MAGGIE VALLEY — The Diocese of Charlotte announced Jan. 16 it will close its Living Waters Reflection Center in coming months after an analysis of its investment needs and financial demands elsewhere in the diocese.
Officials said the diocese will consolidate its retreat ministry at its much larger Catholic Conference Center in Hickory. They are working with Living Waters director Deacon William Shaw to wind down operations by early March and assist four other staff and scheduled retreat visitors through the transition.
Bishop Michael Martin made the decision in consultation with the diocese’s Presbyteral Council, College of Consultors and finance officials.
“Living Waters served as a mountain getaway for renewal and reflection for 42 years, and Deacon Shaw did an extraordinary job with an aging property and a tight budget,” said Chief Financial Officer Matt Ferrante. “Unfortunately, as we assessed the operational and capital needs of Living Waters and of the diocese, it became clear we could no longer sustain a second retreat center.”
By consolidating its retreat funding in one location, Ferrante said, the diocese will have more to invest and can better meet the needs of the Catholic community. The Catholic Conference Center is more centrally located in the diocese, on 178 acres, with facilities for 250 visitors in small groups or large, and has lodging accommodations for 113.
Officials are developing a timeline to ensure a smooth transition for Living Waters and aren’t sure yet whether the diocese will sell or continue to hold the three-acre site for other purposes. The site includes a 25-room converted hotel with a chapel inside and a small family cottage out back.
Living Waters is situated near Jonathan Creek and adjacent to St. Margaret of Scotland Church, a vibrant parish pastored by Dominican Father Becket Soule. Countless priests, religious sisters and brothers, missionaries and laypeople have sought comfort in its natural beauty, nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Under Deacon Shaw’s leadership, Living Waters offered sabbaticals ranging from a week to a year. He encouraged individuals and groups of more than 50 to take a break from their urban lifestyles and chaotic jobs to walk in the stillness of the Lord. Walking paths through the peaceful setting helped people experience the solace sought, while skiing and tubing directly off the property created family memories that would transcend time.
“The diocese is grateful for your many years of thoughtful leadership and dedicated service to Living Waters and our community of faith,” Bishop Martin said in a letter to Deacon Shaw. “You have provided a welcoming and spiritually enriching environment, and your work has offered respite and helped countless people deepen their relationship with God.”
Living Waters has humble beginnings, formerly owned by a wealthy Detroit businessman, William Murphy, who moved South to build churches and drew national attention in 1972, when he became a priest at age 80.
Father Murphy built the motel on the site, which he called “Falling Waters,” and later converted it into the present retreat center. Living Waters was dedicated by Bishop Michael Begley, the first Bishop of Charlotte, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June 1982.
— Catholic News Herald