Bishop accepts recommendation to sell Center for Spiritual Development

by Mark Kemmeter

The Book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there are many "times" under heaven's purposes. Changes happen and life moves on. Thus, after twenty years of service, the Center for Spiritual Development in Bird Island will be sold.

Bishop John C. Nienstedt has accepted the recommendations of a special study committee and the diocesan College of Consultors to sell the former Center for Spiritual Development building. The Center was a joint project of the diocese and the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Mankato province for more than twenty years. The diocese provided and maintained the facility which was originally constructed as a convent for St. Mary School in the 1950's. The Notre Dame Sisters provided the staff who offered the services and conducted the programs of the Center.

In recent years, the pool of Notre Dame Sisters available for spiritual development ministry declined. Because of this personnel shortage, sisters from other religious communities were hired to complete the staff. In June of 2001, the School Sisters of Notre Dame officially ended their sponsorship of the Center. Two staff members, members of other religious communities, graciously proposed to continue the operation of the Center by reducing overhead and by increasing a subsidy from the diocese. This was deemed the best alternative to suspension of the Center's activity or closure, especially since the diocese was without a bishop.

In December of 2001, additional unbudgeted funds were requested for the operation of the Center. The Diocesan Finance Office reviewed the request along with the projected income and expenses for the next six months of operation. The projections indicated that an additional $40,000 to $50,000 would be required to sustain the Center for the remainder of the fiscal year. Because the diocesan budget is partially supported by investment income and the economic effect of the attack of September 11 was still unclear, any request for additional funding required extensive scrutiny.

The condition of the facility also had to be taken into consideration. The building was designed as a convent for the school staff. It was purchased by the diocese in the early 1980's to serve as a permanent home for the Center for Spiritual Development. Prior to that time, the Center rented space in the convent at St. Aloysius, Olivia. The Bird Island facility was a brick building with cement floors. Hence, air conditioning and handicap accessibility alterations would prove to be extremely costly. The small size of the city lot limited any possibilities for expanding the facility. Bishop Lucker had maintained the building but had refused to allow any major repairs, such as tuckpointing.

For both financial and facility reasons, then, the Center was closed. In March of 2002, Bishop Nienstedt established a study committee headed by Fr. John G. Berger to examine possibilities for the future of the site at Bird Island. The committee recommended to the Bishop that the building should be sold and that efforts should be made to continue the ministry of the Center by providing opportunities for spiritual development to the people of the diocese.

It is with great sadness that the Center's doors have closed. The ministry of spiritual development has been a blessing for decades to the diocese and a spiritual oasis for the community of Bird Island. It cannot be fully replaced. However, the diocese will continue to explore various alternatives to build upon the work which the Center for Spiritual Development has begun.

Mark Kemmeter is Coordinator of Staff for the Diocese of New Ulm.