Sr. Joann's View from the Terrace

Sister Joann Sosler, OSBM stands atop a concrete terrace as hundreds of students and their families mill about on the cobblestone patio below. The Manor College graduates finished their ceremony moments earlier and met their loved ones to take photos, snag ice cream and celebrate the momentous occasion. 

As they did, Sosler stood alone for more than 20 minutes. She said hardly a word, basking in the moment. She remained uninterrupted – whether by choice or by fate.

In the days prior, more than two inches of rain fell in Jenkintown, forcing the ceremony into Manor College’s 1960s-era, wood paneled gym. A cool breeze worked it’s way through the campus. 

“Isn’t this a beautiful day?” Sister Joann said to me. She wasn’t talking about the weather.  

***

Sister Joann is the Provincial of the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great. The community of Ukrainian nuns came to the United States in 1911. They started an orphanage in Philadelphia and provided financial support through a carpet weaving business and a printing press. 

In 1926, they bought 130 acres of land in Fox Chase. The land now sits in Jenkintown, a stone’s throw from the Fox Chase neighborhood in northern-most Philadelphia. Five years later, the Sisters opened St. Basil Academy - a convent boarding school for girls that over decades, became an all-girls college preparatory school. 

Manor College formed in 1947. Initially named St. Macrina College, the institution hosted a first class of eleven students. 

The two institutions – Basil’s and Manor – sat across Fox Chase Road from each other for seven decades. Then, the COVID pandemic occurred. Basil’s announced its permanent closure. Manor, now under lay leadership, remained open. 

Even closed, Basil’s remained a quiet beauty along a less travelled road in a busy suburban neighborhood. Pink and white cherry blossom trees lined a pair of asphalt pathways to the school. Deer and other wild animals roamed the back of the property where generations of girls learned to run track of play softball. 

It’s hard to fathom how tightly knit this neighborhood is. Manor College sits directly across the street. The Sisters’ Motherhouse and the original St. Basil’s Academy is less than two football fields away. About 30-or-so Sisters, including Sister Joann, can see the St. Basil’s Academy property out of their windows.

For years, the Sisters, alumni and neighbors waited to hear of the fate of the school. In 2025, they got their answer. 

Toll Brothers, a luxury homebuilder based in Fort Washington, purchased the property with plans to build a 150-home community for 55 and older buyers. By mid-April, bulldozers prepped the property for demolition. The cherry blossoms were the first to go.

***

Manor College’s Commencement Ceremony took place on May 15. After the ceremony, I walked out of the gym and onto the patio before taking this picture. 

After we chatted, I couldn’t help but think of Sister the rest of the day. I’d take some photos of the graduates, and she kept overlooking the crowd. This went on for at least 20 minutes. 

In this moment, I still don’t know what Sister thought as she looked down on the crowd. Did she even have a thought? Was this more than just a breathe of fresh air and positivity? 

I didn’t ask, but I hope she experienced the same thing that I feel now – thankful for being able to witness such a happy day and a truly transformative day in the lives of so many.