By Stephen Floyd
The impending sale of Queen of Angels Monastery in Mount Angel will mean larger spaces for local Catholic ministries, although details of the transitions must still be hammered out.
Catholic Community Services (CCS) is expected to finalize its purchase of the monastery this month and plans to move its transitional housing program, St. Joseph’s Shelter, into the facility.
Meanwhile the property currently housing St. Joseph’s Shelter is being purchased from CCS by Father Bernard Youth Center (FBYC) in a deal they hope to finalize Dec. 18.
The transitions will not be immediate and current programs are expected to stay in place for at least a year as parties complete site plans and undertake renovations.
The move will not have a significant geographical impact, as St. Joseph’s Shelter is just down the road from the monastery on Main Street and FBYC is across the road from the shelter.
FBYC Executive Director Sister Jeanine Tisot said the move will double the space available for youth programs and retreats. She said the goal is to have a facility where “people can come to pray, reflect, play, and experience a deepening faith in Christ.”
Our Town reached out to CCS to learn details of their purchase and transition plan and did not hear back by deadline.
CCS agreed to purchase the monastery last spring as the Benedictine Sisters of Mount Angel transitioned out of the facility, which for 134 years had been their home. Members of the order were fewer and more advanced in years and the building no longer met their needs. By June the Sisters had moved into local senior living communities.
The Sisters remain active in ministry and maintain an office in the monastery, and are expected to continue using this space after the sale to CCS.
The Sisters were already partnering with CCS before this transition. In 2017 CCS took over operations at St. Joseph’s Shelter which the Sisters founded in 1988. The program offers transitional housing for families in crisis and is located on the former campus for Mt. Angel Academy and Mt. Angel College, which closed in the 1970s.
The former campus consists of eight acres with three dorm buildings – Bernard Hall, Marmion Hall and Casa Adele – as well as three metal outbuildings. Tisot said FBYC plans to purchase the entire property and eventually move all of its programs into the campus.
Bernard Hall currently houses St. Joseph Shelter and Mission Benedict, a food bank and resource center. CCS has said it plans to relocate both programs to the monastery after renovating the dorms in the main building into single-family apartments.
Marmion Hall is partially used as dorms for FBYC retreats and for student mentors, and the remainder would be renovated to expand these offerings, said Tisot.
Casa Adele provides affordable housing for seasonal migrant workers through a program founded by the Sisters and currently run by CCS. Tisot said, after the purchase, CCS is expected to continue operating Casa Adele.
Details of FBYC’s purchase were still being finalized as of press time. Tisot said they had proposed a $2.5 million sale with a $500,000 down payment due Dec. 18. Tisot said they are confident they can raise the amount through community support.
Additional renovations are expected to cost between $2.5 million and $3.5 million, while operations and maintenance would be supported through a proposed endowment fund.
FBYC does not plan to leave their current facility at 980 S. Main St. for the time being, Tisot said. It is on land owned by the Sisters that would be included in the sale to CCS. Their lease does not expire until 2041 and Tisot said this will provide time to raise funds and plan for FBYC programs to move across the street.
She said community members can show support through direct donations, as well as by their annual auction fundraiser set for April 6, 2024. She also said her “door is always open” for residents who see an opportunity for the youth center’s ministry to improve or expand.
“We imagine many opportunities to serve more young people,” she said. “…Churches are doing great work with families and young people, and we want to add and compliment all they are doing.”
