Celebrate our 5th Anniversary with Mass and Open House

Join us for our 5th anniversary celebration Monday, September 26, 2022. Festivities begin with 9 am Mass in the historic St. Joseph Chapel with Most Reverend Timothy L. Doherty, S.T.L., Ph.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana and Father David Huemmer, chaplain and spiritual director of the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center. Following Mass, guests may enjoy cookies and punch. Tours of the facility will be offered until 3 pm.

The celebration is free, but guests are asked to RSVP at https://www.stjosephretreat.org/sjrcc-5th-anniversary-mass-open-house.

The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana purchased this 40-acre campus from the Congregation of St. Joseph in April of 2016 to establish a retreat center at the population center of the 24-county diocese. The previous retreat center, the John XXIII Retreat Center in Hartford City, IN, closed at the end of 2016 after 50 years of ministry.

Prior to the purchase, the campus was home to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton who built a girl’s academy here in 1904 and a Motherhouse in 1957. They operated the academy until 1972. In addition to campus retreats, they opened a successful senior living facility in 1992. In 2012, the Congregation of St. Joseph, of which the Tipton Sisters were a member, recommended closing the property.

The remaining Sisters were pleased to sell the property to the Diocese knowing the Catholic mission and values would live on, and that the chapel would be saved. The facility had been used as Motherhouse, an academy, and a senior living facility. The common thread through all of those years was a retreat center. The Sisters of St. Joseph were the first Sisters of the Fort Wayne Diocese to open their convent to lay women for a retreat for “spiritual accounting away from the turmoil of the noisy city” in 1915.

The first retreat at St. Joseph’s was the four-day Christian Awakening Retreat for Cathedral High School seniors which began September 26, 2017.

“We’ve had the great blessing of serving both large groups and small over the past five years—some of these have come from the outside and others developed out of our own programming,” said Father Huemmer who leads the popular weekend silent retreats, among others. “From all of this we’ve been able to develop friendships, partnerships and opportunities to grow in faith and rejoice in all the wonderful things the Lord has been able to do here, for retreat guests and staff at St. Joseph’s.”

Brandt Construction, Inc. conducted renovations including remodeling, painting and carpeting throughout the three-story building as well as associated mechanical, plumbing and electrical work. Diocesan staff installed new network hardware, a server, and software. Design work was conducted by Entheos Architects, Circle Design Group, McGee Designhouse and Vorndran & Associates. Engineering work for the sanitary sewer project was done by HWC Engineering.

In addition, workers spent a year restoring the St. Joseph Chapel to its original size and style, including a new angel chapel mural mounted to the altar wall. The 260 seat chapel retains two shrines, original stained glass, and statues of Mary, Joseph with the child Jesus and stations of the cross all crafted from Lindenwood. The chapel had been downsized in 1996 for ease of use for the aging Sisters.

Father David Huemmer was appointed chaplain and spiritual director in September 2017. Prior to being ordained in 2010, Father Huemmer spent 14-years teaching fifth grade. He has served at St. Joan of Arc and St. Patrick in Kokomo and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Carmel. He holds a certificate of teaching prayer and a certificate in retreat ministry from the three-year Spiritual Direction Training Program given by the Institutes of Priestly Formation.

Terence “Terry” Connelly joined the staff in January 2022 as director of hospitality and operations. Michael “Sean” Cardwell has served as maintenance supervisor since March 2018. Twyla Arnold became part-time marketing specialist in June 2018. Stacy Collins took on the role of part-time hospitality & events associate in February 2022. The maintenance staff includes longtime technician Bruce Freeman and landscaper Mindy Sampson. Housekeeping is led by Tammy Shepherd. Catering is available through Keltie & Co. Catering, an extension of The Angry Donkey restaurant in Michigantown, IN.

“The retreat center continues to grow through the gracious support of parishioners and friends of our diocese,” said Connelly. “We are focused on creating a place where people can encounter Christ and renew their spirit in a peaceful, inviting atmosphere. We’re excited to play a quiet part in facilitating the spiritual development of our guests and we look forward to welcoming even more in the future.”