284-acre campus allows apostolate to establish a national center for evangelization

The Augustine Institute, a leading provider of Catholic content, education, and digital resources, announced in April it has purchased the 284-acre former Boeing Leadership Center (BLC) in Florissant, Mo. , which is located in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Augustine Institute will begin transitioning its operations over the next few years, with its headquarters and Graduate School of Theology opening on the new campus in time for the fall 2024 semester.

The location of the Augustine Institute means it will be a short drive for many in our diocese, especially those who live in the metro east. 

“The purchase of the BLC offers an unprecedented opportunity to expand our Graduate School of Theology and further our mission to help Catholics understand, live, and share their faith,” said Dr. Tim Gray, President of the Augustine Institute. “The BLC’s state-of-the-art facilities will transform the work of the Augustine Institute by allowing us to take our curriculum and resources beyond a digital interface, which already reaches millions around the world, into a national center for Catholic conferences, retreats, evangelization, and fellowship.”

Founded in Denver in 2005 and currently located in the Denver Tech Center, the Augustine Institute is a Catholic educational apostolate. Its mission is to help Catholics understand, live, and share their faith through initiatives like Amen, Formed, the Graduate School of Theology, Word of Life, and others.

“I believe that the Augustine Institute will transform this property into the premier center for the New Evangelization in the United States,” said Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski of St. Louis. “By leveraging St. Louis’ central location, the Augustine Institute can foster a new era of collaboration with Catholic organizations nationwide and invite more people to encounter Jesus Christ and His Church.”

Plans are currently underway for the immediate transition of the property to be operational for the Graduate School of Theology’s 2024–2025 academic year. This is the first phase of a multiphase plan to convert the property into a center for evangelization at the service of the Church. 

“We have a big vision for this property,” Gray said. “We have been given the opportunity to create a place for Catholics to gather, be formed, be educated, and be prepared for a lifetime of mission. We intend to offer our own conferences and retreats, as well as host other apostolates’ and ministries’ events at our central location in St. Louis.”