For 20 years, women from across the world have come to a former convent in St. Paul to find peace, stability and a path to a new life. Some fled war. Others torture or domestic violence. Many left children behind while they sought safety for themselves and, later, their young ones.
On Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Mount Zion Temple in St. Paul, Sarah's … an Oasis for Women will celebrate those two decades while seeking to raise money for its continuing mission. A ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Sarah's has room for 32 women at a time, with some staying months while others are there for years, said Cheryl Behrent, director of the program.
About a third of the women at Sarah's are referred by the Minnesota-based Center for Victims of Torture, she said.
"We don't use the word 'shelter,' " she said. "The sisters [of St. Joseph] work hard to make a beautiful home for women who have been through trauma — torture, war, violence. Coming to Sarah's really revives their spirits and helps them prepare for a new life."
Sarah's residents have come from 67 countries. Some are from the United States, but most come here legally, with visas. They often cannot return to their home country because of unrest and violence. Staff and volunteers, including many nuns, work to connect the women with legal assistance, employment and English language training, health services and permanent housing while they seek refugee status. Behrent calls this list of services a "résumé of life" that many are building from scratch.
The average length of stay at Sarah's is a year and a half, she said. The median age is 33.
Rebecca, a former resident of Sarah's who fled widespread violence in Zimbabwe in 2010, lived at Sarah's for nine months. She became a U.S. citizen and earned a bachelor's degree. She is now working on her master's degree in divinity.
"It was a home for me. I came here not knowing who I was anymore, and I had no hope," she said. "The day I walked through the door of Sarah's, it was a total, total change. They became my community. I felt at home."
For more information, including how to register for the anniversary celebration, go to sarahsoasis.org.
James Walsh • 651-925-5041
