Our 40-Acre Campus

Athletics 
On the East side of the property is a full-size basketball court and on the West side are two full-size soccer goals. Soccer balls, Footballs, Basketballs and Frisbees are available; please contact the Front Desk. 

This square gazebo was added to our campus in 2022--the work of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Carmel Troop 174 for Luke Cloren's Eagle Scout project. Read more about Luke's Eagle Scout Project on the SJRCC Blog!

Initially, we asked Luke to repair and relocate our previous gazebo which was a 1990 Eagle Scout Project by Trent Tebbe with Tipton Troop 0595. After a structural assessment, it became apparent that a new gazebo would better fit our needs. The 1990 gazebo was removed in 2022 after 32 years on campus. 

Our 2022 gazebo is larger than the previous structer and features screens for the windows and door which protect guests from bugs, birds and wildlife.

Labyrinth
A labyrinth is a massive circle; at the center of it is a smaller circle from which radiates six petals, forming the medieval image of the rose. Surrounding the inner flower are a series of rows folding intestine-like one upon the other making up an elaborate twisting and turning path that runs from the bottom-point of the circumference to the center. A labyrinth is a sacred path with no dead ends, only a circle representing a person's spiritual quest for wholeness. It is offered as a gift to the weary as a way to find spiritual rest and renewal.

Our concrete labyrinth is based off the labyrinth found in Chartres Cathedral in France. It is an 11-circuit labyrinth, meaning that from one edge to the center are 11 circuits, or rows of paths, made by 12 concrete circles (i.e., it is 22 circuits across, plus the center).

Dedicated and blessed on Sunday, June 23, 2002, the labyrinth was made possible in part by a grant from the Tipton County Foundation. It was designed and hand-painted by John Ridder of Paxworks in Indianapolis.

Bridget Brewster, former mission advancement coordinator for the St. Joseph Center, shared that staff and sisters were asked to give the designer a quote or scripture verse. Then, he wrote the quotes along the lines of the labyrinth before he painted in the design. (Story shared in 2022.)

Read more about Labyrinth's on the SJRCC Blog.

The Walsh Walk  
Take the path from the St. Joseph’s entrance to the west around to The Walsh Walk. As you walk, learn about the Kokomo family of Mary Elizabeth (Heckman) and Ambrose Walsh, their five children and extended family who were family and friends to the Sisters of St. Joseph for a century. Dedicated August 12, 2000, this accessible walk is .14 miles from the front door of St. Joseph's and back. A bench is available along the path. 

St. Joseph Academy Alumnae Garden 
On the West side of the main building, a path leads to where the St. Joseph Academy and St. Joseph Convent once stood. Built in 1904, the St. Joseph Academy was a boarding and day school for young women grades nine through 12. The St. Joseph Convent moved into a new building on this campus in 1910. Previously, the sisters lived in a home across the street from St. John's Catholic Church in Tipton. These buildings, along with the Motherhouse that was constructed in 1956, were used for the school until its closure in 1972. From 1958 until 1972, postulants and novices were educated at St. Joseph's Junior College here as well. In 1977 the Academy and Convent buildings were razed.    

To honor the Sisters and students, the St. Joseph Academy Alumnae Garden commemorates this 68-year institution. The west side of the garden features a wall left standing when the Academy was razed. On it sits the statue of St. Joseph donated by an alumnae. The original school bell is featured atop a raised flower bed. Benches and paths allow visitors a place to reflect the Academy and the Convent.  

Adjacent to the Alumnae Garden and behind the Nazareth House is a small garden and bench dedicated to the Sisters of St. Joseph who occupied this campus from 1904 until 2012.

St. Katharine Hall 
Beyond the St. Joseph Academy Alumnae Garden, stands St. Katharine Hall. Built for the Academy in 1932 and Blessed by Bishop Noll, this hall housed the gymnasium, auditorium and home economics departments. While in need of refurbishment, this building is the last architectural remnant of the St. Joseph Academy.

Stations of the Cross 
Our outdoor Stations of the Cross are located along the path to the Cemetery. New to the St. Joseph Academy campus and purchased by the Retreatant’s League in the fall of 1942, the Stations were dedicated and blessed November 1, 1942. In 1967 or 1968, new outdoor stations were erected by the Concord Woodworking Co, Inc, Kempton, IN. The frames and poles, made of redwood, were designed and constructed under the personal supervision of Richard Phillipe, manager and vice president of the company. In 2019, the Stations were refurbished by Dominic Schultz of Kokomo Troop 508 for his Eagle Scout project.