St. Anne Convent, located in

Melbourne, Kentucky Melbourne is a home rule-class city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, along the south bank of the Ohio River. The population was 458 at the 2020 census. St. Anne Convent is located in Melbourne; scenes from the movie ''Rain Man'' w ...

, is the home of the American Province of the Congregation of Divine Providence, a community of Roman Catholic Sisters. The convent houses the provincial offices of the congregation, the residences of two local communities, as well as Moye Spiritual Life Center. There are 140 members of the American Province of Sisters of Divine Providence, but the congregation also has provinces in France and Madagascar.

History

The convent was constructed in 1919 to replace the former Provincial House at Our Lady of Providence Academy in Newport and Mt. St. Martin's also in Newport. In the 1988 movie ''

Rain Man ''Rain Man'' is a 1988 American road movie, road Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. It tells the story of abrasive, selfish young wikt:wheeler-dealer, wheeler-dealer C ...

'', St. Anne Convent served as the backdrop of the fictitious Wallbrook mental institution. Actors

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...

and

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...

appear in several scenes in front of the convent and traveling down its long oak-lined entrance. On December 1, 2007, the convent announced that some of the trees would be cut down due to poor health, falling limbs, and the convent's inability to afford the annual maintenance. It was rumored that a private donor from Ft. Thomas, Kentucky, offered to pay the annual cost and prevent the trees from being cut down. Nevertheless, all of the trees were cut down. However, new trees were planted beside the old ones in 2008 and the hope is that one day they stand as tall as the old trees. On August 23, 2012, it was announced that the convent, attached retreat center, and grounds would be purchased from the Sisters of Divine Providence in early 2013 by the Diocese of Covington. Bishop Roger Foys included in the announcement that the move would "enable the diocese to upgrade and expand our retreat programs." The Sisters however will continue to own the Holy Family Infirmary, cemetery, and some other surrounding grounds and structures. The convent is the former owner of the St. Anne Wetlands, a seasonal

wetland conservation Wetland conservation is aimed at protecting and preserving areas where water exists at or near the Earth's surface, such as swamps, marshes and bogs. Wetlands cover at least six per cent of the Earth and have become a focal issue for conservation ...

area also located in Melbourne. In September 2013, the land was purchased by the Campbell County Conservation District through funds from the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund. Roman Catholic bishop

Ferdinand Brossart Ferdinand Brossart was a German American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was born in the Diocese of Speyer, and served from 1915 to 1923 as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Covington. Early life Ferdinand Brossart was born on Octobe ...

, of the

Diocese of Covington The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington ( la, Dioecesis Covingtonensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering 3,359 square miles (8,700 km2) that includes the city of Covington and the Kentucky counties of Boone, Kento ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, rests in the convent's cemetery. St. Anne Retreat Center today is often used as a place for the high school and college students of Ohio, Kentucky, and the surrounding areas to hold Emmaus,

Kairos Kairos ( grc, καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning 'the right, critical, or opportune moment'. In modern Greek, ''kairos'' also means 'weather' or 'time'. It is one of two words that the ancient Greeks had for 'time'; the other bei ...

, and other Christian retreats.Congregation of Divine Providence in Melbourne, Kentucky
/ref> St. Anne Convent is known as a place of prayer, peace, and hospitality.

References

External links

St. Anne Convent, Congregation of Divine ProvidenceA brief history of St. Anne Convent's foundersPhotos of St. Anne Convent
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Anne Convent Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington Buildings and structures in Campbell County, Kentucky Catholic Church in Kentucky Christian organizations established in 1909 Roman Catholic monasteries in the United States Congregation of Divine Providence