St. Paul residence for retired clergy begins fundraising for renovations

The Leo C. Byrne Residence, next door to The St. Paul Seminary, is visible from Mississippi Boulevard in St. Paul. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Well before his 2006 retirement, Father Michael Erlander knew he wanted to live in the Leo C. Byrne Residence in St. Paul. “There were other (retired) priests here, people I could connect with,” he said. And he knew all of them.

A resident for 15 years and self-described introvert, Father Erlander, 79, appreciates having his own apartment but also the opportunity to have community with other retired priests. The four-level Byrne Residence, located along the Mississippi River in St. Paul next door to The St. Paul Seminary, provides apartments for 29 priests and a small guestroom. Designed for independent living, tenants share dining facilities, an exercise room, community room and chapel, where Masses are celebrated twice daily. Each resident has an underground parking space.

As with any home, repairs and upkeep are inevitable, said Father Michael Tix, episcopal vicar for parish and clergy services at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. And the Byrne Residence, built 26 years ago and owned by the archdiocese, needs roofing and exterior work, upgrades to lighting, heating and cooling systems, repairs for water damage and other issues, plus door and window replacement, in part to improve energy efficiency — and it needs the money to do it.

“Essentially, this is a home … and it’s at that point in time where it needs regular maintenance and upkeep in a variety of ways, to keep it a warm and welcoming place for our priests, who choose to live here as they enter retirement,” Father Tix said.

Noting the need, Michelle and Patrick Fox, parishioners of St. Olaf in Minneapolis, are leading a fundraising effort through a capital campaign titled “Gratitude,” a nod to both the priests’ service and donors’ generosity. Both have led and participated in other fundraising campaigns. Patrick is principal at St. Bartholomew School in Wayzata.

“We are taking it on as a project where there is an immediate need to get the building back in order, and will help many,” Patrick Fox said.

“Many of the priests have fostered our faith journey, and we are grateful to them,” Michelle Fox added.

Father Patrick Kennedy, a resident who has been involved in a working group addressing the need for repairs, said there is “a great community of priests here and the building augments the quality of life.”

Repairs and upgrades will cost about $6.5 million, organizers said, and a formal bid process will be completed. Repairs will be prioritized as funds allow.

The number might seem high, Father Tix said, but in effect it covers 29 homes. Funds also could help with maintenance after renovation, he said.

Rent at the Byrne Residence is based on a percentage of each priest’s pension, said Deacon Phil Stewart, the building’s administrator. Meals, laundry and housekeeping are provided. When necessary, home care services can be arranged for an additional level of care, until there is need for assisted living at a different facility, he said.

Father John “Jack” Long, 72, recently moved into the residence. He said he values having “as much community as you want” as well as his own apartment, and its central location. He presides twice a week at Masses at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, as well as Masses at Assumption in downtown St. Paul and elsewhere when asked.

Deacon Stewart said about 80% of the priests at the residence remain active in ministry in some capacity, such as helping with Masses and confession. “Or they might do special Masses or services for friends or relatives or other parishioners they’ve known over the years,” he said.

Before the pandemic, Deacon Stewart said some of the priests may have served as a spiritual director for a seminarian. And once a year, fourth-year seminarians visited the Byrne Residence to share a meal, social hour and conversation.

Father Erlander continues to celebrate Masses on weekends, for funerals and other services. Over the years, he has provided spiritual direction to seminarians, priests, deacons and laypeople.

“Think about what these priests have given over time — and for those living (at the Byrne Residence) now — how many collective years of service to the Church have been given,” Father Tix said. “This is an opportunity to provide for them in a spirit of appreciation for their service to our local Church.”