Gathering Place announces long-awaited expansion to historic abbey

Dozens of politicians, donors and community members helped open the project to expand Gathering Place into the Sisters of Mercy Convent building Tuesday morning.

Years in the making, the project transformed the nearly 200-year-old monastery on Military Road into a new emergency shelter and 52 temporary and supportive housing units for the Gathering Place.

The expansion, called Mercy House, can house and sleep 90 people, up from just over 30 at Gathering Place’s former emergency shelter.

Thank you sisters

The Gathering Place was founded by the Convent of Sisters of Mercy in 1994 and opened its temporary emergency shelter in 2020.

At that time, the two remaining sisters living in the convent next to the Gathering Place’s main area abandoned the building and gifted it to the Gathering Place to help house the others.

Gathering Place’s general manager, Paul Davis, says the project would not have happened without an initial $2 million donation from longtime businessman Patrick O’Callaghan and his wife, Paula Boucher.

WATCH | The Gathering Place has expanded its services to:

The Gathering Place adds dozens of new spaces for people to live with multimillion-dollar addition

For some people, they may call Mercy House, operated by The Gathering Place, home. The units, which include some private accommodation as well as medical and mental health supports, all strive to help break the cycle of homelessness. CBC’s Jessica Singer was there for the official announcement.

Premier Andrew Furey said in Tuesday’s announcement that the couple had approached the state government for support, resulting in $2 million being added to state funding for the project.

He said the government also helped secure $5.9 million in federal funding to assist with the expansion project.

In Tuesday’s announcement, Davis called for more funding to support Gathering Place’s services, which include laundry, three hot meals served daily and dental and medical clinics.

The organization launched its annual fall and winter fundraising campaign on Monday.

a full house

Furey, St. John’s East MP Joanne Thompson and Lt.-Gov. Joan Marie Aylward were just some of the politicians who attended Tuesday’s announcement.

Furey says her mother, her children, and herself all volunteer at the Gathering Place.

Furey says the Sisters of Mercy fed people in need from the convent’s kitchen, and the Gathering Place was born from that work 30 years ago.

“This is a testament to the sisters that this important piece of real estate remains true to how it began and what a sanctuary it should be, a sanctuary that will continue to serve others,” Furey said.

Thompson was the former executive director of Gathering Place. Before the expansion, the Gathering Place was missing some “open doors,” he said, as there were no supportive housing units on-site that could help guests transition out of the shelter system.

She says the new units and other comprehensive supports can help people “achieve the highest form of existence,” a phrase she learned from sisters at the convent.

“I still rely on your wisdom in the work I do in Ottawa,” Thompson said of the Sisters of Presentation and the Sisters of Mercy.

“You are truly leaders in this community and your wisdom is transformative.”

The new emergency shelter opened Oct. 30, and Gathering Place says temporary and supportive housing units will be phased in over time.

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