Tolentine College

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Tolentine College
Tolentine College Aerial Postcard View.jpg
An aerial view of Tolentine College c. 1965
Type
Established1958
Parent institution
 Order of Saint Augustine
Address
20300 Governors Highway
,
Olympia Fields, Illinois
,
United States

41°31′9″N87°42′24″W / 41.51917°N 87.70667°W / 41.51917; -87.70667
CampusSuburban, 122 acres (49 ha)
Tolentine College

Tolentine College was a Catholic seminary and college operated by the Order of Saint Augustine in Olympia Fields, Illinois, United States, from 1958 until 1974. Following the closure of the college, the campus served as the home of the Tolentine Center, as well as an administrative headquarters for the Midwestern province of the Augustinians. Beginning in 1985 it also housed the Mercy Residence at Tolentine, a senior living facility. By the 2000s the property was listed for sale, and was later acquired by All Nations Assembly Church. In 2020 a proposal was made to use the facility for inpatient drug and alcohol treatment, but that proposal was dropped due to opposition from residents in the area.

Contents

Tolentine College

Founding

In 1958, the Augustinian Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, which covers much of the Midwestern United States, opened a seminary for college students of the Augustinian Order in Olympia Fields, Illinois. [1] [2] The college, built on a 112-acre site, was named after Nicholas of Tolentino, the first Augustinian to be canonized by the Catholic Church. [3] By 1960, the Augustinian province had transferred its graduate theology division from Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri to Olympia Fields. [1] In 1961, the seminary chapel was completed, with the Mass of Dedication being offered by Petrus Canisius van Lierde, the Vicar General of the Vatican; [4] there were 55 students enrolled at Tolentine at this time. [5]

By 1968, the theology division at Tolentine was closed and its students sent to the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, making Tolentine an undergraduate college. [1] That same year, the college program was opened to both male and female lay students from the area, offering a liberal arts education. [6] Only one female student, Becky Branacky, enrolled in the first year of gender integration. [7] Augustinian seminarians were about half of the student body that year. [7] In 1969 the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools accredited the institution as a four-year liberal arts college. [8]

Closure

Enrollment in both the seminary and collegiate divisions continued to decline, in part due to the opening of the Catholic Theological Union, and in 1973 Tolentine's remaining college seminarians were transferred to Villanova University. [9] [3] The closure of the college was announced that same year, with administrators citing financial issues. [10] Around 100 students were enrolled in the school at the time of its closure. [11] Robert Prevost, later Pope Leo XIV, had intended to attend Tolentine beginning in 1974; he went to Villanova instead. [12] [13] The Augustinians' Midwestern province headquarters were moved onto the site, which became known as the Tolentine Center. [9] [14]

Tolentine Center and Mercy Residence at Tolentine

The Tolentine Center offered continuing education courses in theology, economics, and arts and crafts, focusing on "spiritual renewal, innovative education, and the arts". [15] [9] It also hosted a variety of retreats, including for those involved in church music ministry, those interested in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and married couples. [16] [17] [18] However, interest in the Tolentine Center's retreat offerings eventually declined and the center closed in 1981. [19] [20] In 1985, part of the seminary's dormitories were converted into the Mercy Residence at Tolentine, a joint venture between the Augustinians and the Sisters of Mercy serving elderly community members. [6] [21] [22] By 1988, 52 senior citizens resided on the property. [19]

Sale and later use

The former Tolentine College campus in 2025 Tolentine College Main Building 2 Cropped.jpg
The former Tolentine College campus in 2025

In 2004, 85 of the 102 acres owned by the Augustinians were listed for sale, in part to raise money for asbestos abatement and the razing of unneeded buildings. [23] Propositions were made to use part of the property for recreational trails, basketball courts, and a community garden. [24] The campus continued to be utilized by the Augustinians until around 2009, and later was acquired by All Nations Assembly Church. [25] In 2020, a residential addiction treatment facility was proposed as a use for the former monastery but local resistance prevented the initiative from moving forward. [26] [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bechtold, Paul (1993). Catholic Theology Union at Chicago: The Founding Years. Internet Archive. Catholic Theological Union. ISBN   978-0-9636659-0-4.
  2. ↑ "Our History". Midwest Augustinians. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Olivia, Stevens; Nolan, Mike (July 15, 2025). "The south suburban world where Pope Leo XIV grew up now very much changed". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on July 17, 2025. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  4. ↑ NCWC News Service (September 18, 1961). "Bishop, Popes Taster for Poison, Offers Mass at College Chapel Dedication Chicago". NCWC.
  5. ↑ The official Catholic directory for the year of Our Lord. Boston Public Library. New York : P.J. Kenedy. 1961.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. 1 2 "Tolentine Center Offers Helping Hand". Chicago Tribune. March 19, 1986. Archived from the original on May 9, 2025. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Burns, Kathy (November 13, 1969). "Blonde Co-ed 'Has More Fun' as Tolentine College Freshman". Chicago Tribune. pp. S3A2. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  8. ↑ "No. Central OK's Tolentine College". Chicago Tribune. April 3, 1969. p. 102. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 Gallagher, Anne (January 1, 1977). "Augustinians Create Mecca of Progress".
  10. ↑ "Money woes close Tolentine college". Suburbanite Economist. February 23, 1972. p. 36. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  11. ↑ The official Catholic directory for the year of Our Lord. Boston Public Library. New York : P.J. Kenedy. 1974.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. ↑ "Cardinal Robert Prevost, born in Chicago, is the first pope from the United States". Chicago Sun-Times. May 8, 2025. Archived from the original on May 16, 2025. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  13. ↑ Horowitz, Jason; Bosman, Julie; Dias, Elizabeth; Graham, Ruth; Romero, Simon; Taj, Mitra (May 17, 2025). "Long Drives and Short Homilies: How Father Bob Became Pope Leo". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 17, 2025. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Father Lawlor Has No Word On An Indefinite Suspension". The Daily Calumet. August 14, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Tolentine Offers Courses". Tinley Park Star/Tribune. August 22, 1974.
  16. ↑ "Musician's Retreat". The Daily Calumet. March 5, 1977. p. 4. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Prayer retreat". Blue Island Sun-Standard. March 18, 1976. p. 20. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  18. ↑ "'Encounter' for Marrieds Set". Tinley Park Star/Tribune. September 25, 1975. p. 16. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  19. 1 2 "The living is easy at Tolentine". Southtown Star. March 17, 1988. p. 13. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Donald J. Bates, O.S.A." Midwest Augustinians. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  21. ↑ Commercial Advantage Real Estate Sale Listing https://images2.loopnet.com/d2/6b9_V0-r_9JOMJPLlF4kezpATQA3dFK1zANJO57tvak/document.pdf
  22. ↑ "Cardinal to preside over service". Southtown Star. November 7, 1985. p. 19. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  23. ↑ "2006 shaping up well for Olympia Fields". Southtown Star. September 16, 2004. p. 43. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  24. ↑ "A green park -- in all senses". Southtown Star. May 13, 2008. p. 3. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Notice of Public Hearing - November 10, 2020". Olympia Fields, IL. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  26. ↑ Mike Hoffman, Request for Zoning Map Amendment and Special Use Permit for a proposed RoseHeart Renewal Center at 20300 Governors Highway, https://www.olympia-fields.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/1586?fileID=1942
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