he mission of the Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson, Arizona, is to be a place where the contemplative spirit of the human person may be discovered, fed and nourished. It is a place, an oasis in the Sonoran Desert, where individual persons encounter God and "feel the burn" of the Holy Spirit.

Since 1964, this contemplative mission has unfolded in many different forms, responding to the needs of the people of the Catholic Diocese of Tucson as well as the needs of the wider ecumenical community of faith. Many people, from different faith traditions and spiritual practices, identify the Renewal Center as "sacred space" where an essential component of their own spiritual journey is rooted. They identify it as a place of welcome, of gracious hospitality, and spiritual journey. They identify it as a place conducive to prayer, spiritual direction, and the community support and encouragement that enables the presence of the Spirit of God.

Although both a sacred and a welcoming center, it is also a physical space, subject to the wear and tear of daily use. During the last forty years of ministry there have been occasional improvements to the facility and to the desert landscape that identify the center. However, as is the case for many ministries, frequently only that which was "absolutely necessary and unavoidable" received attention while other projects were lovingly neglected. In 2003 we determined that we had arrived at the point where major renovation and repair was required.

The Advisory Board of the Renewal Center, after a period of study and consultation, conceived and crafted a Development Plan that will position the Redemptorist Renewal Center for our ever growing ministry of today and for the future ministry that has yet to be engaged. The plan was envisioned as not just another remodeling and expansion project; we understood the project to be a bold statement about the need for developing, encouraging, and enabling a contemplative outlook on life, a vision, a way of seeing and understanding the world in which we live that is sorely needed.

The Development Plan was approved by the Provincial Council of the Redemptorists of the Denver Province who also pledged, with their approval, the first major gift of the Capital Campaign: Two Million dollars, almost half of the necessary funding, was pledged in support and enabled the project to be started. With this encouragement, an architect and contractor were commissioned and the construction and renovation process was engaged. Some difficulties were immediately encountered as a result of the age of the existing buildings, the deterioration of the infra-structure, and the many environmental restrictions that are necessary in order to preserve the beauty of our Sonoran Desert location. However with each start and stop progress could be measured.

Rev. Thomas M. Santa, C.Ss.R

Director, Redemptorist Renewal Center