Palisades: A legacy of faith, hope and vision
“A place to call our own” was part of Archbishop Alex J. Brunett’s vision “from the very beginning”
FROM THE PROGRESS ARCHIVES
Editor’s Note: Published on Nov. 7, 2002 after the renovation of Palisades Retreat and Faith Formation Center, the article below chronicled one of the lasting legacies of Archbishop Alex J. Brunett’s decade of leadership in the Archdiocese of Seattle. It also aptly portrays the determination, pastoral heart, vision and wit of the priest who will celebrate his 50th anniversary of ordination on July 13, 2008.
BY STEPHEN KENT
FEDERAL WAY — The new Palisades Retreat and Faith Formation Center is a public statement of the faith of the church of Western Washington and of the vision of the church for the future, Archbishop Alex J. Brunett said Sunday.
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| Following the blessing in November 2002, participants gather in the courtyard. They are from left: Larry and Karen Mc Donald, campaign co-chairs; Ed Foster, director of the archdiocesan property and construction office; Kevin Broderick of Broderick Architects; Auxiliary Bishop George L. Thomas; Archbishop Alex J. Brunett; Dave Jones, retreat center director; Jeff Stroud, Mountain Construction; Jesuit Father John Fuchs, Palisades spiritual formation director; and Pat Sursely, archbishop’s delegate for administration and finance. |
The archbishop presided at the dedication and blessing of the new archdiocesan facility, which was created from the former Palisades Retreat House.
The new center will serve the parishes and faith communities of the archdiocese through formation, retreat ministry, community service, prayer, and meeting facilities for organizations and groups of the archdiocese.
It was an obviously delighted Archbishop Brunett who approached the lectern at the dedication Sunday and, before delivering his homily, explained, “I usually don’t wear this,” pointing to his miter, “when preaching, but I will do so today, just to keep my head from swelling with pride,” he joked.
“Let me say just a few words to you about how much joy there is in my heart. This is a project I had in mind from the very beginning,” he said, referring to his installation as archbishop of Seattle in December, 1997.
“We didn’t have anything in the archdiocese, we didn’t have a place to call our own to interact, to say this is a place for retreats for married couples, opportunities for young people to form their faith life,” he said.
“All these things were in my heart when we began this project,” he said.
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| The Palisades Retreat and Faith Formation Center before (left) and during renovation. |
$7 million project
The Palisades Retreat Center, which opened in 1956, was a men-only retreat house operated by the Redemptorist order. When personnel decisions resulted in their decision to close the facility, the archdiocese purchased it in January, 2000.
Archbishop Brunett’s vision was to expand its mission to include faith formation as well as retreats.
The existing guest rooms were remodeled to include private baths and a new wing was built to increase the residence room capacity as well as to provide a library and large dining/meeting room.
The chapel was extensively remodeled, not only to bring it into conformity with contemporary liturgical standards, but also to improve heating, lighting and furnishings.
The upgrading and renovation was planned as a $7 million project.
The dedication liturgy Sunday took place in the Water View Room, with an expansive view of Puget Sound.
Auxiliary Bishop George L. Thomas; Kevin Broderick of Broderick Architects; Jeff Stroud, Mountain Construction; Ed Foster, director of property and construction services for the archdiocese; Jesuit Father John Fuchs, spiritual formation director and Dave Jones, retreat center director, took part in the dedication.
Making a statement
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Jeff Stround of Mountain construction presents Archbishop Alex J. Brunett with a set of building plans during the dedication ceremony.
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During the ceremony, several symbolic items were presented to the archbishop. Broderick presented him a copy of blueprints, Stroud presented the building plans, Foster, the project manager presented a dedication plaque, and Jones handed the archbishop the master key to the building.
Noting “these things don’t get done without generous gifts,” Archbishop Brunett thanked the campaign co-chairs: Bishop Thomas, Larry and Karen McDonald, Tom Healy and Father Ken Haydock.
“What does this building really do?” Archbishop Brunett asked in his homily.
“This is the vision we have to have. That vision has to be something that we create to make it operative in our life as an archdiocesan church.”
The archbishop noted the troubled times of the past year, from 9/11 to the clergy sex abuse scandal within the church.
“It is particularly meaningful to me when we look at the history of the church in the United States in recent years and all of the things happening in our society,” he said.
“Throughout this time it seemed to me we needed to say something, we needed to make a statement.
“I think this facility is a statement of the faith of the church of the archdiocese, of the great benefits and values and religious commitment we have to offer people — the way we can touch their lives and make a difference,” said Archbishop Brunett.
Loving care and concern
“The Archdiocese of Seattle is very vibrant, it has a lot of life, it has commitment and is willing to make that statement in the face of all that is going on in the world,” he said.
“We have very dedicated people, we have people who bear out their faith, we have people that are willing to share their faith, people willing to see that faith endures.
Speaking of the formation aspect of Palisades, the archbishop said it will yield
“the best qualified people that can live and practice that faith, profess that faith in an intelligent way, who can live that faith by showing loving care and concern they have for others.”
“I feel very privileged and very blessed to be with you today because this is the start of living out the vision,” he said. “What we will be and what we will become will depend a lot on the support of people.
“I hope we can see the tremendous potential of people coming to parishes because of their formation
“We can see deacons who will be serving at the altar, proclaiming God’s word because they were formed here. Marriages that have been strengthened because they have been formed here. Young people who will find vocations in life and have a positive attitude because they had the opportunity to spend time here. People who are lonely, upset, nourished by the spiritual direction they receive here, the hospitality they experience here,” he said.
Following the homily, Archbishop Brunett and Bishop Thomas walked through the corridors of the facility, sprinkling rooms with holy water in the blessing ritual. The chapel blessing was to have been conducted Wednesday by the archbishop, joined by the priests of the archdiocese.
After the blessing, gathered in the courtyard at the Palisades are: Larry and Karen Mc Donald, campaign co-chairs; Ed Foster, director of the archdiocesan property and construction office; Kevin Broderick of Broderick Architects; Auxiliary Bishop George L. Thomas; Archbishop Alex J. Brunett; Dave Jones, retreat center director; Jeff Stroud, Mountain Construction; Jesuit Father John Fuchs, Palisades spiritual formation director; and Pat Sursely, archbishop’s delegate for administration and finance.