Cedar Lake Foundation, Inc., is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, which owns about 40 acres in St. Charles County near the intersection of Interstates 70 and Highway 40/64.

History

Cedar Lake Foundation’s history begins with a woman named Eleanor Meier.  Eleanor was a person who trusted God as she faced life’s challenges with serenity, and she wished to help others do the same.  Hearing about the dream of St. Josemaria Escriva to build a Shrine to the Holy Family in the United States, Eleanor, supported by her husband, donated about 40 acres of land in St. Charles County in 1993 for the building of a Shrine and Retreat and Education Center.

In 2008, a Steering Committee was formed, and a St. Louis-based architectural and planning firm was hired to develop a Master Plan to include a Shrine to the Holy Family and a Retreat and Education Center.  Thanks to the support of many people in the St. Louis area and throughout the Midwest, the Shrine to the Holy Family was built and dedicated by the Archbishop of St. Louis, Robert J. Carlson on October 9, 2010, and Cedar Lake Foundation has maintained the Shrine since then. 

Mission

The mission of the Foundation is to empower men, women, youth and clergy to elevate the ordinary situations of their daily lives into encounters with God - all to the betterment of the Church and society. This mission will be realized and carried out through:

The Shrine to the Holy Family, which provides a quiet place for families and people of all ages to pray and meditate on the life of the Holy Family, and

The future Holy Family Retreat Center, which will provide an inviting and uniquely tailored setting for practical formation programs covering topics such as Work and Study, Character, Authentic Friendship, Life of Prayer, Knowledge of God, and Family Life.

The Cedar Lake Foundation is now ready to begin phase two of this mission, building the Holy Family Retreat Center.  We ask you to consider supporting this mission.  For more information click here.

Leadership

 
Board of Trustees

Joseph Cyr

Jarrett Kolthoff

Frank O'Brien

Jennifer O'Neill

The property and educational programs of Cedar Lake are owned and managed by Cedar Lake Foundation and its Board of Trustees. The spiritual aspects of the Cedar Lake Foundation are inspired by the teachings of St. Josemaria Escriva who impelled lay people, "to serve the Church as the Church wants to be served".