St. Louis Center Opens First Cottage Home for Adult Residents

From Joe Yekulis, St. Louis Center

On a cold Friday afternoon on February 19, 2021, there was plenty of warmth and happiness to go around inside of the “D’Adamo House,” a new six-person cottage home for adult residents in St. Louis Guanella Village at St. Louis Center. This unique home, named for late benefactor Jerry D’Adamo, was formally blessed by the priests of the Servants of Charity to prepare for its occupancy coming soon during the first week of March. The six young men who will be moving into the home participated in this event.

During the opening prayer, Fr. Satheesh Alphonse, the Community Superior, prayed that the Lord would “enter this home and bless it with His presence.” He then advised the residents present to “Seek to make your new home before all else, a dwelling place of love, diffusing far and wide the goodness of Christ.”

Steven points out his new room to Josh.

The Servants of Charity priests who were in attendance with the new residents included Fr. Satheesh, Fr. Enzo Addari, Fr. Joseph Rinaldo, Fr. David Stawasz, Fr. Franklin Arokiadoss, Fr. Amalornathan, and Fr. Leo Joseph Xavier.

Following the opening prayer, Fr. Satheesh blessed the new home with holy water, and the residents and staff walked through the house to check out their new rooms and other great amenities they observed for the first time. Watching the residents, Fr. Enzo Addari, CEO of St. Louis Center, remarked that, “They too were created in the image and likeness of God and deserve to live in a great place like this.”

Phase II of St. Louis Guanella Village has been built through the support of the local community, and the Servants of Charity are grateful for everyone’s help. For more information about St. Louis Center or to donate, please visit www.stlouiscenter.org or call 734-475-8430. St. Louis Center is a residential care facility for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities now operating in its 61st
year.

The transport van sits in front of “D’Adamo” Cottage 6.

Photos: By Kelly Flaherty