Just two months after suffering the destruction of the
Flint-Bixby Ranch House, a 150-year old structure that served as
the main building of the St. Francis Retreat in San Juan Bautista,
the rebuilding process has begun in earnest and retreat staff hope
the project can be completed in the better part of two years.
Just two months after suffering the destruction of the Flint-Bixby Ranch House, a 150-year old structure that served as the main building of the St. Francis Retreat in San Juan Bautista, the rebuilding process has begun in earnest and retreat staff hope the project can be completed in the better part of two years.
“We’ve been very busy,” Business Manager Ed DeGroot said. “But things are finally starting to take off.”
The retreat was devastated by a raging fire in late June that completely destroyed the Flint-Bixby House. Officials believe the blaze was caused by old electrical wiring in the walls of the structure, but the fire burned so hot and so fast it is virtually impossible to be certain. The fire was so hot that firefighters found metal coins fused together in the rubble.
The fire was initially discovered by a friar who smelled smoke early in the morning, and several friars, including the resident priest, tried to put out the fire with garden hoses before help arrived.
Although firefighters and Franciscan brothers were able to save some of the artwork, crucifixes and religious artifacts in the building, hundreds more were consumed in the fire. Even worse, a statue of the Madonna that had mostly survived the inferno was stolen two weeks ago.
“We thought somebody must have moved it, but it’s been missing for two weeks,” DeGroot said.
In addition, all of the retreat’s records and payroll information were destroyed in the blaze, and staff have had to recreate their calendar for the year by hand.
“We have it mostly completed through April,” DeGroot said. “But if you had a retreat set up and you haven’t heard from us or we haven’t heard from you, you should give us a call.”
Just 12 days after the fire, St. Francis reopened its doors for organizations and their retreats. It has been operating at capacity every weekend since then, DeGroot said, although that capacity has been somewhat reduced – the retreat now accommodates some 100 visitors every weekend as opposed to 135. Some of the visitor lodging has had to be converted into housing for the retreat’s friars, all of whom lived in the Flint-Bixby House.
“This past weekend is the first that we haven’t hosted any retreats,” DeGroot said. “And that was just because it was a holiday.”
The retreat is in the process of tearing down the last of the rubble from the fire – midweek visitors to the religious center may be surprised to find big rigs and bulldozers among the wildlife and Spanish-style architecture that have made the retreat so beloved among locals.
For the past few weeks retreat participants have gathered in large party tents situated on the lawn of the center for meals, which have been prepared at the Casa Maria kitchen at the Mission San Juan and delivered to the retreat in catering boxes. Portable buildings have now been brought on to retreat grounds, and will serve as an indoor dining hall and gift shop for guests in the near future, now that autumn is on its way.
“What’s really wonderful is that people have been saying great things,” DeGroot said. “We just had a couple leave us an evaluation saying how thrilled they were that we were back in operation and that everything – the rooms and the food – is as good as it has always been. They were pleased that the quality hasn’t diminished.”
About half of the retreat’s normal business, DeGroot said, comes from Catholic churches, schools and organizations in need of space for special functions or classes. A quarter of the business comes from non-Catholic religious organizations, and the other 25 percent comes from secular organizations such as school boards or nonprofits. Engaged couples also frequent the retreat for a weekend of counseling and spiritual preparation before they marry.
DeGroot says he hopes the retreat will have all the building permits necessary for reconstruction by the end of the week, so that staff can start talking with contractors about plans to rebuild. While no firm estimate has been established yet, officials believe the rebuilding will cost anywhere between $3 million and $9 million.
“We’re a part of the West Coast Province of Franciscans, so we don’t rebuild unless our board says we can,” said Brother Kelly Cullen, who is heading up the fundraising efforts. “Two weeks ago they gave us an official vote to go ahead and rebuild, which means the Franciscans have made a commitment to stay in this community for generations and generations.”
DeGroot added that the new structure, which will be the main administrative building and a home for the friars, will probably be done in an architectural style similar to other structures on the retreat’s campus. Ensuring that the new building is environmentally friendly and energy-efficient is also a priority of the retreat.
“In no way are we going to recreate a Victorian home from 1863 – you just can’t do it. It’s not practical and it wouldn’t be the best use of our funding,” DeGroot said. “But we do want this to be a model of efficiency for others, and whoever we work with needs to be on the cutting edge of that.”
A major fundraiser has already been planned to help pay for rebuilding costs. The retreat is holding a special “Bring Back St. Francis” dinner/dance at San Juan Oaks on Oct. 15, with “Laverne and Shirley’s” Cindy Williams appearing as a special guest.
“Cindy is a friend of the retreat house,” Cullen said. “She was out here with her kids for Easter.”
Tickets are $100 per person, but the friars are also seeking sponsorships between $1,000 and $10,000 or more. Sponsors donating $10,000 will be able to attend a special reception before the event on the 15th with Williams and the friars. Already the retreat has received some large donations – the board of directors for St. Francis’ Province have committed $15,000, as have the friars of Mission San Luis Rey, one of whom only recently left St. Francis. The parents of one of the friars currently living at St. Francis also donated $25,000.
“We need to know that there is some serious support in this community,” Cullen said. “There’s a retreat house in the Santa Cruz mountains that was destroyed, and it took 11 years to rebuild. We don’t want to do that.”
DeGroot and Cullen both emphasized how supportive the local Catholic community and the community at large have been of their efforts to save the retreat.
“People have been dropping by with donations in envelopes and asking what they can do to help,” DeGroot said. “It’s very encouraging.”
Cullen reiterated the friars’ commitment to continue serving the local community.
“Roughly 7,000 people visit us each year, and a lot of locals come up here to walk around, pray, jog or ride their bikes through,” he said. “We want this place to continue to be a blessing for whoever makes the retreat a part of their lives.”
For more information about how you can help rebuild the St. Francis Retreat call 623-4234 or visit www.stfrancisretreat.com
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
