Immaculata’s 50th Anniversary Celebration September 2009 – September 2010

We’re pleased to announce that Fr. Ron Meyer, OMI, who most recently joined our staff, will be spearheading the preparations for our half-century jubilee. The year long celebration will open in September of this year (2009) – commemorating the laying of Immaculata’s cornerstone and will conclude in the Fall of 2010 – marking the date 50 years ago when the first retreats were actually conducted here.

A series of events - banquets, concerts, reunion Masses, commemorations of our faithful departed friends and benefactors, “come and see” open-houses, luncheons for area civil servants, ecumenical celebrations and much more – will be featured over these many months with the aim of highlighting Immaculata’s impact on the lives of so many over the years and to signal our readiness as a renovated and re-invented Immaculata to provide spiritual nurture to current and coming generations.

We again invite anyone who has “walked the walk” with Immaculata from its earliest years, during more recent times and down to the present to share their memories and mementos with us in the coming months. Fr. Ron has begun listening to folks who are part of Immaculata’s 50 year history. The celebratory events signaled above will focus on their memories and the spiritual heritage planted and nurtured here in the woods overlooking the Willimantic River. Already visited and interviewed was Rita Gonzales – currently in Ocala, Florida.

Please send or better yet share in person your photos, films and memorabilia with Fr. Ron to be incorporated in “event displays” and in the commemorative digitalized disc we will produce and make available as a souvenir of our Jubilee. Energy is growing and momentum is building around our golden anniversary. If you can help Fr. Ron plan this special moment and the year-long events that will precede the 2010 milestone celebration, please be in touch with him – he’ll take it from there! One contact that is especially being sought: friends and family of Leon Hovsepian, the architect/artist whose inspiration blossomed into the remarkable facility that is Immaculata.