Mary Lake Augustinian Monastery, Augustinian monastery in King City, Ontario, Canada
Mary Lake Augustinian Monastery is a monastic retreat and shrine complex set on rural land near King City, Ontario, Canada. The property includes a retreat house, a chapel, and outdoor areas around a lake, all managed by the Augustinian order.
The Augustinians bought the property in 1935 and first used it as an agricultural school. In 1942, at the Archbishop's request, the site became a spiritual center, shifting its purpose entirely.
Each June, an open-air mass draws people from across the region who come together to mark traditions brought over from Eastern Europe by their families. The gathering gives the site a community role that goes beyond its everyday function as a place of prayer.
Parts of the grounds are limited in access due to ongoing renovations, though daily mass continues at the retreat house. It is worth checking ahead to find out which areas are open before making the trip.
The site holds an organ assembled from two former Aeolian-Skinner instruments, a project completed between 1968 and 1973. Merging two separate organs into one creates a sound that differs noticeably from a standard pipe organ.
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