St. Elizabeth's Convent

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St. Elizabeth's Convent
BensalemPA DrexelShrineHousing.jpg
Housing unit at the Katharine Drexel Shrine, April 2012
St. Elizabeth's Convent is located in Pennsylvania
St. Elizabeth's Convent
Location1663 Bristol Pike, Cornwells Heights, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°4′23″N 74°57′26″W / 40.07306°N 74.95722°W / 40.07306; -74.95722Coordinates: 40°4′23″N 74°57′26″W / 40.07306°N 74.95722°W / 40.07306; -74.95722
Area8 acres (3.2 ha)
Built1892
ArchitectBurns, Charles; Et al.
Architectural styleSpanish-French Mission
NRHP reference No.78002352[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 21, 1978

St. Elizabeth's Convent was a historic Roman Catholic convent located at 1663 Bristol Pike in Cornwells Heights, Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. From 1892 to 2017 it served as the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, founded by St. Katharine Drexel as the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People.

The complex was also home to the Saint Katharine Drexel Mission Center and National Shrine. Saint Katharine was entombed in a crypt in the chapel until the entire crypt was moved to the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia and established as a new shrine.[2]

History[]

The complex was built in 1892, and consists of three contributing buildings. They are built in the Spanish-French Mission style. The main building is the convent, which has an attached chapel and bell tower. The other contributing buildings are the utility building and 2+1⁄2-story laundry building.[3]

The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[1]

The convent was closed and sold in 2017, though the chapel was preserved as a place of worship. The Drexel shrine, however, was decommissioned and rebuilt at the Philadelphia cathedral thereafter.

Gallery[]

  • Entrance to the Katharine Drexel Shrine in Bensalem, PA, April 2012

References[]

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ Babay, Emily; O'Reilly, David (May 4, 2016). "Bensalem shrine to St. Katharine Drexel to be sold". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  3. ^ "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Sr. Mary Ellen Quilty and Sr. Elise Sisson with Charles Cromartie (July 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: St. Elizabeth's Convent" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-10-29.
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