With regard to these statements and disclaimers regarding the policies, practices, understandings for use, and disclaimers related to St. Edmund’s Retreat as set forth below, the following definitions shall hold true.
“St. Edmund's Retreat” refers to a 501(c)3 religious nonprofit based on Enders Island which is a Connecticut-based organization independently owned and operated by a Board of Trustees.
“Ministry and Programs” refers to all ministries and related activities which are hosted by St. Edmund’s Retreat on Enders Island, including, without limitation, Holy Mass, Twelve-Step programs and residential recovery programs, retreats, classes, workshops, festivals, and other authorized activities whether such ministries or activities are conducted in-person and/or virtually.
“Information” refers to all content developed for and/or used in Ministry and Programs, including, without limitation, spoken presentations or content otherwise presented in print and/or online/digital and/or printed and/or video and/or audio and/or other formats now known or later developed in any language.
“Visitor” refers to any person (a) who is present on Enders Island for any length of time to enjoy the environs without participating in Ministry and Programs and/or to participate in Ministry and Programs; and/or (b) who chooses to use Information provided by St. Edmund’s Retreat. Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Visitor” may also refer to an employee, subcontractor, or volunteer of St. Edmund’s Retreat when such person participates in Ministry and Programs and/or accesses or uses Information personally and not as part of their official duties. Separate understandings and agreements govern employees, subcontractors, or volunteers whose presence on or participation in the Island and/or at Ministry and Programs is related to their official duties.
“Minor” refers to a person who is under the age of 18 (eighteen) years old.
Ministry and Programs and/or Information are provided by St. Edmund’s Retreat for spiritual enrichment and for general informational purposes only. All Information is provided in good faith; however, St. Edmund’s Retreat makes no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any such information. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHALL ST. EDMUND’S RETREAT HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO ANY VISITOR FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF PARTICIPATION IN MINISTRY OR PROGRAMS AND/OR USE OF INFORMATION. PARTICIPATION IN MINISTRY AND PROGRAMS AND/OR USE OF INFORMATION IS THE CHOICE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF VISITORS AND SOLELY AT THEIR OWN RISK.
St. Edmund’s Retreat offers a distinctly Catholic environment for members of addiction-recovery programs and retreats by integrating the principles of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous into Ministry and Programs and some Information. In keeping with the principles of the Twelves Steps and Twelve Traditions, Ministry and Programs and Information foster an environment where all persons are welcome, enjoy anonymity, and experience mutual support among fellow recovering addicts regardless of wealth, status, influence, age, disability, race, ethnicity, national origin, native language, religion, political belief, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristic protected by law. This commitment to hospitality offered to all is in keeping with Catholic spiritual teaching. In those instances when Ministry and Programs and/or Information include Christian or Catholic features, explicit mention is made. St. Edmund’s Retreat hosts some Alcoholics Anonymous meetings which are open to the general public. These groups remain autonomous, and these meetings proceed without promoting any religion, cause, or political party, which remain self-supporting through member contributions.
In keeping with centuries of Catholic spiritual tradition, St. Edmund’s Retreat welcomes all visitors as precious children of God, regardless of wealth, status, influence, age, disability, race, ethnicity, national origin, native language, religion, political belief, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristic protected by law. St. Edmund’s Retreat is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with Federal civil rights and other law, St. Edmund’s Retreat does not discriminate in hiring based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, political belief, or any other category protected by law. Visitors are asked to offer similar considerations and courtesies to others to help preserve the hospitality for all who visit and who work at St. Edmund’s Retreat. Similarly, St. Edmund’s Retreat reminds all Visitors who choose to cross our causeway to visit our private Island that Visitors must abide by established practices noted herein and, further, need to act in such a way to preserve the peaceful and prayerful setting all Visitors and residents of this Catholic community.
Minors are welcome to attend Mass and other prayer services and festivities which are open to the public; however, most Ministry and Programs are designed and intended solely for adults and not for Minors. No Minor may be present on Enders Island unless he or she is accompanied by a parent or guardian. By registering for any program, retreat, or workshop, Visitors represent and warrant that they are18 (eighteen) years of age or older and their presence at the program, retreat, or workshop and/or in overnight accommodations does not violate any applicable ruling, law, regulation, or policies set forth herein.
St. Edmund’s Retreat is dedicated to recovery from addiction to substances and processes (i.e., gambling). Enders Island is, therefore, a “dry” island. Alcoholic beverages and other potentially addictive substances are not permitted on the premise and are not served at any time except in that rare instance when a private event may have been authorized by prior approval to do so in a limited and controlled manner. Visitors are not permitted to bring or store alcoholic beverages, drugs, or weapons anywhere on the premises. No smoking is permitted inside any building. Smoking of tobacco is permitted in designated areas outside buildings. Pornography, gambling, and occult activities are barred from the Island. St. Edmund’s Retreat offers whenever possible free Internet connectivity to all Visitors; however, St. Edmund’s Retreat reserves the right to filter and/or prohibit, and does filter and/or prohibit, certain websites and search engine results as relate to these prohibitions; for example, online gambling.
Visitors may park in the parking lot designated for “Parking” on the northeastern corner of Enders Island except where Visitors are authorized to park elsewhere for a particular event or where Visitors have mobility issues or another handicap which impedes mobility or access. Handicapped parking spaces are available in various areas and are reserved for those Visitors who qualify.
Visitors may not park on or block the causeway between Enders Island and Masons Island, may not park or block any other right of way on Enders Island, may not park in handicapped-reserved spaces without authorization, and may not park in the parking lot adjacent to the Masons Island Yacht Club on the other side of the Enders Island causeway. St. Edmund’s Retreat has the right to arrange for any vehicle, which may in the sole judgement of St. Edmund’s Retreat be parked on its premises contrary to these parameters, to be towed when the owner cannot be found timely and stored elsewhere at the owner’s expense and without incurring liability. St. Edmund’s Retreat similarly has the right to tow and store any vehicle parked on Enders Island for more than 48 hours where the owner is neither a resident nor a registrant in Ministry and Programs.
Where one or more of these policies and practices herein is in its judgment breached, St. Edmund’s Retreat reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to require any person or group to leave the premises, for example, without limitation, in the event an unregistered overnight guest identified to be in overnight room(s) or in the event a Visitor is found to be acting in a manner consistent with inebriation and/or drinking alcoholic beverages at an event without authorization while on Enders Island.
All right, title, and interest to all content in any format as may be included in Ministry and Programs and/or Information, including without limitation on this website, is owned by St. Edmund’s Retreat or, where such content may be reused by permission by a third party source cited, is owned by the original copyright owner. For purposes of this section, “content” refers to all intellectual property in Ministry and Programs and/or Information, including without limitation trademarks, service marks, and logos.
Visitors, including without limitation viewers of this website, may not copy, display, modify, adapt, edit, translate, condense, distribute, download, license, sub-license, publish, repost, reproduce, reuse, sell, transmit, create a derivative work from, or otherwise use for public or commercial purposes, content without the express written permission of St. Edmund’s or other copyright or rights owner, except as is legally acceptable under Fair Use doctrine. St. Edmund’s Retreat reserves the right to authorize or decline any request for reuse of any content on terms that shall be defined in its sole judgement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, certain third-party instructors, who are subcontractors and not employees of St. Edmund’s Retreat, sometimes provide Information which is included in Ministry and Programs and/or Information to which they may retain full or partial ownership rights. Requests to reuse content from Ministry and Programs and/or Information should be addressed to St. Edmund’s Retreat, and St. Edmund’s Retreat will forward any such request to such instructor where applicable, subject to any co-interest in such content as may be held St. Edmund’s Retreat.
St. Edmund’s Retreat is a recovery community and not a medical facility or treatment center. St. Edmund’s Retreat does not offer medical care or medical advice. It does not offer in-patient psychiatric care or psychiatric advice. No Information provided during Ministry and Programs is, or should be interpreted as, expert counsel and advice which can be provided only by trained professionals in any field, including, but not limited to, financial, medical, psychological, or legal fields. Visitors who participate in Ministry and Programs or who use Information are responsible to engage the professional services if required to ensure that they obtain the expertise they need.
Information, including, without limitation, this website and/or newsletters and emails as may be sent by St. Edmund’s Retreat, may contain (or a Visitor may be sent) links to other websites or content belonging to or originating from third parties or links to websites and features in banners or other advertising. Such external links are not investigated, monitored, or checked for accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness by St. Edmund’s Retreat. WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OFFERED BY THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES LINKED THROUGH THIS WEBSITE OR ANY OTHER WEBSITE OR FEATURE LINKED IN ANY BANNER OR OTHER ADVERTISING. WE WILL NOT BE PARTY TO OR IN ANY WAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING ANY TRANSACTION BETWEEN VISITORS AND THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES.
Information may contain links to affiliate websites, and St. Edmund’s Retreat may from time to time engage with an affiliate program by which St. Edmund’s Retreat receives an affiliate commission through use of those links. St. Edmund’s Retreat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC charity giving program, an affiliate program designed as a means for St. Edmund’s Retreat to earn fees when Amazon shoppers identify St. Edmund’s Retreat as their chosen charity to receive such fees.