Fr. Bernard Youth Center

What Fr. Bernard Youth Center does

Fr. Bernard Youth Center (FBYC) is a Catholic nonprofit retreat center located at 980 South Main Street in Mt. Angel, Oregon, founded in 2006 and dedicated on January 17, 2006 by Archbishop Vlazny of the Archdiocese of Portland. The organization operates a single physical facility complex comprising a main retreat building and a 96-bed dormitory housed in the former Queen of Angels Monastery owned by the Benedictine Sisters. Core facility assets include St. Anthony Chapel (capacity 80-120, featuring six icon-etched glass panels and a bronze tabernacle with monstrance), the Great Room (up to 200 people), the Fireside Theatre (up to 100, theatre-style), breakout and conference rooms, a semi-commercial kitchen with dining for 120, and outdoor recreation areas.

FBYC's service model is event-driven, generating revenue primarily through facility rental fees, overnight lodging, catering, and sacramental services (Mass, Reconciliation, Adoration). Pricing for 2025-2026 is published: day retreats $750-$1,000, school day retreats $200-$400, overnight youth retreats $78-$90 per person, overnight adult retreats $85-$100 per person, dormitory lodging at $50 youth / $75 adult, catered meals from $11.50 to $14.50, and sacrament stipends ranging from $35 (Adoration) to $83 (Sunday Mass). Secondary revenue comes from donations, the Rivers Scholarship Fund, and an annual Dinner & Auction. The go-to-market motion relies on direct booking via website and phone, supported by in-house ministry programming (Mercy Night, Youth Group with Seminarians, Middle School Girls Bible Study, Summer Teen Bonfires, Family Faith Nights) that drives community engagement and repeat bookings.

FBYC serves a defined customer base of Catholic parishes, Catholic schools, youth ministry organizations, families, and youth mentors throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, with secondary outreach to corporate and conference groups between Portland and Eugene. The organization maintains approximately 6-8 paid full-time staff plus a nine-member Board of Directors, and is operationally integrated with Mount Angel Abbey, which supplies priests for sacramental programming. In 2025, leadership transitioned to a new Executive Director, Emma Seiler, succeeding Sr. Jeanine Tisot RSM. The center is concurrently pursuing a multi-million-dollar capital project to purchase the property and dormitory space currently owned by Catholic Community Services.

Name

Fr. Bernard Youth Center

Legal name

Fr. Bernard Youth Center, Inc.

Website

https://fbyc.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fr. Bernard Youth Center is a Catholic nonprofit retreat facility in Mt. Angel, Oregon, founded in 2006, serving youth, families, and parishes across the Pacific Northwest with 96-bed lodging, chapel, catering, and sacramental programming under the Archdiocese of Portland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Retreat Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Conference Retreat Hotels (THAGALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Guest, Visitor & Conference Housing Services (Summer/Break Housing) (EDAEAFAN)

Keywords

• Youth retreat services
• Catholic retreat center
• Faith formation programs
• Retreat venue rental
• Event catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Angel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retreat Facility Rental: FBYC generates primary revenue through facility rental fees for day retreats ($750-$1000), overnight youth retreats ($78-90 per person), overnight adult retreats ($85-100 per person), and school day retreats ($200-400). Revenue is event-based and depends on booking volume, with deposits required to secure dates.
2. Catering Services: On-site catering for meals including continental breakfast ($11.50), hot breakfast/brunch ($13.50), lunch ($13.50), dinner ($14.50), and optional desserts ($6.50). Dietary restricted meals available at +$5 per meal. Catering is a significant revenue stream with minimum 25 people requirement.
3. Overnight Lodging: Dormitory lodging in former Queen of Angels monastery with 96-bed capacity. Youth retreat overnight stays at $50, adult overnight stays at $75. Additional revenue from linens rental at $20 per tablecloth.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Accepts one-time and recurring donations through online portal, quarterly mailer pledges, Amazon Wish List contributions, and the Rivers Scholarship Fund for financial assistance. Annual Dinner & Auction event held to support FBYC's mission.
5. Sacraments and Religious Services: Provides reconciliation services ($38), daily Mass ($43), Sunday/Holy Day Mass ($83), and Adoration services ($35) through coordination with Mount Angel Abbey priests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fr. Bernard Youth Center (FBYC) operates a single-facility Catholic retreat center in Mt. Angel, Oregon, offering full-service retreat hosting that bundles facility rental, dormitory lodging for up to 96 guests, on-site catering, and integrated sacramental services (Mass, Reconciliation, Adoration). The center serves Catholic youth, families, parishes, schools, and youth organizations with in-house ministry programs including Mercy Night, Youth Group with Seminarians, and Bible Studies.

Product overview

Fr. Bernard Youth Center operates as a single-facility Catholic retreat and youth ministry center, not a technology platform. The center offers an integrated suite of services centered around its retreat facility: venue rental and lodging (dormitory accommodations for up to 96 guests), catering services, and in-house ministry programs including youth retreats, Bible studies, and spiritual formation events. The center also provides scholarship funding through the Rivers Scholarship Fund to support participation for those with financial need. All services are delivered through physical facilities including the St. Anthony Chapel, various meeting rooms, outdoor spaces, and a commercial kitchen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retreat Hosting Services Full-service retreat hosting that bundles facility rental, lodging, catering, and religious services for youth retreats, family retreats, confirmation retreats, and sacramental preparation programs serving parishes, schools, and faith-based groups.
• Venue Rental Rental of facility spaces including the Great Room (up to 200 people), Fireside Room, Conference Room, and breakout rooms for corporate conferences, receptions, parties, celebrations, and other events.
• In-House Ministry Programs Spiritual development programs including Mercy Night (Eucharistic Adoration), Sacrament of Reconciliation, Middle School Girl's Bible Study, Summer Teen Bonfires, Thursday Youth Group with Seminarians, and Confirmation Retreats.
• Catering Services On-site catered meals including continental breakfast ($11.50), hot breakfast/brunch ($13.50), sack lunch ($12.50), hot lunch ($13.50), hot dinner ($14.50), and optional desserts ($6.50), with dietary restrictions accommodated for an additional fee.
• Dormitory Accommodations Stand-alone overnight lodging facility in the former Queen of Angels Monastery with 96-bed capacity, available as overnight stay only ($50 youth / $75 adult) or bundled with retreat packages.
• Sacraments and Religious Services Coordination of Catholic sacramental services through Mount Angel Abbey priests, including reconciliation ($38), daily Mass ($43), Sunday/Holy Day Mass ($83), and Adoration ($35), available as a standalone offering or bundled with retreat hosting.
• Rivers Scholarship Fund Financial scholarship program providing funding for individuals, especially young people, who cannot afford to participate in retreats due to limited financial resources.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Archdiocese of PortlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2006FBYC was dedicated on January 17, 2006 by Archbishop Vlazny of the Archdiocese of Portland. The center operates under the endorsement and guidance of the Archdiocese, with Archbishop's endorsement for Totus Tuus programs. Sr. Jeanine Tisot served as Executive Director for 6 years before transitioning to the Board of Directors.
• Mount Angel AbbeycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMount Angel Abbey Benedictine monastery provides priests for sacraments during retreats. FBYC co-founder Father Bernard Sander was a monk at the Abbey for 70 years. Seminarians participate in Thursday Youth Group events. Eight daily Masses available at the Abbey Church and Crypt within 1 mile of FBYC.
• Benedictine Sisters of Queen of Angels MonasterycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFBYC's dormitory facilities are located in the former Queen of Angels Monastery owned by the Benedictine Sisters. The Sisters offer Mass at their chapel and participate in spiritual programming. Daily Mass available at their chapel.
• Mater Dei RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Catholic radio station that interviewed FBYC's Executive Director to share the center's mission and programs with their listenership. Promotional partnership through radio coverage.
• Catholic Community ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFBYC is purchasing the property and dormitory space currently owned by Catholic Community Services across the road from the current facility. This acquisition will provide FBYC with security to serve the community for the future. The purchase requires $2,500,000 for initial acquisition and $2.5 million for renovation.
• Virtue First FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored the Virtue First Room at FBYC for small group discussion and reconciliation use. Foundation promotes the practice of virtue in everyday life.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sacred Heart Retreat House: Catholic retreat house in Alhambra, California offering directed and preached retreats with on-site lodging, meals, and chapel access. Comparable nonprofit model serving parish groups with similar pricing and program structure to FBYC.
• Lumen Christi Retreat Center: Catholic retreat center in Crestline, California operated by the Dominican Sisters. Hosts youth, adult, and parish retreats with lodging, meals, and full sacramental programming, very similar in mission, scale, and customer segments to FBYC.
• Christ the King Retreat Center: Catholic retreat center in Citrus Heights, California serving parishes, schools, and youth groups with multi-day retreat programming, meals, and on-site chapel. Direct comparable in size, customer mix, and faith-based nonprofit model.
• Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center: Diocese of Austin-operated Catholic retreat center in Temple, Texas that hosts youth, family, and parish retreats with similar lodging, dining, and chapel-based programming. Operates as a nonprofit with comparable reliance on Catholic institutional partnerships and donations.
• St. Benedict Center: Benedictine monastery-affiliated retreat and conference center in Schuyler, Nebraska offering retreat hosting, lodging, and meeting space for parish and lay groups. Comparable Catholic retreat center operating under monastic partnership similar to FBYC's relationship with Mount Angel Abbey.

Broad incumbents

• Kanuga Episcopal Conference Center: Large Christian conference and retreat center in Hendersonville, North Carolina with 1,300+ acres, multiple lodging facilities, and year-round programming. A broader incumbent in the Christian retreat space with a wider portfolio and geographic reach than FBYC's niche Catholic focus.
• Montreat Conference Center: Historic Presbyterian conference center in Montreat, North Carolina hosting youth conferences, adult retreats, and church leadership events. Larger and denominationally distinct but competes for the same regional church-group retreat bookings FBYC targets.

Emerging players

• Camp Veritas: Catholic summer youth camp and retreat program operating across multiple U.S. dioceses. Competes for the same Catholic teen and family retreat engagement, though through a mobile camp model rather than a fixed facility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Fr.BernardYouthCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/fr_bernard_youth_center
• Xx.com/frbernardyouth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/249820

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fr. Bernard Youth Center