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Nestucca Sanctuary is a part of the Oregon Coast about 95 miles SW of Portland. It is held in sacred trust by the Jesuits of the northwest. Over 90 acres of wooded hills and walking trails grace this peninsula between the Little and Big Nestucca tidal rivers. To the west, looking out a half-mile across the Nestucca Bay are the dunes of the Bob Straub State Park and the Pacific Ocean. It is a quiet place, even for rural Oregon, dominated by the natural sounds of surf and sea birds. Deer and other wildlife abound, but as far as we know, there are no noxious plants or animals of any kind. Our nearest neighbor is a mile-and-a-half away over the hills, and one has to strain to see any lights at all at night except for the moon and stars, and sometimes fishing boats at sea.
Two miles from Highway 101, at the end of the one-lane, graveled, Christensen Road, the physical plant has been described by some as rustic modern. By that is meant that we have good, pure water, 8 indoor bathrooms, electricity everywhere, electric heat in every room, and no frills to speak of in the decor. The 18 individual rooms are small, with just enough room for a single bed, dresser, small table, a chair, and you. The main Lodge has eight of these rooms upstairs with a half-bathroom, and downstairs there is a big fireplace, full bathroom, and a beautiful view out toward the ocean. The Long House has ten bedrooms, two baths, and a lovely ‘quiet’ room all on one level. The Dining Hall, completing a triangle with the other two buildings, provides a simple but sizeable kitchen and an eating area for up to 40 people. It has 4 showers, 4 toilets, and sinks that are shared with the whole camp at all times. Beyond these there are four cabins nearby. Two are 16 ft x 20 ft in size. Two are half that size. Each cabin has a double and a single bed. The larger ones also have 3 additional single beds. All cabins are electrically heated, but have no plumbing. Finally, there is the Yurt: a 30 ft in diameter, muffin-shaped, lightsome, no-shoes prayer and meeting place.
In June, 1987, the Oregon Province Jesuits decided to offer this Jesuit house for spiritual retreats. To make this possible, they missioned Fr. Andy Dufner, S.J. to live there. Besides Andy's presence, the Jesuits contributed the site rent-free in the interest of fostering the spiritual life of retreatants, especially those who are economically disadvantaged. In 1992, Colleen Dean agreed to volunteer her help full-time. She is responsible for reservations, and for a variety of other tasks. Nestucca's entire cash income derives from the donations of the people who come here. Donations go to pay the common expenses of everyone here on retreat, such as: supplies, garbage, utilities, property taxes, maintenance, repairs, road work, etc. Since Andy’s death in November of 2005, the community has reorganized itself, and a new Jesuit director, David Robinson, S.J. has been missioned to the Sanctuary. The Nestucca community continues to draw people into a deeper relationship with themselves, the earth, and God, and looks forward to accompanying retreatants from around the world long into the future. |
