St. Mary of Egypt Refuge

St. Mary of Egypt Refuge is a simple place where ordinary people come together in a beautiful, natural setting for respite and support. We tend and maintain a community site on 245 acres of land on the Black River in Hastings County. We invite people who are in financial or personal need, whatever their background, to spend time at the Refuge. Here we offer shelter, nourishment, fellowship, shared meals and work, re-connection with nature and with our own inner selves, fresh air, and space. We offer a range of programs, including camps and retreats for youth, women, men, families, seniors and newcomers, an organic garden and livestock. Our space is available to communities and organizations that share our vision and want to gather here for a time. The Refuge is about people who share this dream of sharing with the poor and with one another, in the most concrete ways: doing dishes, sweeping floors, sharing tasks, meals and life's events. Our programs are an expression of this life we share, but the shared life itself is the heart of our mission.