This afternoon, the City of Cincinnati is announcing a major investment in a new Center of Care that will serve as a hub for many expanded services for the unhoused and underprivileged members of the community. Involved in the planning have been Mary Magdalene House, St. Francis Seraph Ministries, the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Franciscans), the Mayor of Cincinnati, and his staff members and other partners serving the neighborhood. St. Francis Seraph Ministries agreed not to purchase the St. Anthony Center from the Franciscans in order to facilitate this even more comprehensive development. All partners will be discerning their participation in this Center of Care. 3CDC is the developer working with the city to identify the site and create this Center. St. Francis Seraph Ministries will continue to serve the community uninterrupted while this plan develops.
The entire Franciscan properties, including the friary, church, Franciscan Media building, and the St. Anthony Center, will thus be sold by the Franciscans to 3CDC for as-yet-unspecified uses.
Bro. Tim and I are in St. Louis, MO, this week for our Franciscan Chapter. The timing of this announcement makes any Franciscan presence at the press conference impossible.
There is great hope that this Center of Care will be able to help our neighbors in far more comprehensive ways than our individual efforts have been able to do in the past.
Peace and good,
Fr. Al
