The cloistered nuns living at the monastery connected to the Conversion of St. Paul Shrine in Cleveland’s Midtown neighborhood are better equipped to face this winter’s frigid temperatures thanks to a new heating system being installed with the support of community donors. The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration are in the process of having the new heating system in place, largely due to proceeds from their annual fundraiser that took place on Dec. 1, 2024.
(See photo gallery above.)
The event kicked off with a Mass on the first Sunday of Advent. It was a testament to the power of a generous group of people who came together to support the sisters, who spend 24/7 in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. The sisters pray for the needs of all and anyone who calls their prayer line.
Following Mass, a luncheon and auction took place in Little Italy at La Dolce Vita. It was hosted by former Cleveland Cavaliers Coach Mike Fratello and featured a presentation by Dr. Ronald Sobecks, an oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic, who gave a talk focused on how we can treat sin like a disease such as cancer.
Sharon Deitrick, who heads the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration Foundation, said having a well-known former NBA coach and an accomplished cancer doctor along with people from parishes across the diocese participate in the special occasion shows the breadth of support for the sisters.
“While this event was smaller than in years past, it was special because we had so many people in the community coming together in their own special way to help our dear sisters,” Dietrick said.
The fundraiser generated almost $80,000, which is about 10% short of what the sisters need to complete all the necessary heating updates. In addition, supporters of the sisters said they will have to raise another half-million dollars in the near future to install a new roof on the monastery.
The foundation for the sisters was established in 2011 after the Church of the Conversion of St. Paul reverted to shrine status.
Click here for information about donating to help the sisters with their capital improvement needs.
Bishop Joseph Schrembs, who had a deep desire to establish a shrine of perpetual adoration of the Eucharist, invited the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, commonly known as the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, to settle in Cleveland.
The first two sisters arrived from Vienna, Austria in December 1921 and on Christmas of that year, Bishop Schrembs inaugurated the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and designated the residence as a cloistered space. The original location was on Euclid Avenue near University Circle.
As more sisters arrived, a larger monastery was needed, so the bishop obtained the vacant former St. Paul Episcopal Church on Euclid Avenue. The church was built in 1875. The building closed in 1928 when the congregation moved to Cleveland Heights.
Bishop Schrembs purchased the vacant church in 1930 and had it refurbished. On Oct. 2, 1931, the Church of the Conversion of St. Paul was dedicated and a larger monastery was built for the sisters.
The shrine became a parish in 1949. In 2008, it returned to shrine status and Eucharistic adoration continues.
In 1978, Bishop James Hickey invited the Capuchin Franciscan Friars of the Province of St. Augustine to take over pastoral care of the shrine.
Bishop Edward Malesic visited the shrine on Oct. 2, 2021 to mark the 90th anniversary of its dedication. He celebrated Mass with several Capuchin friars as concelebrants and the sisters, shrine benefactors and friends in attendance. Shortly before the anniversary celebration, a $400,000 restoration was completed. It included interior painting and stained-glass window repairs.