A Glimpse of Mission History

The Casa Feliz Orphanage was a program of the Mission beginning in the 1960’s. It came into being because children were being orphaned as a result of violence during the Civil War which lasted from 1960 until 1996. The School Sisters of Notre Dame began caring for kids in their living space until they quickly outgrew it. A couple of iterations later, Casa Feliz was built to house the dozens of children now orphaned by the increasing violence. The School Sisters and other volunteers (like Bridget Hermer, current FOSL Board Member) helped to run the orphanage until it was no longer necessary.

Several “graduates” of Casa Feliz currently work for the Mission and the dilapidated building was eventually bought by Katie Wallyn who has restored it and turned it into a headquarters for her charitable organization named LEAST. Enjoy these photos of the Casa Feliz Orphanage, and the School Sisters and children who were part of this special community.