“A match made in heaven”: religious sisters live with college students

Forty Sisters of St. Francis from Our Ladies of Angels Convent in Aston, Pennsylvania (a suburb of Philadelphia), took a risk recently by opening their living quarters to 40 Neumann University undergraduate students in need of housing.

“It’s been a match made in heaven,” reports The Wall Street Journal.

It just seemed like a natural thing to do,” Sister Esther Anderson told Fox 29News. “They had a need for space. We had space. Why not work together?”

This unusual living situation that has resulted in a soon-to-be-released TikTok video featuring the sisters and students dancing together has historical precedent. The Sisters of St. Francis not only founded Neumann University in the 1960s, but they have also been long-time supporters of the school and its students.

“My initial thought was like, ‘Huh, how is this gonna work?’” admitted undergraduate Katela Villasenor, but with all the students unanimously agreeing to remain living in the convent this spring, it’s obvious the experiment has been a success.

“Together, we just kind of—there’s a harmony,” says Sister Dorita Slaughter. “There’s a blending, but a natural blending. It has just blossomed into the most beautiful experience.”

Read more:St. John Neumann: American saint who arrived with $1 in his pocket and one suit of clothes

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