How Crestview Hill’s Monte Casino Chapel came to its current location
By David E. Schroeder, Executive Director, Kenton County Public Library
Have you ever wondered about the little fieldstone chapel sitting on the edge of a picturesque pond at the entrance of Thomas More University in Crestview Hills, Kentucky? Thousands of people drive by it every day without giving it a second thought and, yet, the chapel has a storied history.
We have the Benedictine Fathers of St. Joseph Church in Covington to thank for this Northern Kentucky landmark. In 1877, the Benedictines learned that the old winery and vineyards on Prospect Hill in Central Covington (the Peaselburg Neighborhood) were for sale. The Benedictines decided to purchase the land and to use the vineyards to produce altar and table wine to finance their ministries in the region. The 76-acre plot of land was purchased for $21,500 and the Benedictine Brothers brought a group in from Pennsylvania to Covington to begin the new venture.
The Benedictines lived by a rule that called for structured periods of ora et labora (prayer and work). In 1901, under the direction of Brother Albert Soltis O.S.B., the six brothers began stockpiling fieldstone on a site near the vineyards. Here, Brother Soltis and Brother Otto Kopf built a small chapel measuring 6 by 9 feet. At the back of the chapel stood a small altar which held a statue of the pieta. The chapel contained several small stained-glass windows and kneelers. Over the door, in German, was written, “There is no sorrow like my sorrow.” The Brothers used the chapel for private prayer and devotion while working in the vineyards.
The vineyards ceased operation in 1918, mostly due to Prohibition. The brothers could no longer sell table wine to the general public, thus cutting their profits dramatically. They returned to Pennsylvania and left Monte Casino Chapel behind as a reminder of their labor on the hill. The chapel remained on the site for another 43 years. During this time fires were lit inside the building, the stained-glass was damaged and the building fell into disrepair.
Fred Riedinger purchased the monastery and land in 1957. He sold all the property, except the tiny chapel. When Villa Madonna College (now Thomas More University) moved from Covington to suburban Crestview Hills, Riedinger decided to offer the college the old field stone chapel in memory of his mother, Alma. The college agreed to the offer.
Moving the 40-ton structure from Covington to Crestview Hills proved problematic. Local developer and builder Matth Toebben led the efforts. The stone steeple was removed, and the building was lifted by jacks and placed on a large flatbed trailer. Once safely on the flatbed, the chapel was slowly pulled up the hill to the Dixie Highway.
The route took the chapel south on Dixie Highway and then to Turkeyfoot Road. Along the way, workers were required to raise the telephone and electric wires so the chapel could glide under them. As word got out about the move, thousands of people came out of their homes and business to watch the chapel pass by. Following hours of painstaking travel, the chapel was placed on a new foundation near the pond. Here the chapel still stands welcoming visitors to the university and the city of Crestview Hills.
