Sisters Lelia Pond, Mary Omer, and Cosma formed the first SSND community in Rome.

While the Congregation owned property on the edge of Rome it had been idle for years.  Those who knew the area thought that the smartest move was to find a buyer for the land. The homeless who occupied the land were considered Communists and they saw that trying to displace them would be dangerous. So the congregation agreed to sell the land and they directed their attention to the following points. Why leave Germany and why move to Rome?

• • It is the wish of the Holy Father
  • We are not a German congregation. We are not an American Congregation. Roman is the center of the Catholic Church, not one country.
  • We needed to act immediately. The rules in Rome said only one Generalate for each congregation. If there was a one-time branch of the SSND and they set up a generalate in Rome this would block us from having our headquarters in Rome.

The sisters met with Cardinal Valerio Valeri was happy at the prospect of the generalate moving to Rome. With that, the wheels began to move.