Life returns to Pyramid Life Center

After a brief hiatus due to COVID-19, the Pyramid Life Center in Paradox officially is back up and running.

The center reopened on Sunday, Aug. 9, and welcomed its first group back to the grounds from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Syracuse. The center then housed a retreat for parishioners from St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Albany. Brian Evers, center director, said that the reopening for both groups went “really, really well.”

“It’s going well. We had small groups before (Aug. 9) so we could practice some of the new guidelines and procedures … but it’s been going really, really well.”

Pyramid Life Center has been a place of escape for Catholics and people of all faiths for many years. The center, which stretches over 750 acres of land in the Adirondacks and is perched next to Pyramid Lake, offers spiritual and religious retreats and programs for parishes and groups.

The center’s capacity is now capped at around 50 participants, and everyone on the center’s premise is required to practice social distancing during activities. If social distancing can’t be maintained, participants are required to wear a mask. The dining hall is considered a restaurant requiring attendees to follow the same guidelines they would when going out to eat. The center’s beachfront is also operating at limited capacity, allowing 12 people to visit the area at a time.

So far, Evers said that “people are wearing their masks and doing all the things they need to do.”

“I think for a lot of people this is the first time they’ve been able to do things, and we’ve heard from folks here say how clean things are and how smooth we have things running to have them feel comfortable.”

Evers was quick to praise the PLC staff who were instrumental in the center’s reopening: “Our staff is doing a great job… We have a group of young people here on our staff and they’re working super hard. It’s been great.”

Even with social distancing protocols in place, Evers said that “just a chance to have people here and a chance for them to come has been a great blessing.”