Welcome to Saint Mary Protectress Center (St Mary’s Retreat for short). We invite you to come and visit today! We are an Orthodox Christian charity, retreat, and conference center located in beautiful Natural Bridge, Virginia along the James River and majestic Blue Ridge Mountains. The center and lands were originally a private residence that was donated to become this charity, in the hope that the space could be used to help others. Our main building has a chapel, several furnished rooms for meetings or groups, and an extensive library. In addition, we have a pavilion perfect for picnics and barbecues; a pool house for recreation; a greenhouse and garden with raised beds, some of which are built higher for your accommodation; and plenty of outdoor space and farmland for everyone to enjoy. Our building and grounds are offered to all people, groups, churches, and charities for prayer, peace of heart, meditation, relaxation, health, healing, reconciliation, conflict resolution, mediation, and charitable programs and events. St Mary’s also hosts a variety of events and activities for our community, including: Orthodox Christian prayer services, music lessons, religious education, helping those in need, and feeding the hungry. Get involved by volunteering with us today, and together we can make a difference in transforming the lives of others.
