After protesting in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where the Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro resides, residents of the Knottsville community have seemingly given up on trying to convince the diocese to keep Bishop Soenneker Home open.
The community held meetings and protests after many of the home’s residents and family members were blind-sided by the bishop’s decision to close the home on March 28. After several unsuccessful attempts to change Medley’s mind, most have moved forward in trying to comfortably relocate their loved ones, even holding a “last supper” for the residents and staff before the first of the home’s residents moved out.
On Tuesday, Longhorn Steakhouse delivered steaks, baked potatoes and salads to Bishop Soenneker, where all 52 residents and each staff member were given the opportunity to have a closing meal together.
“We wanted to do one big, final, family meal before people started moving out. We’re very grateful to Longhorn for doing that for us,” said Bonnie McKay, a 38-year veteran staff member of Bishop Soenneker’s.
However, the involuntary decision to leave Bishop Soenneker hasn’t been easy on the residents who live there — one of them a 44-year resident — nor for the staff members who’ve cared for them. Many refer to the Bishop Soenneker Home as more than a full-time personal care facility, but their home away from home.
“Some of them were crying,” McKay said. “There was a lot of crying between them and the staff.”
Bishop Soenneker Home Board President Tim Johnson said the board has accepted that they can’t change the bishop’s mind about closing, but Johnson said he still has a lot of unanswered questions. He and the rest of the board are still frustrated by the lack of communication they’ve received from the diocese.
“I haven’t heard from anybody there,” Johnson said. “We’re sending them another letter to follow up. I don’t believe there was a study done at the home because there was never anybody from the diocese at the home doing any kind of study.”
Johnson said he’d like to see a copy of the months-long study performed by a diocesean committee and its outside consultants that was mentioned in the bishop’s news release regarding the closing. Johnson’s daughter, Sheri, said she reached out to the diocese via email on March 29, but when she asked for a copy of the report, she stopped receiving answers from the multiple people she’d reached out to.
While many in the community feel their questions deserve answers, they are attempting to move on.
“There’s no further protests scheduled because they’re moving people out of there left and right. A bunch of people left today and a bunch will leave tomorrow,” Johnson said. “It’s pretty much over. I think everybody feels like they fought a losing battle.”
While McKay said residents at Bishop Soenneker are still very emotional over the changes being made, many of them are able to pick up the pieces and look forward due, in large part, to their ability to remain close to one another at their respective facilities.
“They’re hopeful because several of them will be in the same area,” McKay said. “One or two are going to Beaver Dam, a couple are going to Oakwood in Tell City. Some families haven’t started the moving process yet because they’re holding out until it gets closer to June 30.”
In a second news release, Bishop Medley addressed speculation that the home was being closed so the parish could build a new parish hall.
“It is our understanding that a parish hall has been in the works for some time now, with one of the options that it be built between the Home and St. William Church,” the statement read. “Could this plan now change with the closing of the Bishop Soenneker Home? Perhaps, but that becomes a parish decision as the land belongs to them.”
Owensboro Times attempted to contact Fr. Augusty Valomchalil of Saint William Parish for comment but was unable to reach him.
