The creation of St. Jude’s parish made it necessary to provide for church facilities and a parochial school. Last year 18 classrooms and the church were completed.

Six of the classrooms were used to house the temporary church. Last school year the parish operated a school for the first four grades and a kindergarten with lay teachers.

Before religious teachers could be received they had to be provided with living quarters, so a convent had to be built. Construction was started at the beginning of January of this year. From the beginning, the pastor, Father John S. Stapleton, stressed the need for providing the sisters with a home conducive to working and praying.

The chapel was designed to create a devotional atmosphere. The roof ridge rises up towards the altar supported by a cross. The sides of the ceiling meet the ridges like the palms of hands joined in prayer.

The marble altar, designed by the architect, was donated by the mother of the late Reverend James Boyce, the former chancellor of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and pastor of St. Joseph’s in Athens in his memory.

The main entrance level is between the bedroom level one-half flight of stairs up and the living level one-half flight of stairs down.

This permits the building to fit into the sloping contour of the land (an, also, it saves several nice trees). Another advantage is that the sisters will save several steps on the stairs.

To the right of the main stairway is a small parlor with carpeted floor to received visitors. To the left of the stairs is a larger parlor. One door of the parlor leads to a large, 30’ long screened-in porch with a small exposed garden. Another door leads to the community room. There is generous built-in shelving for books.

The community room has three large glass sliding doors leading into a large paved terrace running the length of the community and refectory. With the appropriate garden furniture, it will provide a recreation and mediation area. The community room table was specially designed by the architect to seat ten nuns. It was designed to confirm to the regulations of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart. A similar table was done in the same manner for the refectory.

The kitchen has all the most modern equipment; birch counters, birch wall cabinets, Formica tops, stainless steel, double-decker oven, large, commercial-type, double refrigerator, dishwasher, range, and exhaust hood.

The sister superior’s suite consists of an office and bedroom with closets and adjacent bathroom. In addition, there are nine bedrooms for the sisters. Four of these bedrooms have sliding glass doors and small balconies. Each of the 11 bedrooms has average size lavatory with hot and cold running water and medicine cabinet and mirror and generous closet with folding doors.

The convent is fully air-conditioned. For the warm seasons, a large attic fan is provided, saving the air-conditioning operation in the season between hot and cold.

The building is of weathered Stone Mountain granite to conform and blend with the design of the school.

Architect of the convent is Albert O. Ordway, A.I.A., of Atlanta.