Dear Friends of Maryville,
There is something special about gathering around a shared table. I invite our neighbors, friends, families, and guests to join us for the Maryville Community Dinner, an opportunity to enjoy one another’s company and celebrate the spirit of community at Maryville Retreat Center.
Earlier in the day, Maryville will partner with Versiti Blood Center to host a blood drive. I encourage Community Dinner participants who are eligible to come early and donate. It is a simple but powerful way to support patients and families throughout our local community.
Blood donation reflects the Church’s call to love our neighbor and uphold the dignity of every human life. By giving a part of ourselves to help someone in need, we put compassion and solidarity into action. A blood drive offers a practical way to live our faith caring for people we may never meet, easing suffering, and recognizing that we are all members of one human family. As a special expression of gratitude, Maryville will enter participating donors into a random drawing for a complimentary one-night private retreat, offering one donor the opportunity to experience rest, reflection and renewal at Maryville on a date of their choosing.
After donating, or simply arriving before dinner, you are welcome to spend the early afternoon on Maryville’s peaceful grounds. Take time to walk, reflect, rest or connect with others before we gather for the meal. Together, the blood drive and dinner make this a day of both service and fellowship. At its heart, the Maryville Community Dinner is about caring for one another. It is a time to welcome old friends, meet new neighbors and strengthen the relationships that help our community flourish.
During dinner, we will collect an optional free-will offering to help offset retreat costs for guests who might not otherwise be able to afford a day of rest and renewal. There is no required amount. Every gift, large or small, will help make Maryville’s hospitality and restorative setting more accessible.
In this way, our gathering extends beyond the meal itself. While sharing food and fellowship, we can help someone else step away from daily demands, find peace, and experience the renewal that time at Maryville can provide.
I hope you will make a day of it; come early, consider donating blood, enjoy time on the Maryville grounds and then join us at the table. Together, we can share gratitude, extend hospitality and care for our community in practical and meaningful ways.
With gratitude,
Nick Osantoski
Director, Maryville Retreat Center
