ST. LOUIS — A Catholic institution has purchased the former Boeing Leadership Center (BLC) in Florissant. 

The 284-acre campus will be used for Augustine Institution’s headquarters and a graduate school of theology. The institution is a leading provider of Catholic content, education and digital resources. 

Plans are underway for immediate transition of the property. The graduate school will open this fall.

“The purchase of the BLC offers an unprecedented opportunity to expand our Graduate School of Theology and further our mission of helping Catholics understand, live, and share their faith,” said Dr. Tim Gray, president of Augustine Institute. 

The property will undergo a multiphase plan to turn it into a center for evangelization at the service of the church, according to a press release.

The former Boeing Leadership Center’s state-of-the-art facilities will “transform the work of the Augustine Institute by allowing us to take our curriculum and resources beyond a digital interface, which already reaches millions around the world, into a national center for Catholic conferences, retreats, evangelization and fellowship,” Gray said.

Most Reverend Mitchell Rozanski, Archbishop of St. Louis, said he believes the Augustine Institution will become the premier center for the New Evangelization in the U.S.

“By leveraging St. Louis’ central location, the Augustine Institute can foster a new era of collaboration with Catholic organizations nationwide and invite more people to encounter Jesus Christ and his Church,” he said.

A media conference is set for Monday to provide more information.