for the Academy Home Economics Department

Mercy Hospital, a Saint Augustine Diocesan facility, was opened and staffed with Sisters as nurses and technicians in Miami

Saint Mary’s Orphanage opens as the first Catholic institution for dependent and orphaned children in FL. The Catholic Charities in Jacksonville launched a new program for both girl and boy orphans in Arlington.

The novitiate was permanently moved to Jensen Beach. The novitiate was in the Diocese of Miami and in the motherhouse of the Diocese of Saint Augustine

Dr. King spoke at St. Paul AME Church during the Civil Rights Movement. At that time, Dr. King made it a point to visit the neighboring school and rectory at St. Benedict the Moor. “He was a gentleman and it was a honor to meet this great man“

- Sr. Josephine Marie Melican, SSJ
Last principal of St. Benedict the Moor School

“Stay in tonight Sister, don’t go out”– the Students of St. Benedict's would share with the Sisters when peaceful marches were scheduled. At night the Sisters heard the sounds of footsteps as many marched pass the convent.

“I would discover many of my students were arrested the previous night when they were absent from school.” Sr. Josephine

In response to the Civil Rights Act and integration of Catholic schools, St. Benedict the Moor School was closed in 1964.

The Alexander House at the northeast corner of St. George and Bridge Streets was demolished to make room for the construction of Our Lady of Lourdes Convent, the retirement facility for the Sisters

The O’Reilly house was added to the National List of Historic Places.

Saint Joseph Convent in Miami opened as part of Mercy Hospital.

Architectural Stained-Glass Studio founded in Saint Augustine and run by Sister Diane.

The Father Miguel O’Reilly House Museum opens to the public.

The building sat unused and fell into disrepair, until a group called The Friends of St. Benedict started a campaign to save the structure. They successfully raised enough funds to remove the dilapidated roof and install tie beams to stabilize the walls. These actions are what saved the historic schoolhouse. The following year it was added to the Florida Black Heritage Trail by the Florida Department of State.

The Father Miguel O’Reilly House Museum closes due to COVID-19

On January 10th 2022, the Sisters of St. Joseph were called back to St. Benedict the Moor Schoolhouse. Sr. Kathleen Carr, SSJ, General Superior and Sr. Stephanie Flynn, SSJ, Executive Director / President of St. Joseph Neighborhood Center, took a peek inside. They saw beyond the rubble and envisioned the possibilities of returning St. Benedict Schoolhouse to be a place of comfort, healing, ministry and community. By partnering with Diocese of St. Augustine, they are making this happen.

Work continued throughout the year and progress has been made at St. Benedict the Moor School. On MLK Day 2023, Bishop Pohlmeier blessed the old building. Alumni continue to visit, share stories, and their support of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s vision for their former school.

The Sisters of St. Joseph, in collaboration with the Diocese of St. Augustine, are honored to lead the effort to restore the historic St. Benedict the Moor School and celebrate the cultural importance it holds for the Black Community of Lincolnville.

Once restored, the building will become the headquarters for St. Joseph Neighborhood Center, where the Sisters will continue their mission to serve the “Dear Neighbor.”