As a non-BU affiliated commenter, I too am deeply saddened by this news. The Sargent Center is one of the best, if not the best, retreat center in New England. I have attended retreats there numerous times. There is nothing more pristine and peaceful than waking up early on a winter morning and snowshoeing across the frozen ponds at the Sargent Center only to be followed by fantastic food and hot chocolate by the fire and then later by snowtubing down the hill. What a loss for BU, retreaters, and the New England community as a whole.