Saint Charles Center, which includes Tabor Retreat House and the Katharine Drexel Conference Center, opened in 1995. It grew from discussions held by the founding bishop, The Most Reverend Jude Speyrer, with the clergy and laity of the diocese during the early years following the establishment of the Diocese of Lake Charles in 1980. Of the many ideas that came from those discussions, a spirituality/retreat facility located in Southwest Louisiana was mentioned many times.
In 1992, Bishop Speyrer appointed Fr. Don Piraro head of the initiative that would become the Saint Charles Center. Fr. Piraro was selected to chair of a group of interested persons charged with designing and fundraising for the project. He was ultimately named Director of the Center in 1993 and oversaw facility construction and program development. The Apostolic Pro-Nuncio, Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan dedicated Saint Charles Center on November 5, 1995.
The facility buildings at Saint Charles Center are named for Msgr. Hubert Cramers, Father Joseph Peeters, the A. J. M. Oustalet Jr. Family and Dr. W. J. Brulet. The Katharine Drexel Conference Center was named for the only Saint to visit the Lake Charles area. Saint Katharine Drexel, foundress of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament was instrumental in opening Sacred Heart of Jesus/Saint Katharine Drexel Catholic School in Lake Charles in 1908.