Diocese of Covington - Messenger at 402 E. 21st Street, Covington, KY 41015 US - Effort for new retreat and conference center to begin

With Bishop Roger Foys’ approval, Michael Murray, stewardship director for the diocese, will begin communication with potential donors through a series of mailings in the coming weeks. 

“I have begun a project that will transform the Catholic Center at Marydale, Erlanger, into the new St. Pius X Retreat and Conference Center at Marydale,” Bishop Foys writes in a letter to potential donors introducing the effort, “Renew All Things in Christ.” “This new center will provide the comfort, privacy and spiritual counsel necessary for retreatants to hear the Lord as they contemplate life’s questions.” 

The interior of the former Catholic Center will be transformed into a 27,000 square foot facility in three phases. Phase I will encompass the bedrooms, kitchen and dining room. The second phase will renovate the lobby and reception area, followed by upgrades of the conference rooms and assembly room. Once started, the work will take about one year at an estimated cost of $3.5 million (which includes $1 million as an endowment for maintenance and future improvements). Only donations specifically designated to the project will be used. 

The new retreat and conference center will feature 51 bedrooms suitable for single people or married couples, with private baths and room-level heating and air conditioning controls. The kitchen, dining room and assembly room will be completely upgraded and refurnished. 

The chapel — the heart of the retreat center — was restored five years ago, and features stained glass windows, a hand-carved reredos framing the altar, polished marble and a pipe organ.

The diocesan retreat program was established in 1952. The present Marydale Retreat Center, built in 1956, with a south wing added in 1972, can serve 57 guests and generally only one retreat at a time. The new center can eventually accommodate twice or even triple the number of guests, and can offer simultaneous retreats and conferences, as well as expansion of programs such as Couple Retreats, Marriage and Engaged Encounters, Cursillo groups, and youth retreats.

The St. Pius X Seminary building, dedicated in 1960, was renamed the Catholic Center in 1988 and was home to the Chancery and other diocesan offices and ministries until 2005.

For more information about the “Renew All Things in Christ” effort, contact Michael Murray, director of the diocesan Stewardship and Mission Office, (859) 392-1540 or e-mail mmurray@covingtondiocese.org.