In an interview with AP, Pope Francis has challenged laws that criminalise homosexuality, calling being gay a sin but not a crime. He also called on Catholic bishops to welcome LGBTQ people into the church.
BURLINGTON — More than a year after developers unveiled plans for building homes and apartments on the St. Francis Friary property in Burlington, another religious group says it is buying the site for a retreat.
The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest said the property at 2457 Browns Lake Drive will be used for youth camps, spiritual retreats and other activities.
The Roman Catholic organization, which is based in Chicago, plans to renovate the nearly 100-year-old residential complex for friars and reopen it as the Sacred Heart Retreat Center.
“The institute will prepare this property to be used year-round for a number of activities central to our mission,” the group said.
The group’s purchase announcement follows Bear Real Estate Group’s proposal to redevelop the property with single-family and multi-family housing.
Bear Real Estate representative Daniel Szczap declined to comment about the sale, referring questions to other company officials who could not be reached.
No change in ownership has been recorded yet in Racine County real estate records — a process that sometimes takes several weeks.
The friary property covers 146 acres; the institute from Chicago said it was purchasing more than 100 acres.
Brian Bangart, spokesman for the Franciscan Friars, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Province, said the friars will keep about 15 acres, and Bear Real Estate will retain a small parcel.
Matthew Talarico, spokesman for the Institute of Christ the King, said his organization approached Bear Real Estate about the friary several months ago.
The real estate firm reported having the friary under a contract to purchase, Talarico said, so it made no sense to deal with the Franciscan Friars directly.
He said the institute finalized its deal with Bear Real Estate near the end of May, paying $3.5 million for the property.
After the institute’s purchase was announced, the Franciscan Friars province issued a statement saying that the group wanted to sell the property to Bear Real Estate because the firm’s plans to build affordable housing were consistent with the friars’ mission of helping “the poor and marginalized.”
However, the statement also recognized that the province “has no voice or control over what the buyer ultimately does with the property after the sale is closed.”
As a Catholic organization, the Institute of Christ the King requested and received permission for the purchase from Archbishop Jerome Listecki of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
The diocese covers a geographic region that includes Racine County.
The institute, which began in 1990, also maintains a presence at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Milwaukee.
The group said its purchase of land in Burlington followed “three years of fervent prayer and diligent research.”
In its announcement, posted on Facebook last Thursday, the institute referred to the “idyllic fields and woods” of the friary property, as well as its proximity to both Chicago and Milwaukee.
The site will serve members throughout the central United States, including a layman’s group called the Society of the Sacred Heart.
“It is our hope, with a generous response from our faithful, Sacred Heart Retreat Center will open its doors after several months of renovations,” the institute said.
HISTORY
The friary opened in 1931 after a Polish Catholic order near Green Bay migrated south and purchased land.
A friary is similar to a monastery, except that monks generally live a reclusive lifestyle, while friars tend to be more outwardly engaged in community service.
The sprawling compound north of Browns Lake became a popular place for festive community gatherings.
The site also grew in popularity as a pilgrimage destination for Catholics, and many pilgrims donated statues that were displayed on the grounds.
The campus also features terraces, waterfalls, monuments, grottos and other amenities.
When Bear Real Estate announced its redevelopment plans last year, the proposal included 102 single-family homes, 80 multi-family units, 80 apartments for senior citizens and a commercial building overlooking Browns Lake Drive.
In February, Bear Real Estate presented city officials with a plan for dividing the property into four sections, which would allow the friars to maintain ownership of one section.
At the time, Szczap said his firm’s planned purchase had been downsized to 125 acres.
“Plans for the property,” he wrote to the city, “are still being developed.”
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The Institute of Christ the King has purchased more than 100 acres of the St. Francis Friary complex, 2457 Browns Lake Drive, Burlington. The Chicago-based organization said it plans to host youth camps and spiritual retreats on the property.
An aerial image provided by the Burlington Historical Society shows the St. Francis Friary residential compound surrounded by other structures and landmarks on a 146-acre property at 2457 Browns Lake Drive in Burlington.