Loyola Retreat House, Inc. Announces

New Affiliation with Benedictines of St. Andrew Abbey, Cleveland, Ohio

Green, OH – Loyola Retreat House today announced a new affiliation with the Benedictine Order of St. Andrew Abbey, Cleveland, which will allow the retreat house to maintain its Catholic identity and continue to offer retreats and spiritual programs, as it has for more than 40 years, under the auspices of the Catholic Church.

Until 2008, the retreat house was affiliated with the Society of Jesus -- better known as the Jesuits – who over the years provided priests and brothers who directed retreats and provided spiritual direction at the Retreat House. In recent years, however, the number of available priests has declined and the Jesuits were unable to continue staffing the Retreat House.

Loyola’s staff and lay Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Board Chair Tim Beringer, Sr., have worked throughout the past year to raise money and identify a new Catholic sponsor for the house. “We are pleased to be affiliated with the Benedictines, an order with a long commitment to seeking God through prayer, reflective reading and work,” Beringer said. “This new affiliation allows the Retreat House to build on its more-than-40-year legacy and to continue its mission of helping people grow spiritually.”

Loyola Executive Director Elizabeth Haller said that the Retreat House will continue its current programming under the new affiliation. “Loyola will be the same sacred and prayerful place it has always been, with the same mix of retreats, seminars, and days of prayer and reflection,” Haller said. “It was through the extraordinary efforts of the lay board and Loyola’s many supporters that this priceless asset has been preserved and will continue to provide a warm and hospitable environment for people of faith – something that is needed now more than ever, given the many stresses in our daily lives.”

      Right Reverend Abbot Christopher R. Schwartz, OSB, of St. Andrew Abbey in Cleveland, sent a letter to Loyola in last October expressing interest in affiliating the Benedictines with the house once the relationship with the Jesuits was formally ended.

“We believe that affiliating with the retreat house will enhance our ministry to the people of Northeast Ohio,” said Abbot Schwartz. “It is so important for people of faith to have a place where they can get away from their daily lives, quiet their spirits and listen for God’s word. Benedictine spirituality is guided by three basic elements: prayer, reflective reading and work. This Retreat House provides a place where people can come to converse with God and worship him in prayer, so that they can go back to their daily lives of work refreshed and spiritually renewed.” He added that, in time, a stronger Benedictine identity will be established at the Retreat House.

Loyola was founded in 1964 by a group of lay Catholics who saw a need for a retreat facility in Summit County. After appealing to the Jesuits for their sponsorship, the lay men raised the money and acquired a parcel of farm land overlooking Nimisila Reservoir near the Portage Lakes in southern Summit County. The facility’s affiliation with the Jesuits lasted 44 years. Throughout many of those years, a lay Board has managed the Retreat House and volunteers have contributed countless hours to raise money, help maintain the grounds and attract their fellow Catholics to retreats and programs at Loyola.

“In many ways, what has happened this past year is consistent with our history in that it is once again a group of lay supporters who worked to make this happen,” Haller said. “Just like that original group of men who worked so hard to establish Loyola, our dedicated volunteers and Board worked very hard to make sure the Retreat House would find a new affiliation so we can continue our important work. We are deeply grateful for the sponsorship of the Society of Jesus these past 40 years. The Board of Trustees is committed to continuing its mission of helping people grow spiritually.”

Loyola Retreat House, Inc. offers weekend and directed retreats, days of prayer and reflection, serenity retreats for members of 12-step programs, and seminars for physicians and attorneys. The facilities also are available to rent for all Christian groups for youth retreats, meetings, conferences or other gatherings. More information is available at www.loyolaretreathouse.com.

 Contact: Elizabeth Haller, Executive Director, 330-896-2315 ext. 202

            If you have any questions, please email Elizabeth Haller, Executive Director, at loyolaretreat@aol.com.  We will post all questions and responses on our website.

 Thank you.

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