Today is the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. Happy feast day! The Diocese of Lansing's Saint Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt is named after today's inspiring medieval Italian saint. Writer Patrick Brennan paid a visit to the center on behalf of FAITH Magazine, the Diocese of Lansing's official publication, to meet with the center's Director, Mike Kutas, pictured above. Here’s what Patrick discovered. He writes:
In the midst of this restless generation, so often driven by the relentless pace of the world, it’s natural to wonder, “How can we make time to encounter Jesus Christ in a deeper way?” The answer is closer than you may realize. Since the early 1950s, Saint Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt has been a much-needed retreat from the world toward deeper union with Christ. Thanks to 95 acres of towering pines, rolling hills, and tree-laden trails, the retreat center overflows with natural beauty. But Saint Francis Retreat Center’s mission is not merely a natural phenomenon. It is to welcome guests into heavenly encounters with the living God.
The retreat center was originally named Portiuncula in the Pines, serving as the home for a community of Franciscan priests and brothers. For over 30 years, the Franciscans interceded for the world, cultivated the land, and welcomed retreat guests. When the number of Franciscans declined, the Diocese of Lansing purchased the property in the late 1980s and honored its Franciscan heritage with a new name: Saint Francis Retreat Center. In 2001, the diocese upgraded the retreat center by remodeling the original friary and building Bethany House, which allowed for larger retreats and increased ministry to youth and young adults. Between the original retreat center and Bethany House, there are over 100 guest rooms, two full-service dining rooms, two chapels, and multiple indoor and outdoor gathering spaces.
The physical accommodations of the retreat center are all designed for a higher spiritual purpose: to give retreatants a fitting place to encounter Christ in a deeper way. Mike Kutas, who serves as the retreat center’s first lay director, explains it this way: “Our mission statement is to give people that opportunity to have an experience with the Risen Lord. The more welcoming and the more peaceful that we can make the surroundings when they’re here, then that takes those worries away from people and they can then concentrate on what they’re here to do.”
Alongside the priority of providing a quality physical environment, Kutas also wants the retreat center to be well-known for the quality of its spiritual formation. “The retreat center is in a very unique position to be a creator of solid Catholic content,” said Kutas. With that end in mind, the retreat center is currently offering Break Open the Parables, a retreat based on a book of the same name by Father Sebastian Washle. Father Washle is a frequent contributor on Catholic Answers Live. In an effort to provide a variety of dynamic Catholic voices, the retreat will feature video teachings from a number of acclaimed speakers, including Father Washle, Dr. Mary Healy, and Bishop Earl Boyea.
By combining the retreat center’s idyllic setting with the best in Catholic teaching, the retreat center can offer “a different medium than a podcast or books,” remarked Kutas. “We can’t compete with Catholic Answers Live, but they don’t have 100 rooms, and they don’t have two commercial kitchens. We’ve got a unique niche, and we should be using that to reach as many people as we can across different demographics while also presenting solid Catholic teachings.” Break Open the Parables will be offered separately to men and women on multiple weekends throughout the school year. For those who can’t commit to an entire weekend, there are one-night retreat options, including a co-ed retreat for young adults in April 2024.
As the only diocese-owned retreat center remaining in Michigan, Saint Francis Retreat Center is designed to be “your retreat center,” said Kutas. “So many folks in this diocese have never been here. Come here and experience it.” What began as a home for Franciscans can now serve as a spiritual home for all who are seeking to encounter Jesus Christ. “For those groups that maybe are being underserved or not served,” Kutas explained, “we work really hard to try to pinpoint those and then offer something to reach out to that group.”
Two recent examples showcase the retreat center’s commitment to reaching new participants in creative ways. This past Good Friday, the retreat center hosted a Sunrise Retreat beginning at 6 a.m. The chapel was filled with over 70 candles and over 30 young adults keeping vigil to honor the Passion of Christ. This past June, the FORGED retreat welcomed young men aged 13-16 for three days of outdoor adventure and survival skills, while also providing spiritual formation specific to young men.
Examples like these provide a new perspective on how encounters with Christ happen at the retreat center. “We’ve really built retreats that are nothing like what people might think when they hear the word retreat,” Kutas said. “We’re going to give you as many different options and opportunities to come here and experience the place, to use it as an instrument to experience the Risen Lord. That’s what it’s all about.”
* To know more about Saint Francis Retreat Center go to: https://www.stfrancis.ws/
