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Stewards of Faith: Heritage’s Betsy Orr Discusses the Retreat Center’s Impact on the Archdiocese of Atlanta
Twenty years ago, Betsy Orr felt a remarkable calling placed in her heart. She desired to open a retreat center where people could pull away from their busy lives, pray, reconnect with the Lord, and grow in fellowship in a sacred and serene place.
Thus, Heritage, located in Sharon, Georgia was born.
Twenty years later, as Orr walks around the grounds of the vision she cast, she sees how the Lord performed immeasurably more than she could have ever expected when He first planted that seed in her heart.
“The most joyful part [of working at Heritage] is seeing the dream come to fulfillment. Seeing the fruition of what God put in my mind 2 decades ago…that’s a great source of joy.”
—Betsy Orr, Heritage Founder.
Heritage opened in 2020 to day guests and was fully operational for overnight visitors by April 2024. The grounds provide a welcoming spiritual environment that serves local and faith communities by giving them a tranquil place to seek, find, and renew faith built on the history of our Catholic ancestors.
The retreat center resides in Sharon, located in Taliaferro County with a population of only 105 citizens. Sharon may be small, but its impact is huge as it is home to the first Catholic settlement in Georgia.
“When you visit Heritage, you are arriving at the original site of Catholicism in the state of Georgia, a place with 230 years of Catholic history.”
—Betsy Orr, Heritage Founder.
Since its inception, Heritage has accommodated more than 2,000 people and has hosted prolific Catholic leaders and speakers including Dr. Scott Hahn.
“You all have named this place ‘Heritage ’, but we’ve renamed it the ‘sanctuary’ because we felt such a sense of peace”
—Heritage Guest from Washington, GA Senior Center
Heritage , which encompasses a district of historical properties as well as the newly built retreat center, focuses on offering a variety of places and ways to become immersed in the rich Catholic roots planted 230 years ago. Guests can experience God’s presence at Heritage through various forms of art and scripture. These expressions of our faith include the historic Church of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s 14 stations of the cross, and 26 additional biblical reflections around the retreat property.
“I was struck by the beauty yet simplicity of the buildings and grounds. The authenticity of all the staff and volunteers was extremely welcoming. The holy atmosphere lends itself to prayer, reflection, and fellowship.”
—Guest, Heritage Retreat Center
So, what is needed to keep Heritage flourishing and preserve this sacred Catholic foundation for years to come? When asked, Betsy stated that growing awareness is the biggest initiative they are striving to achieve now.
“There are lots and lots of people in the archdiocese who don’t know anything about us, and we want people to come out, visit the site, and get excited about what we’re doing and contribute their time and resources to us.”
—Betsy Orr, Heritage Founder.
Additionally, Orr is seeking mission partners to continue developing and expanding the reach of this sacred place.
“…in order for us to sustain what we’ve built, to bring people to our project and our mission, to continue to evangelize, serve the clergy and religious who need places for retreat and escape, for all of that to continue, we must have people join our mission.
We are just getting started, so we don’t want the beauty and completion of what we’ve already designed to be an obstacle to people joining the mission.”
—Betsy Orr, Heritage Founder.
Betsy recollects how God laid this mission of building Heritage on her heart and how it was a response to our country’s overrun and busy culture. Twenty years later, she sees how Heritage is needed now more than ever.
Whether you are Catholic or not, Orr invites us to experience the peaceful and spiritual environment of the retreat center that proudly waters its roots deeply planted in our faith. Heritage is devoted to being a place of rest and serenity when life is unable to give us that luxury.
Heritage is made possible through several collaborative partners, including the Archdiocese of Atlanta, our private real estate company Purification Properties, and our charitable organization Purification Heritage Center (PHC). PHC is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization supported by generous donors who give to the mission that keeps Heritage moving forward, creating a legacy for future generations.
To learn more or to book your stay at Heritage, click here.
Check out our experience at Heritage during our Goodness of Mary Retreat here.
Learn about Heritage’s Mission Service Ambassador (MSA) program here.