When I received an email last Friday morning fromOBUMarketing Communications Director Bryan Painter about an official announcement concerning future plans for the OBU Green Campus (formerly St. Gregory’s University), it drew my curiosity.
I contacted the Abbot of St. Gregory’s Abbey, the Rt. Rev. Lawrence Stasyszen, who I have known long before he became Abbot. He and I have been friends for more than 30 years.
In fact, when he was president at St. Gregory’s University, I was already on the Board of Directors, serving 13 years and rolling off in 2008. I’m alumnus of St. Gregory’s and have developed a tie with the monks of the Abbey and others from there throughout the years.
When I texted him Friday after receiving Bryan’s announcement, he confirmed there was something big coming that day at 1:15. He invited me to attend and said it was something they’d been working on for almost two years.
I went to the announcement, arriving early. I had the opportunity to visit with the Abbot and Dr. Heath Thomas, OBU president, who I had never met. As a small crowd gathered, we made made casual conversation, anxiously awaiting what they were about to tell us.
It was a property exchange agreement. In exchange for the transfer of the 74-acre OBU Green Campus, previously St. Gregory’s University, back to the Abbey, OBU is to receive two parcels of land for future development totaling 134 acres in Shawnee.
I sat down on Monday of this week with Father Abbot. One of the first questions I posed to him, because the subject seemed to be on the minds of a lot of people, was what are the plans now that the Abbey has back the 74 acres and buildings OBU had acquired several years ago?
“I can say the monks are not interested in establishing some type of school whether that be at the lower grades or Higher Education level,” FatherAbbot said.
He noted, “We have been approached by more than one educational institution of making use of the facilities. We would consider whether or not making some facilities available for educational purposes if feasible or desirable.”
The Abbot commented that after OBU had acquired the campus several years ago, the monastic community had created a site development plan with the vision of creating “for our institution, retreat and conference facilities.”
That plan included the site for a new entrance from northeast of the monastery from Leo Street. I had been aware of that.
The Abbot further explained, “We had begun a capital campaign for the project and had several lead donations. That campaign had to be suspended in the first month due to the COVID pandemic. We have preserved and invested those donations.”
He indicated that as discussions began with OBU, it became apparent the monks’new site development plan might no longer be needed. “We put all of that on hold until we knew the outcome,” FatherAbbot stated.
“Now we can focus on using the existing entrance and facilities for the programs we already have been developing since the closure of the university. We have been hosting and conducting Days of Reflection and Retreats for a wide variety of groups throughout each year for the last five years,” he said.
He believes, “We can expand those offerings with the potential of overnight accommodations.”
For the time being, OBU will continue to make use of the Sumner Fieldhouse and Aerobic Center facility as they have been. “We are happy to host them for that,” he added.
There’s something else to look for on the horizon. “In addition to all that, we have been in conversation with non-profit agencies of how some of the facilities could work to enhance their mission and service in a way consistent with the values of the Abbey,” Father Abbot further noted.
He pointed out, “A central value for us as Benedictine monks is hospitality. We are to welcome others as we are Christ. With these facilities we will have many opportunities to do that,” he feels.