• here is the Story of Edelweiss....

  Nearly 25 years ago, Sr. Patricia O’Bryan (Sr. Pat) followed a call to help children-in-need and founded the Edelweiss House, Inc.  Her vision was to care for needy children, teaching them life skills until their parents were better prepared to meet life’s challenges. 
  
  
  

  The Edelweiss House Program was developed through Sr. Pat's research, education, expertise as a teacher, and the life experiences as one-of fourteen children reared in a Christian family. Those experiences, along with her work with the parents of the children she taught, interaction with other families through Church and Community affairs fueled her desire to found Edelweiss.  As a teacher, and Pastoral Associate, Sr. Pat saw and heard the need of parents struggling to keep their lives together.  The stress and many demands of this fast-moving world had become exhausting to them. Children were being cared for but parents wanted more for them, and they were not able to carry out their dreams.

  
  The financial crunch and the heavy demands of everyday living, along with the lack of family support, which had been exhausted, became overwhelming. Parents found themselves in a hole and did not know how to get out of it. All of this, and more, placed a severe level of emotional and physical stress on parents. They did not know where to turn in their turmoil. Thus, the cry for help was loud and clear.  Sr. Pat stated, "It has always been our strong belief that there is good in everyone.  God made us that way.  Sometimes the decisions we make need improvement.  So, for some 25 years we helped little children through prayer, kindness, and good example while their parent(s) got back on solid ground.  Once re-connected with God, very positive healing results transpired and there was reunification of the Family." 
  
  Edelweiss house served as a home for such children for many years.  Spouses, lovingly called “house couples,” would volunteer to stay with the children at Edelweiss and serve as their guardians, while the children’s family got back on their feet.   Sr. Pat, and her sister, Ms. Karen O’Bryan worked tirelessly to care for the sweet children, and the large Edelweiss property, but the burdens gradually became heavier; so simultaneously, they began searching for a new direction.   
  
  Sister Pat went to her eternal reward in April 2021 and, her sister, Ms. Karen O’Bryan continued to serve the needs of children to the best of her ability. Despite her tireless efforts, Edelweiss house found itself at a crossroads.  It was a beautiful, fully functioning and ‘ready to go' facility that was being underutilized. 
  
  In 2022, the Holy Ghost started working in a new way, at Edelweiss, and prayers were answered. A new Executive Director, and his family, agreed to manage the operations at Edelweiss House.  The homes were blessed and enthroned to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate heart of Mary and the work began.        
  
  The enhanced mission of Edelweiss House, Inc. is to “Stand as a Roadblock against the destruction of the Family.”  Edelweiss creates opportunities that center families around God for their sanctification, God does the rest.  Faith and family are two things that should never be separated.  The family that prays together, stays together, so no family needs to be separated in the first place. 

  Hail Holy Queen...

  It must be stated, that these familial problems are no surprise to us.  For as we know, in 1917, Our Lady of Fatima said marriage and family will be the focal point of the world’s final battle, and we see its destruction before us. Our society has shown its effects of broken families and the lack of male/father leadership in our world.  The modernistic practices have destroyed much of what God intended for His children, but we know that Our Lady is assisting us in this battle.  That’s where Edelweiss comes in. 

  One Step at a Time...

  With the new family accepting the Executive Director position in early 2022, it took the remainder of the year to get settled and make plans.  Those plans are now underway and fruits are already being wrought, as you hopefully experienced at your retreat. St. Teresa of Avila Retreat Center is just the first step.  In all, there are three pillars of Edelweiss:  Spiritual, Mental, and Physical.

  Spiritual

  First and foremost, a family needs a house to live in, but its spiritual house needs to be in order first.  For this, we provide a spiritual retreat center focused primarily on lay spiritual development of the family. (Fathers, Mothers, Family and Young Adults).

  Mental

  We provide/facilitate classes and workshops that link experts in homesteading fields with potential practitioners at all levels for homestead and life skills. We plan to facilitate routine homeschool co-ops/workshops. We also help lead/facilitate monthly domestic Church events for the mutual development and support of couples.

  Physical

  We operate a family-run Catholic Back to the Land Center/Family Homestead Farm.  All members conduct themselves as true stewards of God’s land. We operate a regenerative farm that helps renew God’s creation while providing nutrient dense food to the local community and supporting itself financially.
  Plans are in motion to build a chapel and retreat center as God sends the funds to do so.  By God’s grace and the generosity of others, we will grow to serve our Lord, and hope to become Saints in the process!

  Footprints in the Sand...

  While visiting the St. Teresa of Avila Retreat Center if one notices lowered sinks and see other houses and playground equipment on site, that’s why.  Those are the footprints, left behind of what these houses were originally designed for, families, namely kids.  Since 2022, volunteers worked long hours to revamp, remodel, and turn the previously named “St. Joseph House” into the “St. Teresa of Avila Retreat Center” that retreat attendees stay in while on retreat.  So, while the other two homes are occupied by Ms. O’Bryan and the Executive Director and his family, the third now hosts retreat attendees. 
   

  As one walks by the glorious cross, sits in the gazebo, or crosses the bridge into the woods, those were originally here for the kids.  But, when one kneels down at the confessional, sits on the benches in the chapel, kneels at the communion rail to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion, those are the new footprints built to Honor God in an enhanced way.  If one walks through the Stations of the Cross trail, those too were constructed for the Glory of God through workshops and volunteer work.  On property, if one strolls outside and sees the cows, chickens, pigs and walks around the recently restored pasture with the help of those cows, that’s all part of the Catholic Back to Land Center.  Through workshops, volunteer hours, and chores those involved learn how to do God-filled work, and grow as a part of the Catholic Back to Land Movement. 
  
  This is no ordinary house on an ordinary farm, there’s so much more to it.  With God, there is always more; His depth penetrates us to our core, so that we can honor Him with what we do.    
  
  In charity, we graciously ask that you would consider being a prayer warrior for us! We are just getting started, we need both prayer support and financial support to keep the operation going and growing.  Edelweiss is a Not-for-Profit 501(c)(3), which means no one gets paid; all the work is volunteer.  Through Our Lady to Our Lord, let’s work together to sanctify our families and keep them together!