The Daughters of Charity took seriously the commandment to love one another. In 1834 they established the St. Joseph Academy and Orphan Asylum at Fourth and Marshall. Today Central Virginia knows the institution as St. Joseph’s Villa on Brook Road in Henrico. For 175 years the villa has helped children and families in need. It resembles a garment whose hem is touched by people in search of healing and restoration. St. Joseph’s offers a variety of services, including camps, treatment programs, and emergency shelters. Children go there to learn and to become what they are. The campus projects peace.

The purpose of St. Joseph’s Villa hasn’t changed much over its 175 years. It began as a small orphanage for girls in downtown Richmond, led by three religious women, and has evolved into a center where hundreds of children with special needs receive an education and the therapeutic care they require. The vision of its founders, the Daughters of Charity, was “to establish a community that would care for, protect and educate children who had no one else to look after them,“ said St. Joseph’s Villa’s CEO Kathleen Burke Barrett.

VIS Girl’s Tennis Championship When the Top 2-seeded teams match up in any sport, expect fireworks. Tied four-all after eight matches, the state title came down to the final doubles match and the Collegiate duo of Hannah Carl and Frankie O’Neill defeated St. Catherine’s Charlotte Bemmiss and Ellie Whitlock, 11-9 as the Cougars came away with the 5-4 win and the 2009 VIS State Championship.

Katherine Saffelle rallied from 4-1 down to win her singles match and Callie Whitlock continued her dominance against League of Independent Schools opponents as St. Catherine’s rolled past Norfolk Academy to advance to the Virginia Independent Schools championship. Whitlock won both her matches to maintain an unbeaten records against LIS opponents in singles and doubles. St. Catherine’s will face Collegiate for the state title today at noon. St. Catherine’s 8,
Norfolk Academy 1

Despite the cold, wet and wind, the Collegiate and St. Catherine’s field hockey teams warmed to the task in the semifinals of the Virginia Independent Schools Division I tournament. Top-seeded Collegiate defeated Episcopal 1-0 (OT, 2-0 on strokes) and No. 3 seed St. Catherine’s eliminated second-seeded St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes 1-0 yesterday on the turf at Collegiate’s main campus.

The “new urbanism” style of development that Bon Secours Richmond Health System envisions for its St. Francis Medical Center in Chesterfield County also would guide future development of its St. Mary’s Hospital in Henrico County under proposals presented last night. The St. Mary’s campus would become more pedestrian friendly and show a more architecturally pleasing face to Monument Avenue under the conceptual plans, which look five, 20 and 40 years into the future.

Bon Secours is investing $30 million and bringing 100 new jobs to Chesterfield County, making for the largest economic-development announcement in the county this year. The nonprofit Catholic health system said yesterday that it is building an ambulatory-care campus at the southwest corner of state Route 288 and Midlothian Turnpike at the Watkins Centre, about 4.5 miles from Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center.

MCLEAN—Matias Rodlauer scored in the 59th minute to put Potomac into the semifinals at St. Christopher’s expense. Brendan Doyle made nine saves for the Saints. David Freemyer preserved the win for Potomac with five saves. St. Christopher’s 0 0—0
Potomac 0 1—1
P: M. Rodlauer Saves: Doyle (SC) 9; Freemyer (P) 5

Connor Brewer won a singles and doubles flight to lead Collegiate to the League of Independent Schools title over St. Catherine’s. Callie Whitlock of St. Catherine’s swept the No. 1 singles and doubles flights. RESULTS
Collegiate 48, St. Catherine’s 45
St. Anne’s-Belfield 38
Trinity Episcopal 29
Covenant 15, St. Gertrude 14 No. 1 singles—Callie Whitlock, St. Catherine’s

Jake McGee completed 22 of 28 pass attempts for 336 yards and threw for six TDs as Collegiate (3-1 Prep League, 8-1) swamped St. Christopher’s (1-3, 3-7) 51-24. McGee also rushed four times for 37 yards and a touchdown. Russell Harper had six catches for 86 yards and a score. Alex Newsome had seven receptions for 142 yards and two TDs for the Cougars. Trei Kelley had 4 catches for 48 yards and one score.

With the election of John Andrew Bowersett “Pete” Davies as Culpeper County’s commissioner of the revenue in 1950, Culpeper got a 32-year extension on a family tradition of community service. His mother, Mary Elizabeth Bowersett Davies, and his maternal grandfather, John Andrew Bowersett, had occupied the same post in an unbroken line for a combined 74 years.

FORK UNION—Mamie Robertson led a parade six runners in the top 12 to take St. Catherine’s to the League of Independent Schools tile. Woodberry Forest won the boys title behind Kevin Bennert’s third-place finish. Julia Sroba won the girls competition by over a minute to lead Collegiate to a runner-up finish. Josh Morris won the boys title.

After a scoreless first half, St. Christopher’s was able top Cape Henry Collegiate 3-1 in the opening round of the VIC boys soccer tournament. The Saints got goals from John Asare, Thomas Johnson and Tom Maas to improve to 12-2-4. Goalkeeper Brenden Doyle got a save for fifth-seeded St. Christopher’s that advanced to play No.4 seeded Potomac in Potomac on Monday.

Taylor Thomas saved three penalty strokes and Margaret Williams scored on the final penalty stroke of the shootout to give Collegiate a 2-1 win and its second consecutive Division I League of Independent Schools title. The Cougars lost twice to the Saints in the regular season but grabbed the lead through Margaret Martin in the first half. Wren Schoeffler tied the match with 12:10 to go for the top-seeded Saints. Dana Guillquist made two saves for St. Catherine’s. Collegiate 1 0 0—1 St. Catherine’s 0 1 0—1 (Collegiate 3-2 on penalty strokes)

St. Anne’s-Belfield (11-6) eliminated Collegiate (18-7) in the LIS semifinals yesterday in four close games. Emma Damon had three blocks and three kills, Kali Newlen had six kills and two blocks and Christine Thexton had five kills and three blocks to lead Collegiate. If Collegiate makes the state tournament, their next game will be Tuesday.