Fuel for the Future

Technological upgrades expand retreat ministry’s outreach

St. Francis Center for Renewal — our retreat ministry in Bethlehem, Pa. — has emerged from the fiscal and logistical challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with renewed purpose and better situated to reach the people it serves, thanks in no small part to a special grant from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR).

Like small businesses and nonprofits nationwide, the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 forced the Center to close its doors. But we soon discovered that our retreat ministry was needed, perhaps, more than ever, as God’s people faced social isolation and spiritual distress.

While a federal PPP loan enabled SFCR keep its staff on the payroll through the first months of the pandemic, it soon became necessary to cut back hours. As the retreat team envisioned new ways to engage retreatants in a COVID world, the LCWR Re-Igniting Ministries Post-COVID 19 grant helped to update SFCR’s facilities and equipment to reach a broader audience, whether attending programs onsite or joining in virtually through the wonders of technology.

Awarded to SFCR through the School Sisters of St. Francis in March 2022, the LCWR grant provided significant funding necessary to renovate conference spaces, upgrade electrical and data infrastructure, purchase new equipment, hire skilled staff, and train the entire retreat team in the use of newly acquired technology.

In late 2021, SFCR had introduced Renewal, the official podcast of St. Francis Center for Renewal. By remodeling an existing bedroom and purchasing the needed technology, 2022 saw the team podcasting in a small studio, creating original programming to reach a growing audience.

In April 2022, Lisa Davis joined the retreat team as program manager and tech specialist, further fueling efforts to provide leadership and staff training in video conferencing. Other improvements included an additional video conference room, added equipment to the library to expand its use as a “huddle room,” and updating the lounge to allow small groups to enjoy video interactions in a more comfortable setting. Even spiritual direction — once limited exclusively to onsite sessions — is available online with Sister Marguerite Stewart, thanks to technological upgrades.

With a more extensive virtual outreach, SFCR now offers much of its programming both in-person and online, expanding its geographic footprint. “We have served the Lehigh Valley for nearly 75 years, but this new technology means that people from outside the immediate area are able to engage with us,” says Joanne Anderson, SFCR executive director.

“The integration of high-quality virtual experiences with onsite programming has made our programs available to more individuals and groups then in pre-COVID years,” says Sister Bonnie Marie Kleinschuster, provincial councilor and SFCR board member. “We have been able to serve individuals, adult and student groups well with a versatile hybrid platform. Seniors, stay-at-home mothers, and groups preferring anonymity have expressed gratitude for the opportunity online programming offers.”

Groups for whom SFCR provides space and hospitality also have access to the improved resources to present their own programs to a wider audience, beyond the walls of the Center. The results are clear — participation in SFCR programs jumped nearly 100 percent in 2022, and the ministry is reaching more people in more places than ever before!

For a complete list of upcoming programs — available onsite and online — visit the St. Francis Center for Renewal website.