By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic

Photography: B. McCall | Senses at Play

KEY WEST | On Sept. 17, Archbishop Thomas Wenski blessed the renovated parish center at the Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea, which now houses visitors’ suites, meeting rooms for parish ministries, the convent of the Holy Spirit Sisters and the adoration chapel.

The complex, located next to the church, was most recently used as a retreat center, and prior to that as a convent for the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary who served at the parish for over 100 years. The building was built in 1964.

It is now named The Klaus Murphy Center in honor of two former parishioners whose selfless dedication to others helped make the refurbishing possible. Fred Klaus and Harold Murphy established a foundation that provides financial support to organizations whose efforts assist the poor and needy of Key West.

“Over the years, this foundation has provided millions of dollars in support of the parish’s Star of the Sea Outreach Mission, the Basilica School and St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen, as well as a leadership gift of $750,000 towards this renovation,” said Father John Baker, rector of the basilica. “With their support and the support of so many other parishioners, the Klaus Murphy Center will enable us to continue a 165-year tradition of service to our community.”

The convent of the Holy Spirit Sisters has been redesigned to accommodate four Sisters of the Holy Spirit from the Mt. Kilimanjaro province who serve in the parish school and ministries. The fourth religious, Sister Elizabeth Gati, arrived in August.

Those renovations will turn 13 convent cells in one upstairs wing of the building into five guest suites. The suites will house those who come to assist the church in its many charitable services, among them the Star of the Sea Outreach Mission on Stock Island and the parish soup kitchen.

The downstairs has been reconfigured with meeting spaces for the many ministries and programs operating at the basilica as well as administrative offices for the Star of the Sea Foundation and adult faith formation.

“The building will be used for adult faith formation and for services to the needy; in other words, to respond as a parish to the needs of Monroe County through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy,” Father Baker said. “The mission of the Klaus Murphy Foundation, to serve the poor and the needy in the lower Keys, aligns with our mission and with our use of the Klaus Murphy Center.”

The Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea is the oldest parish in the Archdiocese of Miami and the fifth oldest in Florida, dating officially to 1851, although the first recorded Mass was celebrated in 1846.