Moving the Chapel

In 1916, life at the monastery began to change. Higher taxes levied on wine and declining grape production caused operations to suffer. The tiny chapel – witness of so many prayerful petitions over the years – no doubt saw increased use after that.

Then, Prohibition swept the land in 1920. The government permitted the monks to continue their wine-production, licensing the monastery as United States Bonded Winery No. 1, Sixth District of Kentucky. But it forbade commercial sales of the “Red Rose Wine,” which the Fathers had always depended on for their livelihood. Output was limited to only 1,000 gallons the first year, resulting in the loss of nearly four-fifths of their income. The second year, it lost even more. Production was halted. The turn of events caused the monks to discontinue all operations, and the brothers were eventually recalled to Saint Vincent Archabbey in Pennsylvania.

“See if there any sorrow like my sorrow,” the stained-glass still read over the abandoned doorway. But by 1924, there were no monks left to read it, no more masses to be said beneath it, no more prayers or devotions to be offered under its gaze. The tiny chapel languished along with the rest of the property. In 1925, the land was leased to the Frank Burkhart family, who produced grape juice there until 1953. In 1928, the barn burned down and other buildings fell into ruin. The stone-terraced vineyards became overgrown by thickets and the vines choked by weeds.

The tiny chapel, too, eventually fell to vandalism, despite the dignity of its purpose and seeming impenetrability of its stone edifice. It was stripped of its wooden door, its altar and statuary, and even the limestone steeple and cross. The side stained-glass windows that once let in the evening light for vespers were gone. And in the space above the missing front door, there was no stained-glass left to be read, only a gaping emptiness where the Virgin Mary’s words of sorrow once had been.

Chester F. Geaslen, a writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer and The Kentucky Post, began writing articles about the old chapel in the 1950’s. In one, he described it as “pillaged of all that could be carried away, even the little stone steeple with its hand chiseled cross. Blackened, is its stone arched interior from smoke and ash, as fires have been kindled on the stone floor where the little altar once stood.”

Finally, in 1964, the owner of the chapel was discovered. He was Fred Riedinger, a local plumber who had purchased the entire 76 acres property in 1957 from Saint Vincent Archabbey. Riedinger later sold the acreage – all but the tiny church – to Hanser Homes, Inc., a real estate developer. By 1964, the issue of its removal from the property was under consideration. Newspapers reported that Devou Park or Mother of God Cemetery were being considered. But in the end, Riedinger decided to donate the tiny chapel to Villa Madonna College in honor of his mother, Mrs. Alma Riedinger, and it would be moved to the future campus of Villa Madonna College in Crestview Hills.

The move got underway in April 1965. But transporting the 50-ton structure five miles across town without causing cracks in it proved to be a daunting task. Matt Toebben volunteered as contractor, and Carlisle Construction provided the semi-tractor trailer, flatbed and work crews for the job. The first task was to construct a frame beneath the structure that would enable them to lift it onto a flatbed trailer without cracking it. But days of rain had softened the ground and made it too dangerous to attempt the operation.

On Monday April 5, weather was favorable and the move commenced. The challenge was to carefully insert a semi-tractor trailer in a space just 15-feet wide between two newly-built homes to reach the chapel on the edge of the hill. The workmen lifted the structure onto the flatbed, then eased the tractor-trailer back between the houses, down an uneven corrugated ramp laid with thick timber to prevent the semi’s tires from sinking into the yard. Once on the street, it was checked and secured one last time. But rains began again and the operation was halted.

Two days later, the skies cleared enough and the move to Villa Madonna began anew. It took the procession four hours to make the trip. The route took it down Benton Road, along Highland Pike, Henry Clay Avenue, and south on Dixie Highway to Turkeyfoot Road. The tractor-trailer moved at less than 5 miles per hour, backing up traffic on Dixie Highway as it rolled slowly southward toward the turn onto Turkeyfoot. Workers were positioned atop the stone roof to lift telephone and electrical wires that draped across the streets. Monte Cassino Chapel arrived at its new home that afternoon and was lowered onto the slope overlooking the lake, where it has been ever since. The new Villa Madonna College was eventually built there; it was renamed Thomas More College in 1968.

Over the years, improvements and renovations were made to the tiny structure to try and preserve it. Today, a rusting iron security door and padlock guard its entrance. Yet, local residents and tourists still stop by on a regular basis to visit the tiny former house of worship, to feed the geese and enjoy the peaceful landscape, perhaps even to remember the monks who once prayed there and gave thanks for the vineyard and its bountiful harvest.