Diocese's restful haven celebrates golden year

The parcel of land included a mountain and lake, a 16-acre island, and a hunting lodge dating back to the 1800s.

Today, Pyramid Life Center in Paradox -- known as the "best-kept secret in the Diocese" -- celebrates its golden anniversary with a golden reputation for offering camping and retreats for more than 2,000 people each year -- adults as well as children.

Kids' camps

Sister Monica Murphy, CSJ, director, well remembers PLC's humble beginnings. In the 1940s, Tekakwitha and Marian Lodge were the diocesan boys' and girls' camps, based at Lake Luzerne.

When the Diocese bought the Pyramid site, Marian Lodge moved there and stayed for 30 years. Students from the College of St. Rose in Albany (CSR) developed strong ties with the camp, serving as counselors and holding get-togethers there each year.

Twenty years ago, Tekakwitha was sold; and from 1976-86, what became known as "Pyramid Lakes Camp" served half the season as a boys' camp and half as a girls' camp.

Changes

Then, as Sister Monica puts it, "things began to change." Camping became less popular, and the Diocese decided to sell the camp. But five supporters of Pyramid didn't want to hear that -- among them, Sister Monica and Revs. Paul Engel and Robert Roos (both presently retired).

When they asked the Diocese for a chance to bring Pyramid Lakes Camp back to life, they were given a three-year trial period to operate in the black.

Changing the camp's name to Pyramid Life Center, they began offering retreats and family camping. "If people want this to be, we ought to be able to make it with volunteers and hard work," they declared.

After 10 years, Sister Monica is proud to say that PLC has never been in debt. "It's just meant to be," she stated. "There are people all over who need this -- a place to re-create and recreate."

Volunteer effort

The success of PLC lies in the generosity of those who use the center, says Sister Monica. She and a maintenance man are the only "staff"; everyone else is a volunteer.

Many of the volunteers are young people who have come to PLC since they were children and feel such a part of it that they want to help keep it alive. Several of them recently began their own ice cream stand in the dining hall, offering sundaes and floats they make themselves.

"There's a wonderful sense of belonging here," Sister Monica said. "Everybody feels at home. Kids choose to come here. It's like coming to grandma's house -- they feel rooted."

Pitching in

Adults, too, seem to feel a sense of ownership of PLC. When a plumber or carpenter is needed, the director doesn't have to look far: Anyone who has come to the center is ready and willing to offer their services. To Sister Monica, this proves that PLC is "meant to be."

On the day The Evangelist visited, she pointed out a half-dozen kitchen workers preparing lunch and a teacher from CSR weeding a flower patch. "Once you've picked up a hammer or planted flowers, you feel like you're part of it," she said proudly.

PLC also asks parishes to donate to its scholarship fund, allowing those with limited financial resources to attend the camp.

Restful waters

Taking a stroll through the center's vast acreage is enough to convince anyone to come for a weekend. Loons, bald eagles, herons, frogs, deer and turtles abound. Hiking trails wind through the forest amid quiet clearings, bubbling streams and even a waterfall.

Bear Mountain looms over Pyramid Lake, where swimmers and canoes share the clear water. Visitors can stop at the chapel for a quiet prayer, or try out the basketball or volleyball courts.

Open year-round, PLC hosts most of its programs between Memorial Day and Columbus Day. Aside from hiking, camping and opportunities to stay at its hermitages, PLC has become a popular site for parish vacations. Those who take advantage of the center include St. Vincent de Paul, St. Patrick's, and the Vietnamese Community of Albany; St. Lucy's, Altamont; Our Lady of Grace, Ballston Lake; St. Mary's, Crescent; the Columbia County parish cluster; St. Helen's, Schenectady; and Christ, Sun of Justice, Troy.

Host to groups

PLC also hosts the Diocese's Christian Leadership Institute (CLI), teaching leadership skills to local teens; and offers retreats for confirmands, altar servers and school classes. Each year, the College of St. Rose and Siena College in Loudonville hold training sessions for their resident assistants at PLC, and Siena and RPI in Troy both hold retreats there.

"We pull in a lot of the college crowd," Sister Monica remarked.

Group homes like Unity House, Donovan House and the Homer Perkins Center also take advantage of the center. Sister Monica told The Evangelist that "we really try to service group homes, because this is a very safe environment. It's an extremely healing environment."

From all over

Many of PLC's best customers come from out-of-state. While all are welcome, it is a continual frustration to Sister Monica that the center is so little known in the Albany Diocese. Her fondest wish, she says, is "that we wouldn't be such a secret."

This year, the chapel at PLC was rededicated to Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, a native of the area that would become the Albany Diocese.

The camp has been winterized to permit year-round use, and the director is looking at adding music retreats and stress-reduction weekends for businesses to next year's schedule.

Crossroads

But Pyramid Life Center has reached a crossroads. The center has grown larger than its "mom-and-pop operation" tradition, and some say it should become a more formal institution. Many buildings need repairs, and constructing new buildings has been discussed.

However, Sister Monica hopes to keep PLC operating in the same fashion that has made it such a success -- to "keep it simple, stay volunteer, stay rustic.

"Our mission is to help people develop their gifts and talents, to help people feel good about themselves -- always keeping in mind that your gifts are from the Creator," she stated. "You couldn't pay us to do what we do. This helps people to be more human."

(Pyramid Life Center has already held reunions for participants from Marian Lodge and Pyramid Lake Camps. Upcoming 50th anniversary events include a nature retreat Aug. 18-23 and a PLC reunion Aug. 23. For more information about the center, call 382-2688 or 585-7545.)

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