Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: Side One: The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, New York, came to Florida in the 1930s. They founded hospitals in Miami, West Palm Beach, St. Petersburg, and Tampa, including St. Anthony’s in St. Petersburg and St. Joseph’s in Tampa. The Franciscan Center’s story began in the 1960s when Joseph Miyares, a Tampa attorney, got to know the Sisters at St. Joseph’s. He was so impressed with their dedication and hospitality that he donated this Riverside Heights property, over 8 acres, to them. He initially suggested the site as a new location for St. Joseph’s Hospital, which was originally located near Ybor City at E. 7th Avenue and N. Morgan Street. At that time, the local Provincial, Sister Lucian Walsh, OSF, recognized the property’s outstanding natural beauty here along the Hillsborough River, and recommended building a retreat center. Sister Lucian initiated the clearing and development of the land, and erected a sea wall. Sister Lucian’s vision was realized in October 1970, when the Franciscan Center opened as a mission for the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. Welcoming to people of all faiths, the center evolved into an oasis for private reflection, retreats, spiritual direction, and hospitality. Side Two: Since opening, the center has welcomed tens of thousands of people. The building can host approximately 80 guests at a time, with over 40 bedrooms and meeting spaces, and it remains wonderfully preserved in time. Throughout its history, the center has regularly hosted retreats with different themes for people of all walks of life. In addition to the center staff, renowned speakers have lead retreats. Among them have been Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Henri Nouwen, Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, Sister Briege McKenna, OSC, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, and Richard Rohr, OFM. The Sabbath House was once a pavilion by the river where dances for young people were held during the 1940s and 1950s. To bridge the past and the present, volunteers and staff collaborated with the University of South Florida’s School of Architecture and Community Design to design and build a new riverside pavilion. The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany who served as the center’s leaders throughout the years are Sister Lucian Walsh, Sister Marion Fanelle, Sister Theresa Collins, Sister Margaret Mary Kimmins, Sister Mary McNally, Sister Cathy Cahill, and Sister Anne Dougherty.