The Sisters of St. Joseph were called back to St. Benedict the Moor Schoolhouse.  They saw beyond the rubble and envisioned the possibilities of returning St. Benedict Schoolhouse to a place of comfort, healing, ministry, and community.

They successfully raised enough funds to remove the school building's dilapidated roof and install tie beams to stabilize the walls, which saved the historic schoolhouse from crumbling. The following year, the school was added to the Florida Black Heritage Trail. 

Following the 1964 Civil Rights Act, desegregation led to the closure of Black schools, including St. Benedict. Its brick schoolhouse fell into disrepair over the following decades.

The judge declared the Sisters of St. Joseph innocent. He ruled the law unconstitutional because it violated citizens' equal rights and privileges. He clarified that the law applied only to public schools, ensuring that Black students could continue receiving the private education they rightfully deserved.

In September of 1883, they established a "select" school for Black children on the third floor of the Sisters of Mercy’s former convent. This school was referred to as "select" because it was the nicest classroom the Sisters had ever used. It came to be known as Saint Cecilia's School.