Photo: James Baca

Last week, in the mountains west of Littleton a new retreat house was blessed by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. It is the newest Catholic retreat house in the Denver Archdiocese and is being made available to the wider Catholic community. The domed house, called Eagles Nest, was built by members of the French-born Congregation of St. John and features seven bedrooms, kitchen and dining room, library, common area and a chapel.  Father Joseph Mary, C.S.J., superior of the congregation’s Princeville, Ill., priory, said Eagles Nest will be a sacred place where the community’s novices discover and deepen their personal bond with Jesus and Mary.

“Initially, the house will be used by our novices two months out of the year,” he said.  “The rest of the time it can be used by other organizations, parishes or the (seminaries), as a retreat house.”

Construction of the house has been a long time coming.  After the foundation was poured in the mid 1980s by the late Father Roger Mollison, founder of the adjacent Jesus Our Hope Hermitage, construction came to a stop and no further work was done.  Father Joseph Mary said that his community came across the unfinished building almost by happenstance.

“In 2001, one of our priests was looking for a place for our novices where they could go for a period of retreat during the summer,” he said.  “He was referred to Jesus Our Hope Hermitage, which owned the land the foundation sat on.  One thing led to another and we eventually purchased the land.”

Frames for the three-story domed structure were still in good shape so, using donated labor, the community set to building the house.

The Congregation of St. John was founded as a mendicant community in 1975 by Dominican Father Marie-Dominique Philippe.  Members live a contemplative life in service to the Church.  Since its beginning, the community has grown to 1,000 members from more than 25 countries, serving 80 priories around the world, including three in the United States.

“Our founder said that our community must be in the world today as John was for Jesus in his own time,” Father Joseph Mary said.  “That is we are to be a beloved disciple of Christ; a friend to Jesus.  We are here to share the fruits of our friendship with Christ.”

On Aug. 24, the community held an open house and conducted tours.

“We want all people to know that this is a special place,” Father Joseph said.  “A place of peaceful prayer and solitude.”