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The Story of Queenswood Holistic Healing and Spirituality Society

sister-eileenOn October 3, 2010, the doors of Queenswood Retreat and Spirituality Centre closed. People who had loved coming for retreats, workshops and renewal felt the poignancy of that closure along with the Sisters of Saint Ann who grieved the loss of what once was.

In spite of the poignancy of this closure, new life was ready to emerge. A long time loyal supporter and friend of Queenswood, Marnie Bradfield, asked to meet with me. In our interchange, she suggested that I get a trademark for Queenswood School of Reiki which I did, a fifteen year one, and she paid for it. From there, I produced my own professional manuals, CD, and DVDs.

At the same time as this was happening, our provincial leader, Sister Marie Zarowny, was influential in suggesting that I set up a society to continue the work of the former Queenswood. Board members were quickly found and together as a team, we worked diligently side by side. With the help of Sharon Elizabeth Burkmar, our chairperson, we became incorporated as a British Columbia Society on July 20, 2011.

Because of Sharon’s knowledge and guidance in matters pertaining to how a society functions, Sharon and I co-founded Queenswood Holistic Healing and Spirituality Society (QHHSS). The Society received charitable status on May 30, 2013.

In August, 2013, in honour of my golden jubilee, the Society created the Sister Eileen Curteis Educational Bursary Fund. Because of generous contributors to this fund, people who struggle financially have been able to participate in our workshops and experience healing and blessing because of it.

Anyone wishing to donate to this fund can do so at CanadaHelps.org. You can find a link to our charity located in the footer on every page of our website or by clicking right here! Along with this donation, an online charitable tax receipt will be issued.

Since our inception as a Society, July 20, 2011, we have been able to make positive changes in the lives of many people, alleviating pain and suffering and promoting physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. Through regular educational workshops, under the Society’s signature trademark programme, Queenswood School of Reiki, we have significantly advanced the education of holistic healing along with other ancillary events.

After four years of Sharon’s dedication and creative leadership, she resigned as a board member on July 1, 2015. Today, we say thank you, Sharon, for sharing your knowledge and talents with us and we ask God’s loving Spirit to continue to guide and bless you in your new field of ministry where others will benefit from your gifts as we have done.

reiki-headKnowing that a society can only be as effective as its team members, I want to acknowledge the unique gifts of our other board members as well. Sandra Price, our gifted treasurer, who spent twenty-one years at the former Queenswood as an outstanding secretary, now volunteers her services and expertise in the field of finance. Marnie Bradfield, who brings with her a rich background of having been on previous boards, helps chair our meetings and generously shares her knowledge and gifts in a variety of ways. Donna Van Dyke, our faithful recorder of society minutes and setting up of monthly agenda meetings, gifts us with her spontaneity and wonderful skills in fund raising.

One of our original board members I would also like to acknowledge is Jessie Mantle who had been on previous boards and shared her knowledge with us as well as playing an influential part in helping us arrive at charitable status.

There have been many friends, too numerous to mention, who helped us in the interim period before we got established as a Society. Initially, Elizabeth Eede played a significant part in opening her home to us and one of the first Reiki workshops took place there. At the same time, Jyoti and Karsten Bruun opened their home to us and the large sanctuary room that Karsten built became an oasis for the continuation of our ongoing education in Reiki healing.

For four years now, Trudy Harding has been our faithful communication liaison person, keeping the larger Reiki community abreast of what is happening. More recently, Val Wishlow has volunteered her services in helping with registering and taking in payment for some of our workshops.

Another change, as of July 1, 2015, is that we will no longer be renting a house for our Society workshops. Once again, Karsten and Jyoti Bruun have kindly opened their home to us for the ongoing Reiki workshops and will store the materials for these workshops in their home. Ancillary events and workshops, other than Reiki, will take place in different locations and will be advertized through our Society newsletter.

sister-eileenThrough word of mouth, we keep meeting new friends who join us for our workshops and who spread the good news that we are alive and well. As board members, we are aware that in order for the full flowering of our Society to occur, we depend on the gifts of others as well as on you, our Society friends, who encourage and support the work we do. It’s together in community that we make a difference.

God bless you for being there for us.

– Sister Eileen Curteis.