For generations, the priests of our Diocese of Owensboro have faithfully accompanied us in the most sacred moments of our lives. They have stood at the altar to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, baptized our children, witnessed our marriages in Christ, anointed us in times of illness, and commended our loved ones to the mercy of God. Our priests have devoted their lives to the service of Christ and the Church. In their senior years, many no longer have the responsibility of leading a parish, yet they continue to provide sacramental and pastoral ministry to the faithful throughout the Church in western Kentucky. As our priests enter their senior years, it becomes our turn to serve them with compassion, gratitude, and love.
Historically, the diocese has relied on the Bishop Cotton Apartments in Owensboro to house our senior priests. However, these apartments—now over 40 years old and just approximately 500 square feet—are no longer suitable. They are not accessible to those with disabilities and do not meet the physical or spiritual needs of our aging clergy. Bishop John McRaith, after living in one of these apartments in his retirement, remarked that mistakes had been made that rendered the apartments impractical for senior living.
Under the leadership of Bishop William F. Medley, and with input from both clergy and lay faithful, we are now moving forward with the The Campaign for Senior Priest Apartments—a diocesan initiative to provide safe, comfortable, housing for our senior priests. These apartments will meet the immediate need of four residents with the opportunity to construct more units as needed. Click here to pray with us!
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Current Plan Overview
The current plan includes the construction of a single building that will house four individual apartments, each approximately 1,000 square feet in size. Each unit will feature a one-car garage and will be thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of aging clergy. The initial footprint for the building is 7,180 square feet, though modifications are currently being considered to increase efficiency.
Long-term plans include the development of two additional buildings of similar design.
The residence will include a small chapel to accommodate the daily celebration of the liturgy, as well as space for both communal and individual prayer.
Located near the Carmel Home, this setting will offer convenient access to meals and basic health services, while still allowing retired priests to maintain their independence and privacy.
For the past three years, the Priests’ Council has prayerfully discerned how best to support our senior priests once they retire from full-time ministry at age 75. For most, this transition means finding their own housing. After decades of living in rectories, they are often without a permanent residence – yet they remain generous in their service, celebrating Masses, hearing confessions, presiding at funerals and weddings, and offering spiritual guidance. We have developed committees and councils that make up 15 different parishes, approximately 70 people. We traveled to Paducah, Owensboro, and one is scheduled for Bowling Green this month.
We have been communicating weekly with project updates to the parish leadership/staff to keep them updated on the progress.
The estimated cost of this phase – including demolition, grading, permitting, drainage, and infrastructure improvements is being worked out. Final costs will be determined following a formal review by the Diocesan Building Committee and the bid process.
We also hope to establish an endowment fund to subsidize monthly rental costs and help cover future maintenance and expansion. Any funds raised beyond the initial $2 million goal will go toward covering these future expenses.
We are blessed that at least 23 of our priests have already expressed an interest in the possibility of living in this new retirement community at the end of their active ministry years. Even those who may not anticipate the need for such housing recognize that circumstances can change during one’s senior years, and the opportunity to choose independent, faith-filled retirement living would be a wonderful gift from the Catholic community.
FAITHFUL FOUNDATIONS
Prayer for the Building of a Home for Our Senior Priests
Dear God,
You have called Your priests to serve Your people
in word and sacrament,
in joy and in sacrifice,
through many seasons of life.
We thank You for the faithful shepherds
who have guided us to You,
celebrated our joys,
and stood beside us in times of trial.
Now, as their years of active ministry transitions,
we seek to offer them a place of rest,
dignity, and community.
Bless the work of our hands and hearts
as we prepare a home for those priests who have served us.
May the walls we raise be blessed with strong protection,
the rooms be warm with Your peace,
and the halls echo with prayer and fellowship.
Guide all who plan, give, and labor in this work.
Let this building be not only shelter,
but a testament to gratitude,
and a living sign of Your love for those who have loved and served the Church.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Listen here as Fr. Jerry and Fr. John discuss the current Bishop Cotton apartments and more about why the new ones are needed.
May this be an act of gratitude and legacy—a gift not only to our priests, but to the future of the Church in western Kentucky.