Why did the Retreat Center at St. John's close?

Developed as a regional resource for the Archdiocese, its parishes, schools, councils, and staffs, as well as for state and national organizations holding workshops, programs, and retreats, the volume of weekend bookings at the Retreat Center was strong, but there was little overnight use of the facility during the week.

Cash flow from the for-profit hotel, conference center, and golf course operations at St. John's proved insufficient to subsidize Retreat Center operations and building maintenance.

Because the Retreat Center did not attract the level of usage anticipated and required significant ongoing subsides, the Archdiocese suspended Retreat Center operations in November 2009.