OUR STORY
The history of St. Rita Retreat Center is one of hope, hard work, and a few miracles. It is a testimony to the faith of the many who contributed their funds, labor, and know-how to make their dream a reality.
The early 1980s saw the Catholics of Southern Oregon yearning for a place in which they might be nurtured more deeply in their faith, a center for catechesis, prayer, and time away from the demands of everyday life. At the same time, members of the West Coast Province of the Order of St. Augustine were invited to extend their California ministry into Oregon. It was a fortuitous melding. The Augustinians wholeheartedly invested themselves and their charism of community in the work of creating a special place of renewal.
While local Catholics began the task of fund-raising, prayers went up asking for the blessing of the perfect site for the Center. It was on the feast of St. Rita of Cascia, a saint special to the Augustinian order, that word was received of the gift of the present hillside home of the Retreat Center. Even more miraculously, the original offer of 18 acres was extended to 63 acres to guarantee a place that is truly away from the everyday. With results of her intercession clearly in evidence, St. Rita was honored as the patroness of the Center.
St. Rita Retreat Center is still blessed by the work of many volunteers who continue to maintain and renew the Center. Since the original buildings were constructed, our volunteers have groomed miles of hiking paths, created beautiful water features, and laid hundreds of rocks for an outdoor labyrinth. A former quarry and dumping area has been transformed into a lush, green-lawned amphitheater. Quiet reflection areas now dot the hillside.
All of these many features have been blessed by the thousands of people who have prayed, shared, laughed, and cried on these holy grounds. We invite you to become a part of this living history of faith.
The early 1980s saw the Catholics of Southern Oregon yearning for a place in which they might be nurtured more deeply in their faith, a center for catechesis, prayer, and time away from the demands of everyday life. At the same time, members of the West Coast Province of the Order of St. Augustine were invited to extend their California ministry into Oregon. It was a fortuitous melding. The Augustinians wholeheartedly invested themselves and their charism of community in the work of creating a special place of renewal.
While local Catholics began the task of fund-raising, prayers went up asking for the blessing of the perfect site for the Center. It was on the feast of St. Rita of Cascia, a saint special to the Augustinian order, that word was received of the gift of the present hillside home of the Retreat Center. Even more miraculously, the original offer of 18 acres was extended to 63 acres to guarantee a place that is truly away from the everyday. With results of her intercession clearly in evidence, St. Rita was honored as the patroness of the Center.
St. Rita Retreat Center is still blessed by the work of many volunteers who continue to maintain and renew the Center. Since the original buildings were constructed, our volunteers have groomed miles of hiking paths, created beautiful water features, and laid hundreds of rocks for an outdoor labyrinth. A former quarry and dumping area has been transformed into a lush, green-lawned amphitheater. Quiet reflection areas now dot the hillside.
All of these many features have been blessed by the thousands of people who have prayed, shared, laughed, and cried on these holy grounds. We invite you to become a part of this living history of faith.