St. Leo sisters receive $100,000 gift toward new monastery
By Staff Report
Tampa Bay Times
Published: Jan 21, 2014

ST. LEO - The Benedictine Sisters of Florida have received a challenge gift of $100,000 from an anonymous donor to help raise funds for their new monastery. The sisters recently sold their existing property, fronting Lake Jovita, to Saint Leo University for $3.4 million. They plan to build a new 13,000-square-foot facility across State Road 52, which will include a chapel, dining room, library, lounge, kitchen and business offices. A separate wing will include private bed and bathrooms as well as laundry and exercise rooms.

The sisters paid for the monastery and property with the proceeds from the sale of their current land and are raising the remaining $500,000 through a special gifts campaign.

"This is a historic and very exciting year for the Benedictine Sisters," said Sister Roberta Bailey, the prioress of Holy Name Monastery. "We celebrate on February 28th our 125 year of serving God and the Pasco County community and we will move into our New Holy Name Monastery in the fall."

To donate to the building campaign, send checks payable to Benedictine Sisters of Florida to P.O. Box 2450, St. Leo, FL 33574. For more information, call (352) 588-8443 or hnmdevelopment@saintleo.edu.