Nazareth Court and Center

Members of the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes had enjoyed their own retirement home, known as Nazareth Heights Infirmary, since 1965. In 1994, the congregation began to look at the needs and options for future retirement living and ultimately decided to leave Nazareth Heights and build a facility that would provide a continuum of care for sisters from residential care to assisted living to skilled nursing care.

CSA already sponsored similar facilities in St. Clare Terrace and St. Francis Home, which were located on the western edge of the St. Agnes Hospital campus. The congregation would renovate and build onto those facilities, while new construction would create Nazareth Court, which provides residential care for sisters, and Nazareth Center, which provides assisted living. 

Ground was broken on December 8, 1997, for Nazareth Court and Center, which was designed by Hoffman Corporation. As part of the groundbreaking celebration, a ground-mixing ceremony was held in which soil from Nazareth Heights and St. Francis Home were brought together. 

On April 2, 1998, the 30 sisters needing skilled nursing care moved from Nazareth Heights to the newly expanded St. Francis Home. Then on November 10th, the remaining 56 residents of Nazareth Heights moved into Nazareth Court and Center. Movers had to contend with 60-70 MPH winds and intermittent rain that day.

The interconnected facilities are located very near the spot where the original CSA motherhouse in Fond du Lac stood, so sisters were returning to their roots. With their proximity to downtown, sisters at Nazareth Court and Center are able to enjoy cultural activities and engage in ministry in the school system, health care, or social services.

Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes Archives.