‘Makes you feel like God is here’: Archbishop Lori dedicates renovated O’Dwyer Retreat Center Chapel

The true spiritual center of the Monsignor O’Dwyer Retreat Center in Sparks has been reconstructed in a way that better leads retreatants to encounter a central part of the Catholic experience: Jesus in the Eucharist.

In a surprising moment, Archbishop William E. Lori presents a relic of Saint Carlo Acutis to be placed in the new chapel of the O’Dwyer Retreat Center, which occurred at the conclusion of the dedication Mass Nov. 22, in Sparks. The chapel is named in honor Acutis, the first Millennial saint. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori dedicated the newly renovated and expanded main chapel Nov. 22 during a special Mass. It is being consecrated to recently canonized St. Carlo Acutis.

“It makes you feel like God is here in a very tangible way,” said retreat center director Sister Florencia Silva Cabrera, known as “Sister Flo.” “I think it points to the divine in a more clear way. Not that before it didn’t. It’s just that it more beautifully and more clearly points to God.”

Deacon Brian Olsen, vice chairman of the retreat center’s board of directors and founder of the Skorpa Design Studios architectural firm, said the renovations were meant to create a holy space out of a room that had originally been designed as a multipurpose area.

“It really didn’t have a fixed altar. It did have a tabernacle, and it was off to the corner,” Deacon Olsen said. “As we’ve seen developments in where the liturgy is really going and where youth ministry is going, it became clear to us to have a chapel that was truly a chapel in the traditional sense, a liturgical worship space.”

Heavy use of the chapel over time also led to a need for renovation, Olsen said.

The renovation introduced new glass doors that allow people to see the altar, tabernacle and crucifix before they even enter.

“You see the reality of the space that you’re walking past,” Deacon Olsen said. “We did that very intentionally.”

The project also repurposed sacred items such as the Stations of the Cross and an altar and ambo from churches affected by the Seek the City to Come pastoral planning initiative.

O’Dwyer Retreat Center, Sparks, Nov. 22 dedication Mass for the new Saint Carlo Acutis Chapel, which is named after the first Millennial saint. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

The renovated chapel features newly repainted statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph along with a processional crucifix dedicated to Mark Pacione, late archdiocesan director of youth ministry. A donated monstrance from Sacred Heart in Glyndon is used in a dedicated space for eucharistic adoration.

“They really do enhance the space in a really beautiful way,” Deacon Olsen said. “This altar that was consecrated to the glory of God is continuing to function as an altar and the Mass is being celebrated on it.”

He added that it was very important to have a tabernacle that was “just as impressive as we could make it” … “to extend that invitation to the presence of the Lord in the space of the Eucharist.”

The chapel renovation required $270,000 in donations and was part of a broader series of upgrades to the main building. Board member George Shriver Goodhues III, who is battling a terminal illness, helped lead the fundraising effort. A reception hosted by philanthropist Kim David raised $340,000 for the overall renovations and the archdiocese contributed an additional $50,000. Ariosa and Company, whose CEO Robert Ariosa also serves on the board, handled the mechanical contracting.

Geri Smith, left, a parishioner at St. Joseph Church in Cockeysville, along with Kim and Scott David, parishioners of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland, admire the relic of Saint Carlo Acutis donated by Archbishop William E. Lori during the dedication Mass of the chapel honor the first Millenial saint Nov. 22, in Sparks. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

During the rededication Mass, Archbishop Lori surprised the congregation by donating relics of St. Carlo Acutis – strands of his hair – to the retreat center. The saint, canonized by Pope Leo XIV this year, was an Italian teenager and computer programmer who died at 15 and used his tech skills to create a website cataloging eucharistic miracles.

“The chapel has a newfound symmetry and beauty that brings much happiness to those of us who lead and support O’Dwyer,” Archbishop Lori said in his homily. “We also hope it will bring peace and happiness to many, especially young people, who will come here for a retreat experience or for other gatherings.”

The archbishop described the chapel as a place of worship “where many will encounter the Lord and embrace their faith more deeply.”

Edward Herrera, executive director of the archdiocese’s Institute for Evangelization, said he had some early conversations with the archbishop about whether small renovations or cosmetic adjustments might suffice. But the full vision changed once Deacon Olsen presented his concept.

Supporters and guests attending the Nov. 22 dedication Mass for the newly redesigned chapel at the O’Dwyer Retreat Center in Sparks, offer a standing ovation to George S. Goodhues, III, who was instrumental in the modernization of the space. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

“When we started talking about it, it was honestly Brian putting forth an image, a design for the chapel that really captivated the board, captivated the leadership of the archdiocese to say, ‘This is something that we need to focus on.’ Brian and his creative and beautiful vision for the chapel really drew us into a bigger picture of what the chapel could be.”

The renovated chapel has been described as the first step in the renewal of the retreat center’s main building.

“It’s a development that honors the past. It looks towards the future,” Herrera said. “It’s a development that really is going to invite thousands of youths to come and to encounter the Lord.”

Deacon Olsen said one of the most beautiful things he’s heard from almost every staff member is that during youth retreats, they always see young people praying in the restored chapel.

“That really didn’t happen often before,” Olsen said. “If this place has a charism, that’s it. It’s an invitation.”

Kevin J. Parks contributed to this story.

To view more photos from this event, click through the slideshow below: