Christ the King Monastery of St. Clare, Delray Beach, FL, Oct. 2024. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
A closed Roman Catholic monastery in Delray Beach which sits on about 9 acres of property will likely be demolished in favor of 26 single-family homes following a decision by the city’s planning board.
Christ the King Monastery of St. Clare, located on a sprawling Sherwood Boulevard property in the Sherwood Park section, was built in 1967 by an Catholic order of cloistered nuns who used the facility as their living space, as well as a retreat center for visiting faithful. But like many religious facilities, the monastery faced increased maintenance obligations at the same time church attendance – and donations – were falling. The nuns, unable to sustain the building itself, first moved to sell the property to a company that planned to operate a nursing home at the site, but the plan was scuttled following considerable opposition from neighboring residents. In 2023, the property was sold to the influential national developer Toll Brothers for $8.5 million…