Augustine Institute

When opportunity knocks, I like to open. Such was the case when my buddy Fr. Cody said he was going to the Augustine Institute in St. Louis for a free conference on Catholic education. With the possibility of starting a Catholic elementary school at St. John the Baptist in Buffalo next year, I decided to take in the conference with him. 

Part of the incentive was to check out the new facilities that Augustine Institute recently acquired, which was once a conference center for Boeing. Impressive. 

Once I landed, I wanted to get a lay of the land. There are walking paths all over this place. 

Which lead down to the muddy Missouri River. Soon after this point it dumps into the Mississippi. 

The main cafeteria area is shaped like the windshield of a 747. 

Which over looks the Mighty Mo and the Missouri farm land. 

The conference was put on by the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education and was for priests. It's always fun to meet guys from different dioceses. Instant brothers. ICEL provided us with a solid vision for pastoring an authentic Catholic liberal arts school. 

The Augustine Institute has made impressive use of this grandiose facility. Here, they transformed a ballroom into a chapel. They hope to soon begin construction on a larger chapel. We celebrated Mass in this space both days while I was here. 

There is a lot of buzz around these grounds and the cafeteria highlights it. They have residential graduate students. There was a nearby diocese on a convocation. Plus, much staff and random other clergy. Good stuff. 

Our last evening here, they treated us to dinner at the chalet on the hill. 

This building is 100 years old and still in immaculate shape. We toured around and were not disappointed in its beauty. 

Upstairs is a gothic library.

Outside, we enjoyed some fireside under a pleasant southern-midwest sky.

Amazing! It is so providential that the Church has access to this facility through the Augustine Institute. They already provide exceptional catechetical and theological material for the Church. Now they have a venue that can host the propagation of such teaching. Few entities in the US could make use of such an establishment. In God's providence, the Augustine Institute was able to get this facility for a fraction of what it is worth. The fruit of this goodness is that the grounds are crawling with Catholic activity. This was definitely time well spent. We received great tools to keep a Catholic school on the right track and our hearts were restored by the beauty we encountered at every turn. Special thanks to Augustine Institute, ICLE, and all the benefactors who made this experience possible. Ranch on.