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Prayer Service Feb. 23 marks closing of Meredith

Story and photo by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

A closing prayer service Feb. 23 at Meredith Memorial Home in Belleville was a difficult farewell, described as “profoundly sad,” by Meredith board member and diocesan chief financial officer, Bill Knapp.

Former residents, family members, staff and board members attended the prayer service in the chapel at the home that closed its doors at the end of February.

The prayer service, led by Father Gene Neff, included readings by board members and a reflection by Msgr. James Margason, also a board member and pastor at Corpus Christi Parish in Shiloh.

Msgr. Margason said the home became a reality thanks to the generosity of Florence Meredith of East St. Louis who donated the money to purchase the building to be used for the elderly in memory of her father, James L. Meredith.

The chapel, named St. James, installed stained glass windows from the former St. Elizabeth’s Parish in East St. Louis.

When Meredith opened in 1962, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ staffed, organized and lived at the home. Two of the sisters were registered nurses.

In 1996, the Poor Handmaids withdrew from staffing Meredith and a series of lay administrators began taking care of the residents.

Throughout the years, a chaplain continued to celebrate liturgies at Meredith and weekend Masses were open to the public.

In 1997, School Sisters of Notre Dame became residents at the home which continued to give a Catholic identity through the sisters to the home.

For the last eight years, Sue Neuharth has been administrator of Meredith.
“It’s been the greatest joy of my life being here,” Neuharth said.

She helped residents find new homes, inviting facilities to make presentations and then taking residents to visit the homes they chose.

With the advanced age of most residents at Meredith, moving them to a new location was difficult, especially those who had lived at Meredith for a number of years.

Neuharth said she wanted to make sure residents felt comfortable in their new surroundings.

She continues to visit residents in their new locations, and some of them returned to participate in the prayer service.
While Neuharth said the prayer service brought some sense of closure to the people, “it upset the residents some to see it again.”

Helen Martin, one of those residents, put her arms around Neuharth and cried. Her new residence is fine, but “it just isn’t home,” she told Neuharth.

When the closing was announced, about 40 people called Meredith home with 21 employees working there, Neuharth said.

At press time two employees had found new jobs; up to four are considering retirement; and the remaining staff members are looking for work.

Meredith would have closed for financial reasons, even if the diocese had received a state license or certificate to build an assisted living facility, for which it had applied in 2009, Knapp said.

The diocese learned from a state web site that 18 certificates for facilities had been granted, and no information was available if that was the entire list. “We have still received no word from the state,” Knapp said.

Now, the diocese is anticipating the sale of the building to the city of Belleville March 15 for $487,500.

In addition, the diocese will hold an auction beginning at 10 a.m. March 20 for furnishings, kitchen items, tools and pews from the chapel, Neuharth said. No preview of the items will be available.