Christian Renewal Center kicks off capital campaign
January 5, 2011
DICKINSON, TX — Few people realize that the Christian Renewal Center — the largest retreat center in Texas — was on the brink of closure three years ago, until a group of lay Catholics banded together to form the nonprofit CRC Partners in 2007. Their mission is to save the holy ground of the Christian Renewal Center for future generations.
"It was on the chopping block," said Robert Kehoe, president of the CRC Partners. "The Oblates of Mary Immaculate is going through a process of contracting and shrinking their properties due to the shortage of priests and it's very expensive to run Renewal Centers across the country. We didn't want to lose this place that has meant so much for so many Christians."
CRC Partners now operates the Christian Renewal Center under a lease-purchase agreement. The group kicked off a year-long, $5.7 million capital campaign in December. The goals of the capital campaign are to raise $2.2 million to complete the purchase of the 52 acres and buildings that comprise the Christian Renewal Center from the Oblates of Mary Immaculate; to raise $3.5 million to renovate and renew the over-40-year-old property; and to secure funds to defray the operating expenses of the retreat center.
The price to purchase the property is final and board members receive no compensation.
"We want donors to be assured that 100 percent of their contribution goes toward the goals of this capital campaign," Kehoe said. "The purchase price is set and will not go up."
The success of the capital campaign depends wholly on private funding and contributions from individuals, parishes, ministry groups, businesses and foundations. Although the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston supports the ministry and mission of the Christian Renewal Center, the retreat center is financially independent of the Archdiocesan budget.
The Christian Renewal Center accepts donations of commercial materials and services toward the capital campaign goals. One of the renovation goals is to replace the wood exteriors with the more durable Hardi-Plank siding.
Individuals, groups and parishes wishing to combine their financial resources can adopt a specific entity of the retreat center, such as the exterior renovation six-room "pod," which can cost from $2,000 to $10,000 depending on the specific pod.
Several leaders in the Houston-area ACTS ministry (ACTS stands for Adoration, Community, Theology, Service) have stepped up to give their time, talent and resources toward the goals of the CRC Capital Campaign. An ACTS retreat is a three-day and three-night Catholic lay retreat presented by a team of 20 to 30 fellow parishioners who have attended prior retreats. Seventy-five percent of all ACTS Retreats in the Houston area are held at the Christian Renewal Center. One reason the facility is so popular with the ministry is affordability.
"We have been holding the line on costs and have a wonderful staff which strives to provide the best retreat experience possible," Kehoe said. ACTS Retreats are one of the core ministries currently active in building the Catholic community in the Archdiocese. The results of a parish ACTS Retreat are a renewed dedication to the life of the parish and a fresh recognition of the needs of the community.
Talks and activities during the retreats focus on the ACTS acronym derivation: Adoration, Community, Theology and Service. Holy Scripture and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church are the guides for the retreats. The mission of retreats is to achieve the directives of Vatican II and goals of the Revised Code of Canon Law of 1983, which emphasizes the "community and pastoral care" within a parish. †
tch@archgh.org