Executive Director

HISTORY

For more than 70 years, Enders Island has been a distinctive Catholic setting for spiritual renewal, healing, recovery, education, and hospitality. Located on an 11-acre island off the coast of Mystic, Connecticut, Enders Island is home to St. Edmund’s Retreat, an independent, nonprofit, religious and educational institution founded by the Society of St. Edmund.

St. Edmund’s Retreat serves as steward of the Charisms and Legacies of the Society of St. Edmund and the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Island’s history began as the private residence of Dr. Thomas

B. Enders and his wife, Alys. In 1954, Alys Enders entrusted the property to the Society of St. Edmund, hoping her beloved island would be preserved and used for religious and charitable purposes. The Society soon welcomed individuals and parish groups for prayer, reflection, and Days of Recollection, establishing the foundation for a retreat ministry that remains central to St. Edmund’s Retreat.

Over the decades, the ministries expanded to meet the changing needs of the People of God. A formal Retreat Ministry was established in 1967, followed by the development of recovery programs that remain an important part of St. Edmund’s Retreat’s identity.

Offerings include guided and directed retreats, Days of Recollection, clergy and religious retreats, marriage and couples’ programs, bereavement retreats, private opportunities for reflection, and offerings centered on prayer, discernment, spirituality, meditation, and personal renewal. Recovery programs include Twelve Step programs and meetings, as well as a Recovery Residence serving young men seeking a foundation for long-term recovery.

E nders Island is also home to the Sacred Art Institute, where traditional Catholic sacred arts, including iconography, illumination and calligraphy, painting, drawing, and stained glass, provide opportunities for education, creativity, contemplation, and spiritual formation. The ministry’s heritage also intersects with that of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The mission of St. Edmund’s Retreat is to proclaim in word and deed the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the light of the Catholic Faith. To fulfill this mission through a variety of ministries which promote the healing, hope, and spiritual renewal of God’s people – The Church. To answer the call for the evangelization of the Church and the world, providing for the ever‑changing needs of the People of God through offering retreats, spiritual renewal and educational programs and services, a sacred art institute and recovery ministries.

To preserve the history and legacy of the Society of St. Edmund and of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary and promote the cause of St. Edmund and Blessed George Matulaitis.

Today, St. Edmund’s Retreat carries forward a remarkable legacy of Catholic ministry, bringing together faith, spiritual renewal, recovery, sacred arts, education, and hospitality. Its next leader will have the opportunity to steward this legacy while strengthening its relevance, vitality, and impact for generations to come.

The Executive Director serves as the chief executive officer of St. Edmund’s Retreat, which has two ministry sites, Enders Island and the Matulaitis Center, providing visionary, mission-centered leadership to advance its Catholic mission of hospitality, spiritual renewal, and evangelization. Reporting to the Board of Trustees and collaborating closely with the President, the Executive Director provides overall strategic, operational, financial, and administrative leadership, including advancement and fundraising, finance, facilities, human resources, and community relations.

Working collaboratively with the Board, staff, clergy, volunteers, donors, and community partners, the Executive Director ensures the organization's long-term sustainability and fosters a welcoming environment where guests encounter faith, healing, and renewal through the organization's ministries.

The Executive Director embraces and models the teachings of the Catholic Church…