Her name was Sr. Mary-Jo Cassidy. She paved the way.

In 1977, she heard a call from God to leave the convent in which she had been a sister, for a special mission in the wilderness. Following this call, she founded a retreat center; the mission and vision was to be a place of refuge, rest, healing, reflection, and prayer for all Christian people. This was to be a place for weary souls to seek refuge from the burdens of daily life. Here, they would experience healing that would last for generations.

Today, the Way of Holiness has been around for more than 30 years. But now we need your help! Over the years many generous volunteers have helped to hold the building together by providing their skills and talents. But in 2020, water damage occurred while replacing the roof, and left half of the top floor damaged; in December 2022, a pipe burst when we hit the -40s, which damaged the second floor and main floor; a number of half-finished projects are still waiting to be completed; this leaves the retreat center in need of a major renovation.

These ongoing problems make it difficult to fulfill our ministry. For example, this winter our heating system failed, leaving half the building without heat. We had to rely on space heaters which caused our electrical bills to skyrocket to three times as much as a normal month.

Here are are some the most important issues on our list:

Attic insulation - there is NOTHING there

Window upgrades - they are currently inescapable in the event of a fire

Various flooring, paint, drywall, plumbing, and electrical projects

Complete updates of our heating and water systems, upon professional inspection

And this is just the tip of the "renovation-berg."

We would love to repair, renovate and replace whatever is needed in order to see Sr. Mary-Jo's vision and mission continue for another 30 years and more. We can't do it without people like YOU!

All funds raised with this campaign will go directly to hiring skilled labour and providing materials for renovating three buildings on site.

Why Now

Hello, I am Kristy-Lea and I am the new director of the retreat center. I arrived in August 2022. Upon my arrival, we have been choosing one doable task that needs to be completed each week, but now I need your financial help to keep going. Let me tell you how I came to be here.

In 1988, my dad came to the Way of Holiness as a last resort; medication and psychologists had failed to help him with mental illness. Staying here, being prayed with by Sr. Mary-Jo, allowed him to encounter God in a deeper way than he thought possible. He found healing here. Without his coming here, my life would have been so different.

There are so many stories like my dad's. One recent transformation is of a young girl who came, just to sit and talk for half an hour. She was in a difficult relationship situation and needed a listening ear. Shortly before Christmas, I received an update. She had left the toxic relationship, moved into her own place, got a great job, and met an amazing man. Without the Way of Holiness, this would not have been possible. As the new Director, I want to continue the legacy of Sr. Mary-Jo. I need YOU to help me continue it.

By supporting this campaign, you will not only help transform our building, but even more so, you will help transform lives.

Please consider helping us continue to be a place of refuge for others in our hurting world.

You can follow the journey on our YouTube channel or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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