Our Diocese is pleased to announce some changes for Our Lady Queen of Peace Retreat Center and our Office of Evangelization and Faith Formation. After a distinguished six-year stint as the Interim Director of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Deacon Ernie Albonetti has decided to hand over managing the day-to-day operations. We extend our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Deacon Ernie for his tireless stewardship at Queen of Peace and across our Diocese.
After a months-long search, Steve Fracchia has joined our Diocese as Director of Our Lady Queen of Peace Retreat Center. Additionally, to align OLQP more closely with the overall mission of our Diocese and to incorporate OLQP more into the lives of our parishioners, Bishop David P. Talley reorganized our Retreat Center as part of our Office of Evangelization and Faith Formation.
Our Lady Queen of Peace features a Chapel, three meeting rooms, a professional kitchen, dining with approximately 100 seats, 27 bedrooms and outdoor spaces with beautiful hiking trails nestled on 140 acres just 30 minutes from East Memphis in Dancyville, Tenn. For more information, visit the OLQP Facebook page or the Website at: https://www.olqpretreats.com.
Steve and his wife, Kim, have been married 29 years and have been actively involved in their home parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, for 23 years. They are blessed with three children, Thomas (23), Will (21) and Katie (18).
As a lifelong Memphian, members of his family were founding parishioners at Holy Spirit Catholic Church (where his claim to fame with his brother, Ray, was being the altar boy at its groundbreaking). He attended St. Louis Catholic Church and School, then on to Christian Brothers High School before obtaining his Accounting Degree from the University of Alabama.
Steve spent the first 17 years of his professional career as a Certified Public Account in public accounting and, most recently, as the Chief Operating Officer of Southeastern Asset Management for 16 years. Additionally, he has served in numerous volunteer roles for the Catholic Church and throughout Memphis, including: OLPH Finance and Parish Councils, Eighth Grade Catechist, Jubilee Schools, Church Health Center, Mid-South Transplant Foundation and various Emergency Shelter and Foster Care organizations. Steve is currently pursuing his Masters in Catholic Studies from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio.
Our Diocese looks forward to Deacon Ernie continuing to assist Steve with his transition and having Deacon Ernie continue in his valued role as a spiritual director on various Retreats at Queen of Peace.
Steve can be reached at 901-351-9832 or Steve.Fracchia@olqp.cdom.org.
