On a summer day in Omena, you might hear hymns from a boat in the bay.
Villa Marquette is a Jesuit property sitting on the shores of Omena Bay where Jesuits often spend summer vacations and make their annual retreats. We’re pleased to announce that 80 acres of this biodiverse beauty have been protected with a conservation easement (CE). This CE will extend the protected Frazier-Freeland Preserve. Weaver Creek is a stream that flows into Grand Traverse Bay. A portion of the creek was protected with Frazier-Freeland in 2001. An even more significant part of the creek is now preserved—a win for
wildlife and water quality.
Photos by Mark Smith
The Jesuits, formally known as the Society of Jesus, are a prominent Roman Catholic religious order founded in 1540 by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Known for their intellectual rigor, missionary zeal, and commitment to education, they have played a pivotal role in the church’s history. Jesuits operate schools and universities worldwide, emphasizing critical thinking and social justice. “The Jesuits acquired the property in 1936. The provincial at the time, Charles Cloud, his parents owned the property. So it was eventually bequeathed to him,” said operations director for the Jesuits Midwest Province, Dave McNulty. He and Father Glen Chun are responsible for starting the protection process. Both have fond memories of spending time at the Villa when they were studying to be Jesuits.
“In 1998, I was up there for fall break, and I loved it from the beginning,” said Glen. “I’m not a camping type, so being at Villa Marquette is the closest I get. The dormitory on the campus is my favorite building. We call it the barracks, and it was designed with the same plans as old World War II military barracks. It’s a comfortable space. The grounds and Omena Bay are beautiful. Every summer we used to host dinner and a baseball game with migrant workers and farmers. Back then, we had jet skis, and at first, I said, ‘I’m not going on that.’ Within the hour, I was on a jet ski,” he laughed. As a young man Dave spent four years as a Jesuit before deciding it was not his life’s calling. His time at the property is remembered fondly. “My first visit to Villa Maquette was in 1968 or ‘69. Our summer vacation was one or two weeks at Villa Marquette. In those days, we really didn’t venture off the property much. We would hike, play basketball, do some boating, swim. It was a good summer vacation.”
Memories aside, the interest in protecting the land arose when they started getting purchase inquiries. People would ask about buying some or all of the property. When a developer showed interest, the Jesuits began considering how their beliefs influenced their stance on the natural world. Two directives helped shape their decision. The first is Ladauto Si, a formal letter by Pope Francis urging environmental stewardship and social justice to address climate change and ecological issues. The second was the Universal Apostolic Preferences, one of those preferences being to care for all of God’s creation. “Those two mandates were very influential in our thinking about ultimately making certain that the west 80 acres of Villa Marquette remain in its natural state in perpetuity. Glen was a real champion for this project. He reached out and initiated all of this. The entire process was as smooth and pleasant as possible. The Conservancy did a wonderful job,” Dave said.
Director of Natural Land Protection Matt Heiman worked with the Jesuits on this project. “Permanent protection of the Weaver Creek property will help maintain the stream’s natural gravel riffles that occur throughout the 80 acre property,” said Matt. “These rocky patches of stream bottom help provide important habitat for aquatic macroinvertebrates, which in turn provide food for native brook trout. Protecting intact small stream systems such as Weaver Creek is one of the best ways the Conservancy can help maintain high water quality in Leelanau’s inland lakes, Grand Traverse Bay, and Lake Michigan shoreline.”
The Jesuits will continue to visit the acreage left out of the natural area, including their dormitory and other buildings. The villa will continue to be a place of retreat and serenity for the Jesuits, as the newly protected acreage will be for quiet enjoyment and wildlife.
