On another beautiful spring morning — the 40th day after Easter — we were pleased to hear from Rick Borofski, president and CEO of three properties overseen by the Diocese of Nashville: Mary, Queen of Angels, Villa Maria Manor and Marina Manor East!
Borofoski discussed each of the three properties in detail, noting that Villa Maria Manor provides affordable, high-quality housing and a variety of supportive services for low-income elderly and people with disabilities. This ministry continues Villa Maria Manor’s mission to provide housing for this vulnerable population and continues to look for ways to further its reach within the communities it serves. In addition to on-site services and event programming, Villa Maria Manor also offers buses to transport residents to banks, medical appointments, grocery and local shopping and events.
One theme which Borofski highlighted as a “game changer” for the residents: food security. Thanks to partnerships with nine different organizations, Villa Maria Manor collects 60,000 pounds of food per year, in addition to $127,485 yearly from Second Harvest Food Bank. These contributions benefit nearly 200 residents, and nearly 45 residents volunteer to make these programs possible – providing a blend of dependable, nutritious food and volunteer opportunities for the residents.
Shifting to Mary, Queen of Angels, Borofski pointed to the mission of giving residents an opportunity to celebrate life every day, providing services that address their needs and share new experiences to make a difference in the life of each resident. The on-site chapel — open to all residents, their family members, and residents of Villa Maria Manor — hosts daily Mass at 10:30am every morning, celebrated by a rotation of three priests who live at Mary, Queen of Angels. The Board of Trustees also supports a special annual program at Christmas, providing gifts for the children of employees at Mary, Queen of Angels.
Despite facing pressure from financial margins and the labor market, as well as potential changes to health care regulations, Borofski stood firm. “The focus isn’t on the P&L statement,” Borofski said confidently. “The focus is on the resident.”
Over the past decade, Mary, Queen of Angels has demonstrated a history of excellence by focusing on its residents, winning the Best of Assisted Living Award in 2015, the Innovator of the Year Award in 2015 and 2017, the Caregiver of the Year Award in 2018 and being named to the Queen’s Court for Innovators in Action in 2022.
Borofski then moved to the newest development, Marina Manor East, a 15-acre complex of 161 multi-family apartments in East Nashville, providing affordable housing in one of the city’s most rapidly growing neighborhoods. The complex had been managed by a third-party group before the Diocese assumed operations during July 2024. Like both Villa Maria Manor and Mary, Queen of Angels, Marina Manor East is fully occupied with a waiting list, which consistently fills the units as residents stay for an average of approximately eight years, with 50 families purchasing homes after staying at Marina Manor East.
We thank Rick for joining us and for enlightening us on the great work being done throughout the Diocese of Nashville, and we look forward to seeing all of you for our next meeting on June 11!
