St. Francis alumni fighting back against relocation of nuns

HONOLULU (AP) — St. Francis School alumni are protesting the forced relocation of two dozen nuns who have lived in a convent at the Manoa school campus for decades.

The St. Francis Alumni Association held a demonstration outside the convent Saturday, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported (https://bit.ly/1RDw9Jh). Members of the group say they plan to gather support from more than 4,000 alumni in a petition drive.

“We’re not going to sit back on our laurels,” said Phyllis Leimomi Stephenson, the association’s first vice president. “Our nuns shouldn’t be treated that way at all. Would you let this happen to your parents?”

The Syracuse, New York-based operators of the convent, the Sisters of St. Francis of Neumann Communities, have issued an order indicating their plans to close the facility in a few months.

The 24 nuns, who are mostly in their 70s and 80s, are being transferred in March to a senior assisted-living center in Pearl City.

Joan of Arc Souza, head of St. Francis School, has said the move will be emotional and difficult for the nuns.

Stephenson, who graduated from St. Francis in 1955, said the alumni association board will be collecting signatures from the school’s alumni and then sending petitions to the Sisters of St. Francis headquarters, Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva and Pope Francis.

“It’s heartbreaking,” she said of the move. “They love their Manoa. It’s their base. It’s their comfort zone. Why touch their comfort zone?”