September 2005 — The Valley Catholic Presentation Center opens new Welcoming
Center, dining rooms in innovative green building A historic event will take place next week when an innovative new “green” building is dedicated at Presentation Center in the scenic mountains of Los Gatos. The center is set in a peaceful natural environment two miles up Bear Creek Road, just off Highway 17. It provides a refuge from the stresses of everyday life for the nearly 10,000 guests who come annually. The Sisters of the Presentation, who own and operate the center, welcome an array of groups and individuals for conferences, retreats or personal reflection. Many guests are members of church-related or other non-profit groups who spend time goal-setting or in training. Grounded in Catholic tradition, the center welcomes people from many other faiths as well as educational and business groups, environmentalists and those from the healing community. Flexibility is offered in housing and programs. Organizations may staff their own conferences, workshops or retreats, and there is also an opportunity for small group and individual sessions lead by Presentation Center staff. The Sisters will be celebrating the dedication of their new welcoming center and dining hall, to be blessed by Bishop Patrick J. McGrath, Monday, Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. The new facility is an environmentally astute building which is one of the first of its kind in Santa Clara County and encompasses an array of “green” features. The building is the culmination of a dream, a story of the vision, commitment and determination of the Sisters throughout its planning and construction phases. Sister Patricia Marie Mulpeters, PBVM, the Center’s Director, explained that today’s Sisters are as committed to environmental justice as a contemporary social concern as was Presentation foundress Nano Nagle when she fought for education and other issues of social justice more than 200 years ago in her native Ireland. Indeed, the Sisters view the preservation of the environment as a serious social justice issue which is why they embarked on the construction of a building which cost approximately 15 percent more to build but which represents their commitment to sustainability of the earth. In the long term, however, there will be savings on energy costs. The planning and construction process has been challenging. Ground was broken in May 2003 and a 10-month project became a two-year endurance test, completed in August 2005. Two winters with well past normal rainfalls dented the schedule along with complexities in acquiring county permits, dealing with building codes and complications of the terrain of Presentation Center. The building is now completed but, always looking to the future, Sister Patricia Marie said “the main part lies ahead.” She sees the new facility as an educational tool for present and future generations who will have an opportunity to connect science and spirituality. “There is an extraordinary need in our society,” she said, “for people to have a place where they can pause and reflect that is different from their daily environment. People are seeking spirituality and deeper meaning, no matter how they personally define it. That is a basic need. “God has provided this natural environment here and people come away refreshed and peaceful. It’s amazing; it keeps happening. Many people experience a real change in their thinking.” She said that “the social teaching of the Church requires action” and that advocacy for human dignity includes a response to the “suffering earth. We need to understand the earth and the environment – it is all part of our work for social justice. This is a holistic view of Catholic spirituality.” Sister Patricia Marie noted that many people who come to the center express delight with their experience there. “We have a tremendous amount of God’s presence here,” she said, “with nature, good food and hospitality. This place allows people to be alone in the presence of God.” She is especially interested in the center’s educational component which includes a subtle awareness of the devastation of the earth, especially of the destruction of third world countries by the first world. “We are taking away their earth for our profit,” she said. “We are over-using the earth’s resources, and so here we try to model a justice ministry which sustains the earth instead of destroying it.” While Presentation Center is essentially for retreat and reflection, Sister Patricia Marie said, “We can’t just stay in contemplation. We have to move into action. The center is a natural classroom for educating about the environment, the harm it is experiencing and the steps we are ethically called to take to help preserve it. “The new welcoming center and dining facility will increase awareness of environmental living and challenge our guests to rethink the way buildings are designed,” Sister Patricia Marie said. It was constructed with strawbale walls which provide natural insulation and with an array of recycled materials in the floors and ceilings -- newspapers and cloth and many natural substances that would otherwise be waste. In planning for the new building, Sister Patricia Marie consulted many people about practical implications and became convinced that the new structure must provide flexibility. The building has doubled the dining room area in three rooms which can provide small and medium space along with the new large dining room. A sizeable group of high school students, for example, can be accommodated in the large room while individual guests who seek quiet can be seated in the small room. Overall nearly 200 people can be accommodated at one time. Many schools and other organizations in the Diocese of San Jose use the center regularly and the Sisters’ relationship with the diocese is long-standing. The Sisters have been a presence, not only at their Los Gatos center, but in parishes and schools in Santa Clara County for many years. Presentation Center staff are a group of more than 20 full or part time dedicated people who work at an array of functions to provide hallmark hospitality and service. Sisters and lay staff multi-task as a team to meet the needs of guests, manage business aspects and build for the future. Mary McCullough, Associate Director, has worked with Sister Patricia Marie for seven years and finds the experience “challenging and exciting. I’ve really experienced a learning curve here. This place has raised my consciousness about the environment. “It has been very satisfying to work with Sister and our excellent architect Dan Smith on this pioneer building. The new building is a testimony to the Sisters of the Presentation whose motto is ‘not words, but deeds.’” McCullough sees the building as a huge benefit for high school students who frequently use the center for retreats. “We are modeling something important for them, a good part of the Church, as they become connected to the earth. The youth seem to have an appreciation of this that is natural for them. This is a graced building and kids get that.” Karen Cleveland, a certified public accountant, began working at Presentation Center shortly before construction began on the new building and has monitored bills and construction costs throughout the project. Enthusiastic about the mission of the center, she praised the “vision of Sister Patricia Marie” and the “perseverance of Mary and Sister” throughout the many challenges of construction and fundraising for the new building. It has been a pleasure to see it rise from the ground and it is a real investment in the future of this place.” Anna O’Connor, Development Director, has been working with major donors and foundations in order to raise the $6 million for the capital campaign, as well as providing on-going community relations for general fund raising and development. Presentation Center has innumerable hillside cottages which add to its charm, most of which are some 80 years old. Ongoing fund raising will be necessary for repair and maintenance as well as for infrastructure needs. A costly fire suppression system, for example, had to be installed recently. Sarah Ziebarth, Guest Services Manager for the past four months, coordinates all reservations and special needs for groups or individuals. I want to know how we can best serve people,” she said, “various programs have a variety of set-up needs. “I like to be a calming presence for those who put on events here –making their jobs easier. They have a lot to think about and so I facilitate their needs – room arrangements, microphones, cultural and food concerns.” She attributes her job to the Holy Spirit who she feels led her to Presentation Center from an unfulfilling career as an insurance agent. “This place really energizes me,” she said. She had not been aware of the center but upon visiting “had this overwhelming sense that this was meant to be. I inquired if they were hiring and it all fell into place. I enjoy the diversity of people here and I remain open to loving all people and serving them with excellence.” Alana Sunzeri says it was God who drew her to Presentation Center five years ago. She is a “jack of all trades” who keeps the front office running smoothly, answers telephones and does ordering. She enjoys working in a team effort with “a very upbeat and positive staff.” “I love the smile I see on people’s faces and the peaceful look they have when they leave here,” she said. “Some of them come here with a lot on their minds and they leave feeling a lot better. I enjoy the serenity of this place and the food is terrific.” Other pivotal staff members will be featured in the next edition. Presentation Sisters Eileen Diggins, Toni Martinez and Michele O’Connell live and work at the center and Sister Doris Cavanaugh, former Director, volunteers. Vania Seefeldt manages food preparation and the kitchen staff, taking a creative approach to the healthy meals that are served. Janet Perucca-Kleinhofer provides spiritual direction and special programs, and Presentation Associate Jane Hetherington manages the new welcoming center front desk and the book store, providing hospitality and information. Master Gardeners tend the organic garden which produces vegetables for the kitchen
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