Past employees, clients and others connected to Catholic Charities’ St. Cloud Children’s Home gathered June 11 to celebrate the home’s past and look ahead to the future.
Catholic Charities announced in March that its mental health services program for youth at the Children’s Home would transition from a residential model to a day services model, allowing the agency to serve more youth in the area while giving them the ability to return home to their families in the evening.
That transition was complete as of May 1, with residents either completing their treatment or moving to other facilities, so the staff wanted to celebrate with a reunion-type gathering. Former teachers, therapists, social workers and other employees, as well as former residents and families who adopted children, were invited to gather in the chapel for a short prayer service. A reception followed in the dining hall.
“The purpose of coming together today is to celebrate a point of transition and celebrate the legacy of the Children’s Home, as it began as an orphanage, as it was most recently focused in residential care as well as day services, and looking to the future as far as expanding our day services and taking care of kids within the Diocese of St. Cloud,” said Stephen Pareja, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud.
“We’re talking about the entire history as we’re looking toward the future,” he said.
As guests arrived, they were asked to write a short memory of their time at the Children’s Home. Their words were read aloud during the prayer service.
“Like family,” “good kids, good staff, good times,” “transforming lives” and “bridge building” were among the words people used.
Pareja acknowledges that those who have been working with residential services see this transition as a closure. Some people shed tears when a video of photos was shown during the service.
But this has happened before, when the facility transitioned from an orphanage — adapting its services over the years — to most recently providing behavioral health services in a residential setting to meet the changing needs of the community.
“In recent years, what we’ve seen is a decrease in referrals for residential care and an increase in referrals for day services,” he said. “So truly what we’re doing is meeting the needs of the community today.”
About 60 kids are currently receiving Day Treatment services.
In a letter announcing the transition in March, Pareja emphasized Catholic Charities’ commitment to serving children in the diocese.
“It is an honor to continue the rich history of the St. Cloud Children’s Home,” he said. “Bishop Busch built it as a place to care for children, and it is our intention to continue his work.”
Bishop Joseph Busch, fourth bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud, served from 1915 to 1953. He established the St. Cloud Children’s Home as an orphanage in 1924.