FAQs and Answers
Housing Development Project at Mater Dolorosa
- Why did the Province sell the property?
Surplus properties owned by The Passionists of Holy Cross Province throughout the U.S. have been sold to raise much-needed funds, just as any private property owner might sell a real estate asset that they were not using. - Where is the money going?
Funds from the property sale will go to the Province, not to Mater Dolorosa. It will be used to fund the Passionists' missions and activities in the United States and abroad, and to care for the needs of our senior priests and brothers. - Is Mater Dolorosa going to be able to use the funds so donations will no longer be needed?
No, we are not the beneficiary of the land sale and will receive none of the funds. We will still be dependent on our gracious and faithful donors to supplement the funds we receive from hosting retreats. We are grateful for the land sale, because it will help the Passionists to continue to proclaim God's love for the world as revealed through the Passion of Jesus Christ, and to care for our senior priests and brothers. - How will construction impact the Retreat Center's serenity and peaceful atmosphere?
This was one of the primary considerations of our property development team. The team worked with the developer and the City of Sierra Madre to create a plan that would minimize impacts to the quiet, peaceful experience that is so important to the retreatants who come to Mater Dolorosa. Of all the options the property development team considered, a single-family home development was found to be the quietest and least intrusive. The Stations of the Cross, Meditation Garden and other outdoor features used by retreatants will remain as they are, and there will be a landscaped buffer between the homes and the Retreat Center's property. The homes will also be at a lower elevation, so the long-distance views from our garden areas will be unaffected, and there will be a landscaped buffer between the Retreat Center and the homes. - Will the Retreat Center be closed during the project?
The Retreat Center will be open during construction, and our operations will continue normally. There will be no construction activities on retreat weekends, so retreatants will not be bothered by construction noise, and access into and out of the site will always be maintained. 
Who is developing the site and what is being built?
The Province partnered with the developer New Urban West because they understood our unique requirements as a meditative Retreat Center and worked diligently to answer our concerns and meet our needs. New Urban West has since brought in a homebuilding partner, Toll Brothers, to build 42 single-family homes on the site and provide a three-acre public park near the entry to the property on Sunnyside Avenue. Nearly 500 new trees will be planted on the project site. For more information, you can visit the project's website at www.newurbanwest.com/themeadows.- What is the schedule for the project's development?
Survey teams and staging teams began doing preliminary work in December 2025, and construction is expected to start in January 2026, subject to delays. Once construction starts, the homebuilder says to expect about twelve months of site development (grading, infrastructure and street installation, etc.), followed by home construction, with each home taking about nine months to complete, again subject to delay. - Whom should I call regarding construction issues or questions?
During the site development phase, questions or complaints should be directed to Toll Brothers, to either:- John Fong, Director of Land Development (818/332-7240, jfong@tollbrothers.com) or
- Andrew Dutton, Land Development Manager (818/332-7246, adutton@tollbrothers.com).
If you have questions or need further information regarding the land sale or the use of the funds, please contact Mr. Keith Zekind, Director of Finance for the Holy Cross Province, at Keith@cppo.org. Phone # 847.518.8844, extension 2303.