A new beginning for Maryvale: Diocese of Fargo to assume operations at retreat center

Fargo, N.D., Oct 15, 2022 / 08:00 am

Nestled among nearly 500 acres of woods and wilderness north of Valley City, bordered by the Sheyenne River, the Maryvale Retreat Center has been a cornerstone of religious activity and spiritual growth to Catholics and Protestants alike for nearly six decades. 

Maryvale is an ideal place for both personal and group retreats because the remote outdoor setting fosters personal contemplation and communing with God. The name means “Mary’s Valley,” and there are several walking stops, shrines, and grottos on the grounds that are dedicated to Our Lady.

The Sisters of Mary of the Presentation have been operating Maryvale since the center opened in 1965. The sisters were already at St. Catherine’s school in Valley City, and they outgrew their space there. They needed a place to gather with their sisters throughout the United States, so their new home at Maryvale was built. A wing for boarding students from St. Catherine’s school was also built, but with advances in transportation, boarding school-age children was no longer necessary, so in the early 1970s the sisters utilized the boarding wing, and their hospitality and retreat ministry began. Four and a half decades later, the retreat and hospitality missions continued, but the number of sisters at Maryvale declined.

“The sisters here did everything as far as the housekeeping, cooking, laundry, as well as led the retreats,” said Sister Suzanne Stahl, regional superior for the Sisters of Mary of the Presentation. “Unfortunately, our numbers declined, and we didn’t have sisters to do all of those tasks, so we started hiring lay employees to fill those positions.”

The sisters hired an operations manager and finance director in 2017, but it soon became apparent that continuing to operate Maryvale was becoming too difficult for them.

“Our goal has always been to continue the evangelization ministry that God has called us to do,” Stahl said. “We realized we couldn’t continue the hospitality and retreat missions. So we started discerning what God wanted us to do next. We looked at joining with other women religious communities and talked to some, but we felt approaching the Fargo Diocese was the best option being that the Queen of Peace Center [in Fargo] had closed, and the faithful of this diocese could benefit from having a retreat center.”

The Sisters of Mary of the Presentation approached Bishop John Folda and asked if the diocese would be interested in taking over the operations at Maryvale. After a period of negotiations, the Diocese of Fargo agreed to acquire Maryvale and its retreat and hospitality mission. The sisters donated all of the land and buildings at Maryvale to the diocese, and the official agreement was signed in late September.

The gift of Maryvale to the Diocese of Fargo resulted in the forming of the Maryvale Corporation to hold the gift. The corporation is run by a board of directors that has Folda serving as the board director, and includes Stahl and others from the diocesan pastoral center. Steve Splonskowski, the project manager for the diocesan Office of Evangelization, will serve as the executive director for the Maryvale Corporation and will oversee operations and the mission of Maryvale. 

The eight remaining sisters living at Maryvale will continue to make the center their home and will assist in retreats. Sister Anne Germaine Picard will continue to offer the women’s retreat that has been a staple at Maryvale for 30 years. All of the operational logistics will be handled by Operations and Hospitality Director Carrie Nice. Current staff will also be retained.

There won’t be many visible or operational changes to Maryvale, at least for the near future. The home for the sisters will undergo some updating, and 19 hospitality rooms have been refurnished to accommodate married couples. Sister Stahl says they’ve had requests for more men’s retreats, and other groups come to do their own retreats. Some of the groups bring their own retreat leaders in, but she says the Maryvale Corporation is hoping to identify more leaders for different retreats for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. SEARCH retreats for youth and young adults will continue, and there’s hope to expand youth retreats. Stahl says the area, with all of its acreage, the river, quiet areas in the woods, is ideal for more youth events in the future.

For his part, Bishop Folda says the sisters “have given us a very gracious welcome.” The Maryvale Corporation board will continue to evaluate the existing property to see if any updates, improvements, or expansion projects are necessary, but there are no immediate plans as of now.

For the sisters, turning over their beloved Maryvale’s mission has had its moments of second thoughts, but they are sure it was the right thing to do. They will continue to live in a section of Maryvale and be the prayer support for the retreat ministry.

“We really believe this is God’s will,” Sister Stahl said. “We prayed and discerned about this for some time, but at the same time, with anything you’ve loved and done and taken care of for years and years there is, of course, some sadness with that, but we’ve been making those steps for quite some time. We’re not here to gain wealth or notoriety, we’re here to quietly carry out the spreading of God’s Word and the good news of Jesus Christ. If giving this gift can do that, then that’s what we’re about.”

This article was first published in the October 2022 issue of New Earth, the Diocese of Fargo's publication. It is reprinted with permission at CNA.