Our History

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"Knowing the history of a place helps us to better appreciate what we have now.  There is a rich history here at Saint Joseph Retreat and Conference Center.  From the stories that 'the walls could tell' of students and sisters who walked and lived here, to the beauty of the buildings, the cemetery, and the landscape, there has been a rich deposit of faith being lived on this site since the early 1900s."

We welcome stories and photos from St. Joseph Academy alumnae, the community, associates and friends of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Please share by contacting Fr. David Huemmer at (765) 551-9585 or  fr.dhuemmer@dol-in.org .

Fr. David Huemmer, Spiritual Director

Sister Gertrude Moffitt laid the foundation for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton, Indiana on March 15, 1888. She was invited by Father Lentz of St. John the Baptist in Tipton to establish a school. She began with a small cottage and then a brick building across from the parish. In 1904 the St. Joseph Academy was built on this property. A second building, the St. Joseph Convent, was built in 1910. St. Katharine Hall was built in 1932 to house the gymnasium, auditorium and home economics department. In 1958 St. Joseph Junior College was established for postulants and novices.

As the Order grew in the 1950s, the St. Joseph Motherhouse was built as a residence for the Academy boarders, and as a home for the Sisters in administration and the retired Sisters. After the St. Joseph Academy closed in 1972, and there were fewer novices for the Convent, the Academy building was razed in 1978 followed by the Convent in 1982.

A bungalow style house, built in 1908, has functioned as the St. Mary’s Boys Academy, the Chaplain’s house, and in 1991 was remodeled to serve as a retreat house. A Montana-style log cabin was built in 1989 by an anonymous donor for use as a retreat house.  

The Sisters of St. Joseph operated this facility as a retreat and conference center until the Motherhouse closed on March 27, 2013 when only 14 sisters remained at the property. 
 
In 2016, the Diocese of Lafayette purchased the property and began renovation. The St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center opened September 26, 2017. Prior to purchasing the Sisters of St. Joseph property in Tipton, the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana operated the John XXIII Retreat Center, in Hartford City for 50 years. It closed in 2016.