History of the Saint Joseph Retreat & Conference Center

"Knowing the history of a place helps us to better appreciate what we have now.  There is a rich history here at Saint Joseph Retreat and Conference Center.  From the stories that 'the walls could tell' of students and sisters who walked and lived here, to the beauty of the buildings, the cemetery, and the landscape, there has been a rich deposit of faith being lived on this site since the early 1900s."

We welcome stories and photos from St. Joseph Academy alumnae, the community, associates and friends of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Please share by contacting Fr. David Huemmer at (765) 551-9585 or  [email protected] .

Fr. David Huemmer, Chaplain & Spiritual Director

With our rich history as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton and the St. Joseph Academy campus, faith has been formed here since 1904.

After 124 years, the Congregation of St. Joseph vacated the St. Joseph Center building and campus in early 2013. The 11 remaining Sisters moved to other Congregation centers, the assisted living facility closed, and retreats ended. 

In late 2014, the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana contacted the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton regarding their 40-acre campus for sale. In April 2016, the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana purchased this property and began renovation.

Prior to purchasing the Sisters of St. Joseph property in Tipton, the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana operated the John XXIII Retreat Center, in Hartford City for 50 years. It closed in 2016.

On September 1, 2017, Fr. David Huemmer was appointed the first Chaplain & Spiritual Director of the new Saint Joseph Retreat & Conference Center in Tipton, IN.

With the third floor complete, students on the Christian Awakening Senior Retreat from Cathedral High School are our first guests visitors on September 26, 2017. By October 6, 2017 the second floor was ready for occupancy! 

Thanks in part to the Diocesan partnership with eCatholic, the retreat center's website was established October 9, 2017.  

Work continued on the first floor through April of 2018; however, the retreat center was open. 

St. Stephen Wing used for the first time November 9-10, 2018 for a Married Couples Retreat hosted by Chad Grube, Coordinator of Adult Faith Formation, St. Joan of Arc & St. Patrick Parishes, Kokomo, and presented by Dr. Timothy Heck, psychologist, author and speaker.

In late 2019 and early 2020, work was completed to prevent further damage to St. Katharine Hall. Broken windows were boarded and gutters replaced to protect the historic building. 

A partnership with Keltie & Co. Catering began in February 2020.

The retreat center closed from March 18 through July 1, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

December 8, 2020 Pope Francis Proclaims Year of St. Joseph—December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021

Campus Buildings History
Sister Gertrude Moffitt laid the foundation for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton, Indiana on March 15, 1888. She was invited by Father Lentz of St. John the Baptist in Tipton to establish a school. The St. Joseph Academy on this campus was formally opened and blessed November 15, 1904. A second building, the St. Joseph Convent, was built in 1910. St. Katharine Hall was added in 1932 to house the gymnasium, auditorium and home economics department.

The St. Joseph Motherhouse was built in 1958 as a residence for the Academy boarders, and as a home for the Sisters in administration and retired Sisters. This building is now the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center.

After the St. Joseph Academy closed in 1972, and there were fewer novices for the Convent, the Academy building was razed in 1978 followed by the Convent in 1982.

St. Katharine Hall remains on our campus; however, it is unusable.

Our campus features two homes for personal retreats. The Nazareth Bungalow, built in 1908, has functioned as the St. Mary’s Boys Academy, the Chaplain’s house, and in 1991 was remodeled to serve as a retreat house. The St. John of the Cross Cabin was built in 1989 by an anonymous donor for use as a retreat house.

Learn more about Statues and Shrines on our campus HERE.