SHALOM CENTER, INC. WAS FOUNDED TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ARISING FROM THE REALIZATION THAT FEWER AND OLDER CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR AN EVER INCREASING AMOUNT OF WORK TO BE PERFORMED IN THE CHURCH. THE NEED TO ADDRESS EMOTIONAL STRESS AS THESE CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS PROGRESSED THROUGH THE STAGES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT BECAME AN ISSUE OF JUSTICE WITHIN THE CHURCH.
In 1979, at the request of Bishop Morkovsky, Bishop of the Galveston-Houston Diocese, Fr. James A. Harnan, M.S.C., researched and documented the needs of clergy and religious in ministry. The results were reported to the bishops and major superiors of the diocese. As a result, Shalom Center, Inc., a non-profit organization, was founded in 1980.

The purpose is to serve as a resource center for those in need of pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, psychotherapy and psychiatric evaluation. Shalom Center assists in assessment and evaluation of candidates for the priesthood and religious life. It provides lectures, workshops and treatment through a growth-oriented holistic approach, thus integrating the emotional, spiritual and psychological dimensions of the individual.

Through the Center’s outpatient experience, it became apparent that a supportive residential environment, creating distance from the source of stress, would result in intensifying the effectiveness of therapy. In January of 1990, Shalom Center, located 36 miles north of Houston in Splendora, Texas, became a reality. The complex is clustered around the chapel, a hexagon-shaped, rustic cedar and glass structure which forms the focal point of the 15-acre wooded site.

Therapists’ offices, a large conference room and dining facilities are located in the administration building. Four cottages, each accommodating four residents with private bath and bedroom suites, include loft study areas and a common room with kitchenette and laundry facilities. In 1991, a Health Education and Recreation building was completed. It includes a conference room, equipped exercise areas, an enclosed heated pool with a spa, a massage room and an arts and crafts studio. Outdoor amenities include a deck and picnic areas, a basketball court, jogging paths and a small, but scenic lake for fishing and boating. In 1998, Sacred Heart Conference Building was added to the existing administration building. This expanded our facility to include an AV room, staff room, large conference room, additional offices and a residents lounge.

Since 1994, Shalom Center has expanded its services under the leadership of Sister Gina Marie Iadanza, M.S.C. With a dedicated staff of professionals, many have been helped in their own human and spiritual journeys to become more effective ministers, enabling others to experience the compassion of a loving and faithful God.