(6 pm: Opening Reception for Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage Exhibit; 7 pm: Perspectives on the St. Joseph’s Orphanage Restorative Inquiry. With Brenda Hannon, Katelin Hoffman, and Marc Wennberg)

The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum will host the Voices of St. Joseph’s Orphanage Exhibition from May 6 through June 30, 2024, in the Athenaeum Hall Gallery on the second floor of the Library. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The St. Joseph’s Orphanage in Burlington was home to more than 13,000 children from 1854 to 1974. Although the Catholic-run institution was held in high regard in the community, accounts began to emerge in the 1990s from scores of former orphanage residents describing abuse at the hand of nuns and other clerical personnel.

The Athenaeum will host an opening reception at 6 pm followed by a special event with a group of former residents who will discuss the restorative inquiry project, their successful efforts to change Vermont law, and their future goals.