Deena and I had an opportunity this past weekend to spend time on the Connecticut shore. We stayed on the ocean’s edge in the Mercy by the Sea retreat center run by the Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic charity. Deena and I are Protestants, but no one was checking ID’s. It was a wonderful interlude where we could enjoy the peace of nature with the silent ambience of an organization that branched off centuries ago from the Carmelites. This post is an account of our stay.
THE SOUND
Even as we discovered the Atlantic to be more disquieted when we visited it earlier in this year in Belfast, Maine, the sea here in Madison, Connecticut was as smooth as glass. One might think that they could skate on it. The only perturbations to occur was when the low tide uncovered a boulder (or five) abandoned by the last glacier in Pleistocene times. There is also a reef of sorts a mile offshore, but it is not a coral reef. Rather, it is an outcropping of rock where the water depth ranges between four and seventeen feet at low tide. It appears and disappears four times each day like clockwork. Beyond that barrier, it is really not difficult to see northern Long Island. Easier than seeing Russia from Alaska in any event.
One reason for the glassy appearance of the water is that the Connecticut coast borders the Long Island Sound, a 110-mile-long channel as much as twenty or some miles at its widest point and some 230 feet at its deepest point. The depth of the water is relatively shallow where we stayed, however. Still, an observer who is patient and present at specific times of the year may spot dolphins, blue whales, humpback whales, blue whales, and several other species of cetaceans. Two hundred and thirty feet would be a fairly tight fit for these behemoths but I may be wrong. There are also at least a hundred species of fish (including game fish) such as cod, flounder, bass, mackerel, and so on. Small fish, crustaceans and mollusks (crabs, snails, clams, etc.) fall prey to the countless gulls, plovers and terns that are aroused by the high tide.
Three rivers empty into the Sound, diluting salt water with fresh water. However, the specific gravity (a measure of salinity and buoyancy) of the Sound is 1.026, which is identical or nearly identical to the North Atlantic Ocean, itself. Yet, the rivers create something of an estuary effect and this can be seen by the presence of cord grass, northern sea oats and other flora one might expect.
We enjoyed out time sitting on rocks, tree trunks and benches watching the ebb and flow of the tide, and listening to the indecipherable twaddle of the sea gulls perched on the rocks. These car-sized rocks were carried hundreds of miles south by the last glacier and deposited randomly, even as the ice carved out the Sound. The beach was peppered liberally with fragments of shells. Rarely would an intact shell be discovered. We saw men and women, like trees, walking slowly up and down the shore, lost in thought. It would take a small fortune in pennies to uncover and piece everything together their thoughts. Relationships? Job concerns? C challenges
SISTERS OF MERCY
Deena and I first became aware of the Sisters of Mercy through the Street Soldiers program, whereby the charity sponsors opportunities for the homeless and needy in a community to collect food and clothing donated by residents. In the several events I’ve participated in, the needy received practical donations such as socks and gloves in winter, baby supplies, period needs, food and so on.
The Sisters of Mercy acquired the property on the Connecticut shore in 1948 from WT Grant, the retailing tycoon. True to the Sister’s mission where education and health care are paramount, the land and the existing structures were used for a school. In 1972 the property was repurposed as a retreat center, one where attendees might find a harmony between God and nature. Entertainers Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue shared the vision of the Sisters by providing one of the many buildings that house retreat participants or activities.
The rooms are average in size, clean, and may have spectacular views of the sound. There is no TV in the rooms, however. A good Wi-Fi system at the center will allow you to access streaming services, however. Prices for a weekend are competitive with those of four-star hotels. The retreat center has accessories vital to handicapped visitors and amenities for all. Meals are communal, though no one is required to participate. You may come and go as you like. Almost all of the people we saw at the Center were women, but there are occasionally small groups of men as well, depending on the conference or those staying with their spouse, perhaps.
While I was there, I was reminded of the contemporary concept of a “safe space.” I am familiar with the concept because a decade ago the college I taught at was implementing “safe spaces” on campus. In fact, the 33 acres on which the retreat center is built is itself, a safe space. There are strict guidelines dealing with behavior and modesty which visitors must obey, and the culture at the center struck me as being nothing less than refreshing to what I’ve experienced since moving back to New York State.
A WELL-REASONED LIFE
Winston Churchill is reported to have said “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Deena and I hope to return. It’s a good place to go as you ponder important decisions in your life or just need to catch your breath. If you are looking for a framework to give back to your community, please visit their website.
