The Marian Servants of Divine Providence®, a Public Association of the Faithful of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, celebrated the opening of their new building Annex to the Mother Couderc Retreat House at Our Lady of Divine Providence House of Prayer® and Retreat Center.  

Bishop Gregory Parkes led the ribbon-cutting ceremony and blessed the Annex, which provides 18 additional private bedroom suites adjacent to the existing 20 suites of the Mother Couderc Retreat House, for a total housing capacity of 38 guests under one centralized facility.

“This House of Prayer is a place of grace, a spiritual home where souls come to seek God in silence, to be nourished by his Word, and to be strengthened by his presence. The new annex will expand this mission, offering more room for retreatants to rest, reflect, and to be renewed,” said Bishop Parkes in his address to supporters, donors, benefactors, and faithful community members who attended the event on June 3rd, 2025.

Immediately following the Blessing Ceremony, Bishop Parkes and the Board of Directors of Our Lady of Divine Providence House of Prayer® Foundation and the Marian Servants® thanked donors and benefactors whose generosity made this new building possible.

“We are so grateful to Bishop Parkes for his endorsement of our Retreat Center expansion especially during our planning and fundraising efforts”, said Alicia Goodwin, Director of the Marian Servants of Divine Providence and President of Our Lady of Divine Providence House of Prayer Foundation, Inc.  “We are also ever so grateful to all our benefactors who contributed so generously to the Ripples of Healing Grace Campaign.  Most of all, we thank God for his faithfulness in always providing for our needs.”

With this new retreat house annex, the Marian Servants will be able to better serve many more lay faithful, religious and clergy from our Diocese and from all over the U.S. and other parts of the world that come to experience the transforming healing love of God through days of reflection, group retreats, private silent retreats, spiritual direction, and healing prayer.

The House of Prayer also offers a Healing Mass regularly. People like Stephen Pratten have been attending the Healing Mass in search of spiritual and physical healing. Since 2020, Pratten has experienced tremendous health challenges including two brain tumors and excruciating surgeries to remove them. He believes the prayers of the Marian Servants have played an essential role in his healing and the miraculous nature of his survival, as acknowledged by a Mayo Clinic doctor.

“I don't know of anybody that could have survived this surgery on planet Earth unless God's hand was all over that situation. Knowing that all these people pray for me has made a huge impact on my life,” said Pratten.

The Mother Couderc Retreat House is located at 520 S. Bayview Ave, Clearwater.

For more information on the Marian Servants of Divine Providence and Our Lady of Divine Providence House of Prayer and Retreat Center and the new Healing Mass schedule for the Fall, please visit www.divineprovidence.org or call 727-797-7412.                                                        ---------

The Marian Servants of Divine Providence®, is a Public Association of the Faithful of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, and a community of Spirit-filled men and women guiding God’s people to healing, freedom, and purpose in Christ through healing prayer, spiritual direction, and retreats. Their Cenacle of Our Lady of Divine Providence School of Spiritual Direction® offers certification for spiritual directors in association with Franciscan University of Steubenville. They are located at Our Lady of Divine Providence House of Prayer® by Old Tampa Bay in Clearwater, FL. where all are welcome to attend Masses, Adoration, and special speaker events.