The Diocese of Owensboro is moving forward with a $2 million campaign to build new retirement apartments for senior priests. So far, 26 diocesan priests have pledged over $100,000 to the cause — becoming the campaign’s first and most impactful donors.
“This is a great selling point when we go to ask the people of the parishes to help us build this,” said Bishop William F. Medley. “The first contributors were the priests themselves.”
The initiative, titled “The Campaign for Senior Priest Apartments,” will begin with the demolition of the Bishop Cotton Apartments — an aging housing facility for retired clergy located behind the Carmel Home in Owensboro. Originally constructed in the 1980s, the apartments were not designed with senior needs in mind and have become outdated and inaccessible, Medley said.
“They’ve not aged well,” he said. “Our plan is to level them and construct a new four-unit complex that allows for both independent living and community among our retired priests.”
Each new unit will be roughly 1,000 square feet and include a single-bedroom apartment, small kitchen, one-car garage, and access to a shared chapel space. The site will also allow for future expansion of up to three additional four-unit buildings as needs grow.
The campaign is a direct response to feedback gathered over the past three years from clergy and laity across the diocese’s 32-county region in western Kentucky. Input came from parish-based housing committees in Paducah, Owensboro, and Bowling Green, with additional recommendations from more than 70 lay leaders and parishioners, Medley said.
The estimated cost for the first phase — including demolition, drainage, permitting, and infrastructure — is $1.5 million, with each additional four-unit building projected to cost $900,000. Any funds raised beyond the initial $2 million goal will be used to establish an endowment to subsidize rental costs and support future expansion and maintenance.
The apartments will be adjacent to the Carmel Home, a full-service nursing facility operated by the Carmel Home Sisters. While the new facility will offer independent living, proximity to the Carmel Home will provide residents access to meals and basic healthcare services when needed.
“They’ll be able to go next door for meals or assistance,” Medley said. “The sisters have always been generous in that way.”
Currently, more than 23 priests have expressed interest in eventually living in the new apartments, Medley said. Though many priests work into their senior years — often continuing to offer sacraments, preside at funerals, and support small parishes — the diocese recognizes that retirement can be a difficult transition for clergy who have lived most of their adult lives in rectories.
“When I first came to Owensboro, there were eight or nine priests living in the Cotton Apartments,” Medley said. “Now, only two remain — and neither is retired. Over time, most moved into the Carmel Home and have since passed. There’s another generation of priests coming along, and we want to be ready.”
The Diocese will officially launch its public phase of the campaign with a series of receptions held across the region in August. Medley will be present at each event to thank attendees and share the vision for the project. Guests will also have an opportunity to view architectural renderings and learn how they can contribute.
Medley said he is grateful for the strong early support.
“I have every confidence that we’re going to achieve what we need to build these because people have a great sense of gratitude for their priests,” he said.
To RSVP or learn more about the campaign, visit owensborodiocese.org/senior-priests-apartments.
