Around The Diocese

Happy Birthday!

Deacon Mark McDonald, St. Wendel Parish, St. Wendel, and St. Francis Xavier Parish, Poseyville, celebrates his birthday August 25.

Deacon John Huether, Precious Blood parish in Jasper and St. Mary Parish in Ireland, celebrates his birthday August 26.

Father Claude Burns, pastor at St. Philip Parish, Posey County, and Corpus Christi Parish in Evansville, celebrates his birthday Aug. 27.

Happy Anniversary!

Father Michael Madden, a retired priest of the Diocese of Evansville, was ordained to the priesthood Aug. 22, 1975.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Pedro Méndez, Diocesan Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry, and his wife Emily on the birth of their son, Stephen Javier Méndez.

Madonna Hall to be Deconstructed

The Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand will deconstruct Madonna Hall, which has been vacant since the 2000 closing of the Marian Heights Academy girls’ boarding school.

The five-story, 105,000-square-foot Madonna Hall opened in 1970 as a residence hall for Academy students on the grounds of Monastery Immaculate Conception.

Sister Barbara Lynn Schmitz, prioress, said, “For 16 years, our community and various consultants have unsuccessfully tried to repurpose Madonna Hall, to find an entity that could use it for a ministry or a business. But interested parties have deemed it too large for the population of this area; plus it does not meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and it would require an incredible amount of renovation expense.

“While sitting idle, Madonna Hall has inevitably deteriorated. The economic reality is too much to ignore. So we feel it prudent to no longer spend money on this facility.”

It is hoped to begin deconstruction by late fall and finish by the sisters’ Summer Social on June 2-3, 2017.

“Although it will be difficult to see this building gone,” said Sister Barbara Lynn, “we look forward to how opening up this area will provide opportunities for sustainability and growth. It will allow us to create a closer entrance to our church that is more accessible for the sisters and monastery guests, particularly those with mobility issues. In addition, it enables us to invest our finances more into ministries and the people we serve and less into an aging facility.”

Submitted by Laura Reckelhoff, Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana