St. Joseph Renewal Center
The mission of the St. Joseph Renewal Center is to extend an invitation to dwell in the house of the Lord through prayer, reflection and renewal in order to deepen a lived Catholic spirituality in daily life.
Come Join Us!
Located in Old Town of the nation's oldest city across from the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse are the buildings of Villa Flora and Brown Hall. Villa Flora and Brown Hall are more than mere buildings.They hold a special place in the history of St. Augustine as well as the Sisters of St. Joseph.
Villa Flora was built in 1898 as a winter residence and was famous for its gardens. The Villa once belonged to a Baptist minister and his wife from Minneapolis. Included in the building are a massive porch base of coquina, decorative glass work in the windows and a raised basement, a rare find in Florida. The bottom of the Villa has been used for a kindergarten. Many St. Augustine natives often comment about attending kindergarten at Villa Flora. They fondly recall memories of Sister Patrick Theresa who was the longtime kindergarten teacher.
In 1975, Brown Hall was constructed behind the Villa to serve as a formation house for Sisters. It was named after Sister Theresa Joseph Brown, the Reverend Mother who purchased Villa Flora and surrounding property in 1941. Brown Hall features ten bedrooms with shared bathrooms, a gathering space, and a peaceful courtyard, recently re-landscaped in the setting of native Florida gardens.
The Villa Flora parlor provides an attractive space for small gatherings of about 30 people. The room features high ceilings, crown molding, inlaid wood floors, two fireplaces and unique stained glass windows. The design of Brown Hall is perfect for weekend or day retreats. Groups or individuals can stay in one of the ten bedrooms and use the conference room for their meeting.
Interested In The Renewal Center?
If you are interested in Spiritual Direction, Days of Reflection or a Retreat for a group or Parish, please submit inquiry here.