Up in Union, Washington, two place that have lived side-by-side since 1986 are joining together for a new venture.

St Andrew's House, established in 1954, started as the retreat center for the Diocese of Olympia after the Lodge and grounds were gifted to the diocese by the Norton Clapp family to be used as a place of rest & recreation for the clergy of the diocese. It has since expanded its mission of hospitality to include clergy of all faiths and welcomed in retreat groups of every sort - including those seeking to deepen their faith, broaden their artistic horizons, or simply reconnect with family at a reunion.

Harmony Hill, established in 1986, was built on the next-door property. Gretchen Schodde, family nurse practitioner, was staying at St. Andrew's House when she envisioned a sister retreat center that focused on wellness. Inspired by Schodde's vision, a local family, the Nordstroms, purchased the property next to St. Andrew's and built a non-profit retreat facility to provide rest and rejuvenation to those who were seeking healing and wholeness, especially those who had been diagnosed with cancer.

In 2023, the Nordstrom family decided to sell the property. Harmony Hill, which functioned independently of the property, had started to outgrow it. They were now using other retreat centers, in addition to their own, to expand their community. However, they still hoped to have the center available to them and so they approached the diocese to see if they would consider purchasing the property. The diocese entered a period of discernment and visioning for how this purchase could be afforded and what this expanded center could become.

In 2024, the collaborative task force working on this project, led by Bishop Provisional Melissa Skelton, came forward with an idea: The Sacred Waters Center for Restoration and Retreat. This would be a new joint venture - combining St. Andrew's House, Harmony Hill, and the diocese's Multicultural and Creation Care Ministries. This idea excited the diocese and many generous donors stepped up and gave so that they purchase could be made.

From St. Andrew's Director, Dan Oberg, "People who love these spaces, the Harmony Hill and St. Andrew's House communities, the local community, and the greater Diocese, are so relieved and excited that these two places, which share a 100-year history as neighbors, will finally be linked into a new, transformative mission for the future."

The front page of Sacred Waters' new website says that it is "A Place for the Healing of Ourselves, the Healing of our Divisions, and the Healing of Creation, Itself."

If you are in the area, you can stop by their open house on Saturday, April 26, from 11:00 till 3:00.