At a beloved Catholic retreat center in the hills above Sierra Madre there’s relief and hope in what many say are prayers answered.
After suffering significant damage in the Eaton fire, the Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center will reopen again this weekend.
Dozens of people staying at the center had to literally beat a hasty retreat the evening of Jan. 7, when the flames grew over the hills to the north and descended upon the century-old site.
The dramatic evacuation resulted in everyone staying safe, and the facility largely being spared the worst of the fire, but some significant damage did occur to the administrative wing and some of the grounds and garden.
“Everybody is rejoicing over the fact that we’re continuing,” said the Rev. Clemente Barron, local superior. “I’m getting messages not only from here in California, but other places that are welcoming our response to this situation and wishing us great success as we continue forward.
“Everybody is very pleased,” he said, noting that this season marked the 100th anniversary of the Passionists being at the site.
“We have been here 100 years on this property and this community has had various kinds of ministries, including this retreat center ministry, and so we are now ready to continue with our mission as Passionists,” Barron said.
Cleanup work was still underway early in the week, with a focus on drying up any remaining dampness from water used to fight the fire, as well as ventilating for lingering smoke odor.
“This is exactly one month after the Eaton fire that we’re gonna reopen, the seventh of February,” said the Rev. Febin Barose, CEO and director.
“We’re trying to clean up the place and make sure that the facilities are okay, the areas that were damaged by water and fire,” he said. “It’s a lot of pieces.”
“We had to replace all of the mattresses. .. The rooms are clean and water was tested by the city. It’s safe for all uses. Our electric is back, gas back on, so now it’s a place for people to come back to,” he said.
Barose said that, while the administrative office is still under repair, with a lot to reconstruct, things are feeling positive.
“Our ministry will continue and we reopen with hope,” he said. “We want people to come back.”
Melanie Goodyear, development director, said the cost estimate at this point is around $250,000 for the repairs and replacements, with revenue also lost from the month.
“We know some stuff is not going to be reimbursable,” she said, but at least now the retreat can operate at its 110-guest capacity.
She said a lot of people come to the retreat, mostly for weekend stays, but there are also some groups that will come for daylong events.
“We’re really excited to be reopening again and feel super blessed that about 80 percent of our actual retreat center was spared,” noted Katie Twomey, guest services coordinator.
“Being that the fire started in the mountain, it’s kind of cool how it danced around and preserved so much,” she said, echoing a sentiment expressed by many people at Mater Dolorosa, that a higher power was looking out for it.
“We’re really looking forward to opening back up … We just love Mater Dolorosa,” Twomey said. “We’re happy to be here and we’re waiting for our guests to come back and enjoy it with us.”
Jarret Liotta is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and photographer.