Testimonials

The Rebirth of a Neighborhood: Sister Lillian LaMoureux

Sister Lillian LaMoureux has lived and worked almost all of her 84 years in the Moody and Merrimack street areas of the Acre. Over the decades, she has witnessed her beloved neighborhood decline into ruin and then proudly rise again.

On every block, at every intersection, Sister Lillian LaMoureux has a story to tell of her beloved Acre neighborhood. Born 84 years ago in 1925, she and her five brothers and sisters were raised in a small house on Moody Street – a lot that is now the site of a new city playground being developed by Coalition for a Better Acre and the City of Lowell.

Walking by the playground, she points to the third floor of the stately brick building at 517 Moody St. “Up there, up in the corner, that was my room.” Now the offices of Coalition for a Better Acre, the building was for decades the St. Joseph’s convent where Sister Lillian lived with her fellow Grey Nuns.

“And over there, that’s where I taught.” She points to the lovely brick structure next door housing the newly refurbished St. Joseph’s Apartments – what was St. Joseph’s Elementary School for more than 100 years. “And over there, too.” She gestures toward 760 Merrimack St., the former St. Joseph’s High School, vacant since 1993, but soon to house 22 affordable housing units.

“This whole complex—the convent, elementary school, high school, church—was my life,” she says. “It absolutely broke my heart to see all these beautiful buildings closed up and deteriorating in front of our eyes. And how wonderful it is now to see them all come back to life again.”

In the past few years, the CBA has literally transformed this section of the Acre, starting with the Moody Street corridor. CBA completed the convent renovation for its offices in 2002. In 2006 and 2007, CBA invested $14 million in property improvements to the 267-unit North Canal Apartments, including new kitchens and baths, flooring, high-efficiency heating systems, and landscaping and paving. The St. Joseph’s apartments – an adaptive reuse of the historic school building – welcomed tenants in 2008. In May 2009 CBA purchased the severely distressed multi-family properties at 474-486 Moody St. and replaced them in 2011 with 23 new housing units. Across the street, the city worked with CBA to invest local CDBG funds to redevelop the playground.

Over on Merrimack Street, the former St. Joseph’s High School, where Acre youth were educated for more than 100 years, has a new lease on life. Empty and in disuse since the high school closed its doors, the historically significant building was adapted to create 22 affordable rental units. “The Grey Nuns would be very, very pleased at what’s being done to this building now,” says Sister Lillian, now a member of the Sisters for Christian Community.

“The Grey Nuns were founded to take care of the poor, and it is so appropriate that this building will continue to serve those who need it most.”

Sister Lillian’s heart is full as she sees her beloved neighborhood being brought back alive, restored rather than destroyed, honoring and preserving its history.

A savvy businesswoman as well as a nun – she obtained her law degree at 66 – Sister Lillian has monitored CBA closely over the years and has identified their solid recipe for success: “They know how to get the funding, they’re close with the residents so they understand their needs, and they are committed to the neighborhood. That’s how you transform a neighborhood.”