Seattle parish transforms convent into affordable housing for mission-driven teachers

Seattle, Wash., Oct 18, 2024 / 06:00 am

St. Alphonsus Parish in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood has converted its former convent into affordable living spaces for young educators, creating a model that blends community, spirituality, and mission-driven teaching amid soaring housing costs.

The convent was vacated in 2021 when its residents — sisters from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity — decided their mission was no longer being served in Seattle and relocated to Texas. The convent now offers private rooms and shared common areas to teachers and ministry professionals, usually within their first five years of service. Rent is set at approximately $900 per month, significantly below the city’s average.

“It’s attracting the right people,” said Nick Padrnos, the principal of St. Alphonsus School. “Before, I was posting on job sites like Indeed. Now we’re getting mission-driven teachers who desire to share their faith and are active members of the parish.”

“Having this housing means I have been able to grow as a teacher, build relationships, establish myself in my career — while setting myself up for financial success — and deepen my personal spiritual life,” teacher resident Paulina Thurmann said. “This community has been supportive, walking with me in difficult and celebratory times alike.”

Residents participate in weekly community dinners, rotate responsibilities, and engage in spiritual activities such as prayer and meditation. The convent includes a chapel with the presence of the Blessed Sacrament where Mass is held once a month.

“Activities like weekly dinners mean we can share in these joys and triumphs, understand one another, and offer advice as we navigate the difficult first years of teaching — not to mention share recipes,” Thurmann added. “Living in a space with not only a church next door but a convent chapel means we can routinely connect with God and bring to him our daily prayers.”

The program has attracted educators from both local and some out-of-state locations, including classroom teachers and campus ministers across schools in the archdiocese.

“Challenges? I don’t have enough job openings for the amount of interest — a good problem to have,” principal Padrnos noted.

Funding for the refurbishment came through collaboration with the Fulcrum Foundation, which provided a $30,000 grant. Now in its second school year with teachers residing at the former convent, the project not only offers affordable housing but also directs rental income back into the parish.

“Since the first project at St. Alphonsus has been successful, the program is expanding to other areas of the archdiocese,” archdiocesan spokesperson Helen McClenahan told CNA.

There is currently a similar arrangement at Seattle’s St. Catherine of Siena Parish, while St. Bernadette Parish further south in the city is planning to transform its unused convent into a dormitory for international students attending a local Catholic high school.