Business

Private group buys Benedictus Books & Gifts; store to remain open

Benedictus Books at 408 Southland Drive has been purchased by private citizens from the Roman Catholic Diocese. The store, which had been slated to close June 30, will remain open.
Benedictus Books at 408 Southland Drive has been purchased by private citizens from the Roman Catholic Diocese. The store, which had been slated to close June 30, will remain open. Photo submitted

Benedictus Books & Gifts has been sold to a group of private citizens and will remain open on Southland Drive, according to a news release Wednesday from the Catholic Diocese of Lexington.

The “private benefactors” were not identified. The bookstore will continue selling books, bibles, devotionals, gifts and other goods at 408 Southland Drive. According to the news release, the bookstore will no longer have “legal, financial, or canonical (church law) connection to the Diocese.”

Benedictus Books had previously said that it would close its operation when the shop’s lease expired June 30.

The benefactors are planning a customer celebration event on Aug. 12.

The diocese had bought the shop and its inventory for $1 in 2012, and the shop was absorbed into the diocesan structure. The plan was to use excess revenue from the nonprofit to support causes such as the priest retirement fund and the school scholarship fund.

However, the excess revenue never materialized, and the diocese announced in April its plan to close the store.

Cheryl Truman: 859-231-3202, @CherylTruman

This story was originally published July 12, 2017 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Private group buys Benedictus Books & Gifts; store to remain open."

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