Extension Magazine - Fall 2021

Extension | Fall 2021 29
Soon after arriving, Sister
Julia knew she wanted
to start something for the
kids in the community.
“I think God looked at
these kids in the projects,
wanted something better
for them and sent me,” Sister
Julia said.
The East St. Louis Housing
Authority had recently
been taken over by the federal
government. Seeing this as a time
to capitalize, Sister Julia asked
the new regime if she could have
a 100-unit building at the Griffin
homes.
They gave her the building.
After some renovations, Griffin
Center was born.
AFFIRMING EMBATTLED
CHILDREN
Initially looking to meet families
in the new community she
was called to serve, Sister Julia
launched a summer day camp for
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Lumen
Christi
AWARD
FINALIST
kids as her first program
at Griffin Center.
“These people didn’t
know me at all and it
was going to be hard to
break in, but people love
to get rid of their kids in
the summertime,” she
quipped.
The summer camp allowed
Sister Julia to build
relationships with the parents of
the children enrolled. Momentum
from the camp’s success paved
the way for Sister Julia to launch
an after-school program. Gradually,
more funding funneled in, including
support from Catholic Extension.
It allowed Griffin Center
to hire additional staff, add trips
to museums, launch educational
programs and expand to new locations
in East St. Louis.
Today Griffin Center offers its
after-school and summer programs
at five East St. Louis public
housing locations, serving approximately
350 children each
year. The programs started by Sister
Julia are influential in helping
children develop essential life
skills and go on to lead successful,
impactful lives.
“We’ve had many, many students
who have begun now to not
only finish high school but go to
college,” she said. “They come
back and have good jobs and are
raising families in a very positive
way with their own children.”
Sister Julia, now 86, no longer
serves as director of Griffin Center
but continues as its business
manager and a dedicated fundraiser.
Her heart remains forever
entrenched in East St. Louis,
with the families and children she
serves.
The inspiring story of Sister Julia
and her life-altering ministry
is a continuation of the Catholic
Church’s long history of innovative
models of education
that serve the most disadvantaged
children in the country. With
Griffin Center as a shining example
of impact, Catholic Extension
is working to help expand summer
learning, family literacy and
after-school programs in the most
underserved communities and regions
of the United States, especially
where traditional Catholic
schools may be financially unfeasible
or are no longer present.
“The Diocese of Belleville is
proud of Sister Julia; her tireless
work has made a world of difference
in the lives of so many impoverished
children,” said Bishop
of Belleville Michael McGovern. “I,
along with many other people, see
the light of Christ shine brightly in
Sister Julia’s life.”