Over the course of its long, winding life, the building has passed between a handful of owners, growing from a residential house to a rectory to now serve as a respite for Mayo Clinic patients.

“It feels like it fits perfectly with our mission and our sense of why we are where we are,” said Reverend Elizabeth Macaulay. “It’s (it’s) the power of someone providing a safe space when people are feeling so vulnerable.”

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The house around the corner from the church property piqued Hollis Feeser’s interest 60 years ago, when his work with IBM brought him to Rochester and he began attending Christ United Methodist Church. Although he didn’t know much about how the house was used at the time, he saw its potential.

“I educated these church staff somewhat on what they had and how they could be used,” Feeser said.

For much of his early years in Rochester, the church did not own the house. That changed in 2005, according to Olmsted County property records. Feeser was out of town this weekend, but when we returned and heard the news he was thrilled.

“Hooray! We finally managed to get things done on the right side, ”he said.

With a busted pipe in the basement and a yard full of unruly weeds, Feeser knew the house was in need of repair. But he wasn’t going to give it up. He jumped into the action.

“No one else was so active. They didn’t push him into these things like me, ”Feeser said with a laugh. Sometimes he got a little too zealous with his renovations. “I got personally involved until they kicked me out,” he said.

Hollis Feeser, 92, is pictured outside Wesley House, which provides affordable housing for patients in Mayo, on Thursday, April 22, 2021, behind Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester. (Traci Westcott / [email protected])

As Feeser, who is 92, has become less active on church boards, new members have taken up the torch and taken care of the house.

Wendy Francis was one of them. She turned the lower half of the house (the upper half had a long-term tenant and continues to be rented) into a respite for Mayo patients. The idea frantically arose a few weeks before Easter in 2018, when the church decided to gift it to a pastor in Michigan who was receiving medical attention.

It was the pastor’s first Easter to come out of the pulpit, Francis said, which made the stay extremely emotional.

“We were so engrossed in how we could serve this family of ministers. It has become a bit consuming, ”said Francis. “It was exactly what we had imagined for the reception house.”

After the stay of this family, Francis had space and time to devote to more complete furnishings. She took great care in every aspect of the unit, knowing that those in her house would undergo difficult procedures and would need a space to decompress both physically and mentally. Members of the congregation donated household items, which all appeared to match, although donations were not coordinated or planned in advance.

Christ United Methodist Church officially purchased the house at 419 Fifth St. SW in 2005, but it has long been used for church activities. Now, the upper half serves as a long-term rental, and the lower half (called Wesley House) offers discounted accommodation primarily for Mayo patients. Photo taken April 20, 2021 (Andrew Link / [email protected])

You have to keep in mind a number of medical care. Things should be as sterile as possible, especially for transplant patients who require extremely hygienic conditions. The linens are all white so they can easily be laundered – a weekly laundry service provided by a member of the clergy is included in the cost of the stay – the bed is adjustable for muscle pain and a dedicated housekeeper cleaned them surfaces between stays.

“We quickly realized that we were being guided to do this, more than just a casual conversation in the office. We were on a mission in this house, ”said Francis.

After a trip to England where she visited the grave of John Wesley, considered one of the founders of Methodism, Francis returned to the church with an idea: to name the property The Wesley House. So it stays.

A much requested respite

After the first resident’s stay, Macaulay, Francis, and others decided what to do with the empty floor of the house, which lay unused for some time.

They chose to turn it into a Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO), costing between $ 42 and $ 70 per night, depending on the length of stay. That’s about a third of the cost of an average downtown hotel. For patients who travel to the area for extended medical care, these savings can be a huge relief.

“At a time when there is a housing shortage, certainly a shortage of affordable housing, it’s a good thing to be part of our ministerial mix,” said Macaulay.

The Wesley House is rarely available: it was vacant for 16 days in 2018, 44 days in 2019 and 49 days in 2020. Jenny Cordry, who is the church’s director of operations and manages reservations for the VRBO, said that the house was full. until July and already have reservations for 2022.

Christ United Methodist Church officially purchased the house at 419 Fifth St. SW in 2005, but it has long been used for church activities. Now, the upper half serves as a long-term rental, and the lower half (called Wesley House) offers discounted accommodation primarily for Mayo patients. Photo taken April 20, 2021 (Andrew Link / [email protected])

“I knew the gentle nature of dealing with these people in need of care and the amount of stress they go through. So my goal as the manager of Wesley House is – number one priority – to always make sure their experience is stress free, ”said Cordry, who previously worked in the hospitality industry.

The testimonials of patients who stayed there are among the most rewarding of the job, Cordry said. She remembers a woman with leukemia who lasted eight months. Her family came and went to support her, and she made the space hers.

While residents are not required to attend church at all during their stay, many do.

“If they’re interested in praying, or if they want to stop by one of our worship services in the parking lot, that’s pretty easy,” Cordry said. “They are already in the parking lot!”

More small houses with big missions

As you drive around Rochester, you can see small houses attached to church properties that are used as storage spaces, Sunday school areas, or as living space for preachers. But a local church has extended its footprint to three surrounding homes to provide free stays for Mayo Clinic patients.

Philoxenia charities, which arose out of Sts. The Greek Orthodox Church of Kosmas and Damianos bought their first home in 2004. They provide accommodation to any patient in the Mayo Clinic on a first come, first served basis.

The nonprofit is funded by a mix of donations and grants, and hopes to buy more homes in the future.

“We would like to grow up. And we would love to be able to make it our mission to be able to take care of those in need, ”said Tia Maragos, Executive Director.

Right now, guests are limited to two-week stays as the organization faces high demand during the pandemic, in addition to a house under construction.

Maragos said the organization’s goal was to transform the space occupied by two houses into one larger building, similar to a Ronald McDonald house, so that more families could stay.

“They would have a nice shared kitchen and we could accommodate more than the families we currently have. Because there is a need in the community, ”said Maragos.