Sacred Space to Tend the Spirit

By Jeff Smith

What to do when you have a building with thousands of square feet of empty, accessible space with beautiful views of forest, farmland, meadows, and historic buildings? Here in Brentwood, you put it to use as a place of welcome! 

Stretching back to their earliest days, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, N.Y. (CSJ) have a rich history of hospitality — welcoming the “dear neighbor without distinction.” Through the years, infants, children, students, young adults, elders, women impacted by poverty and incarceration, persons struggling with illness, and immigrants have experienced the warmth of a CSJ welcome in one of our residences, hospitals, or schools. 

In 2025, we are excited to continue our Congregation’s commitment to hospitality through our newest ministry — the Sisters of St. Joseph Spirituality Center. Embracing the words of our founder inviting us to “Tend your spirit. Let it resemble the God of Great Love” (Maxim 41). The Spirituality Center will be a sacred space open to anyone seeking to encounter the Divine. 

Located on the third floor of the La Providencia building at our motherhouse campus, the Spirituality Center is currently a work in progress as our dedicated construction and painting teams install doors and walls, paint, rewire, update plumbing, and restore terrazzo floors to their original beauty. 

By spring, the transformation will be complete, and a formerly under-utilized area of La Providencia will be a warm, welcoming space that includes 50 bedrooms, state-of-the-art conference rooms, a library, sitting areas, and a kitchen. It will serve as a setting for our Congregation’s spirituality programs, and it will be available to schools, parishes, community groups, and individuals for day and overnight use. Visitors will have access to the beautiful, renovated La Providencia Chapel for prayer and liturgical celebrations, and be able to encounter God’s goodness in the natural beauty of our 211-acre Brentwood Campus. 

“Tend your spirit. Let it resemble the God of Great Love.” –Maxim 41

You are welcome to make the Center your sacred space for tending the spirit by visiting, taking part in a program, or making a retreat. 

You can also be a part of this ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph by contributing to the Spirituality Center. With your generosity, we will complete the renovation of the third floor so that the Center can be launched by late Spring 2026. 

For more information, please reach out to Jorge DeJesus, Director of Mission Advancement, at dejesus@csjbrentwood.org or 631.273.1187 x150.