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Irmãs Franciscanas Bernardinas
Uma Congregação Internacional de Religiosas

Motherhouse / McGlinn Conference and Spirituality Center 

"We welcome all as sister and brother..."
- excerpt from the BFS Mission Statement

         

The Conference Center is part of the Motherhouse complex.  


With a seating capacity of 125 and a scenic view in every season, the Conference Center is available for religious, education and business groups looking for a pleasant and serene environment for day or evening retreats, meetings and seminars.  


The large room seats 125 at round tables and 150 theatre style. A  small Conference Room seats 10 persons comfortably.  Several break-out rooms are also available. 

Since inception, the Center has accomodated various type groups from a day of prayer that includes a presentation on Mary, Mass, quiet time, and a pilgrimage procession to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes to business or training meetings for associations, government, and law enforcement.


In addition, the Center hosts many Alvernia University programs, as well as parish, catechetical retreats, and diocesan events. County offices and local businesses find the Center “user friendly.”


Four guest rooms in the Motherhouse make it possible for Individuals to 

make private or directed retreats for overnights or a week-long experience 

including daily Mass.


Spiritual direction is also available.

Thirty acres of trees, flowers, and peaceful walking paths help to create a sense of peace and inviting guests to outdoor Stations of the Cross, prayer at the Grotto, or a quiet visit to the cemetery where many Bernardine Franciscan Sisters and their American foundress, Mother Veronica Grzedowska are buried.  


The Canticle Gift Shop has been a pleasant addition to the Center offering religious articles and inspirational gifts at reasonable prices.  It has become a favorite place to spend some time and find a few surprises while at the Center.

For more information about participating in a day of recollection, scheduling a group, making a retreat or receiving spiritual direction, please complete the online form or contact:

Sister Shaun Kathleen Wilson, OSF, Director
460 Saint Bernardine Street
Reading, PA 19607-1737
484-334-6807
FAX: 484-334-6808

Bernardine Franciscan Sisters: Motherhouse Campus

1. Motherhouse (1906) - Renovated 2006
2. Sacred Heart Chapel
3. McGlinnn Conference Center (2006)
4. Administration
5. Congregational Offices
6. Francis Hall – Alvernia University (former St. Francis Home 1925)
7. Alvernia University (1958)
8. St. Joseph Villa (1967) - Sisters’ Retirement Home
9. Sacred Heart Statue (1911)
10. Mother Veronica Prayer Garden (2006)
11. Lourdes Grotto (1929)
12. Way of the Cross (1949)
13.  Sisters’ Cemetery (1925)
14. Parking

Directions to the BFS Motherhouse Complex, McGlinn Conference and Spirituality Center and Sacred Heart Convent

460 St Bernardine Street
Reading, PA 19607-1737
484.334.7000

Sacred Heart Convent is located three miles from center-city Reading, in the scenic Blue Mountain area of eastern Pennsylvania. The 55-acre campus adjoins Angelica Park and houses Alvernia University which is sponsored by the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters - a Distinctive Franciscan Catholic University. Public transportation provides service to within walking distance of the convent.

Sacred Heart Convent is noted for its accessibility to metropolitan and historical areas of interest. Near enough to New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore to share their cultural and educational opportunities, the convent is also only a short distance from the Amish country in nearby Lancaster and York Counties.
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