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Our original convent, across the square in San Antonio, was built to be a hotel. It was a large three story frame building. The town's folk didn't want a hotel because of the "kind of people" it might draw. So when the Sisters came in 1889 it became their convent and boarding academy.

In 1911 when we acquired property in St. Leo, the Sisters didn't have money to build so they decided to move the building the one half mile uphill. Most said it couldn't be done. Mother Rose Marie, a woman of small stature but great determination, proved them wrong. She hired a minister from Tampa who worked in construction during the week.

 Br. Paul Tennis, OSB from St. Leo Abbey painted this picture
that recalls some of our early history.

The building was raised up on log rollers; they encircled the house with a steel cable, and with a winch and two oxen circling a dead-man timber buried 50' ahead of the house, it inched forward. They could only do one setting a day. It took six summer weeks to complete the move -- and the best part is -- the Sisters and students lived in it while the house was moved!!!

See the nun in the Model T? That's Mother Rose Marie. She was the first woman in Pasco County to have a drivers license!

The original Monastery was built in 1889.  The present Monastery was constructed in 1960.

Although our founding Sisters' journey ended in Florida, our journey after them is a continuous one of listening and responding, changing and growing.

The Sisters came to this area to "begin a great work" of staffing a Catholic educational center. Our history attests to our commitment to this work. We operated "The Academy" from 1889 until its closing in 1964 and St. Benedict's Preparatory School for Boys from 1929-1959. We administered and staffed parochial and public schools in our neighboring area (San Antonio, St. Joseph) as well as mission schools throughout the state of Florida (Ocala, Sarasota, Venice, Jacksonville, Miami) and even in Texas and Louisiana. The Benedictine Sisters of Florida conducted summer catechetical programs and taught weekend religion classes in many of the smaller parishes and schools they staffed

Our current educational ministries range from St. Anthony Interparochial School to Saint Leo University, from teaching the three R's to counseling and giving spiritual direction. Community and Hospitality are among other Benedictine values we share.

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