OUR HISTORY

Casserly House History and Overview

Casserly House was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston as a part of the congregation’s 125th anniversary celebrations. Modeled after the work of the first Sisters of St. Joseph, Casserly House was created to be a ministry of presence in a culturally and ethnically mixed neighborhood populated by a large number of new immigrants. In 2000, the Sisters purchased a triple-decker house at 42 Stellman Road, in the Forest Hills section of Roslindale, and it has since provided a space for both ministry and residence. Four sisters live on the top two floors of the house, and neighborhood programs are run out of the first floor.

Casserly House offers an adult ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program with 30 adult learners from many different countries! On Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 12 pm, English language classes are provided for adults living in the neighborhood and immediately surrounding area. Our adult learners are eager to improve their lives through communication.

Casserly House also offers family engagement activities – out-of-school time events for children, navigational support for parents, and fun family outings.

Casserly House has been a vibrant hub of neighborhood gatherings, community care and support.  We maintain partnerships with other non-profits and community organizations to anticipate and respond to neighborhood issues and concerns.

The house is currently staffed by Donna Stiglmeier (Director) and Lindsay Morrison (Program Administrator) along with Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) volunteers Mary Beth O’Sullivan, Sheila Rourke, and John Christoffersen.  We rely on the wonderful generosity of many volunteers who come regularly to instruct English with adult learners.

 

Our partnership with E5 Boston Community Service Officers endures over history and was established for mutual learning and relationship-building when safety was a neighborhood concern in the early days of Casserly House. With the current concern of affordable housing, former Advisory Board Member Officer Ed Roach delivers meals to Casserly House families. The meals were provided by local business groups to help delay the hard choice between food OR housing insecurity over the holidays.