Looking Back & Looking Forward
“Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon, John.”
Last year, during Easton Mountain’s 25th anniversary weekend, a conversation was recorded featuring EM’s founder, John Stasio, and Harry Faddis, one of Easton Mountain’s first, championing members. They spoke of Easton’s origins, its purpose, and their hopes for its ever-unfolding future.
When asked how it came to be, to begin with, John reflects, “Easton Mountain was a continuation of something we started a decade earlier in Boston, all of which was born out of the existential, spiritual crisis that came from living through HIV/AIDS epidemic.” Grief and fear rocked the gay community, and the country as a whole. “We were, as a community, in a spiritual crisis.”
Gay Streets of America 1979–1986 by Nicholas Blair
Turning to meditation, mindfulness groups and developing a massage practice proved more useful and healthy than his initial, self-destructive coping mechanisms. The skills and connections made during that time led John to co-organizing retreats for gay men to come together. "We started these retreats to bring people together in an environment where we could celebrate life, try to do healing work together — meaning, on the spiritual level — emotional healing, movement, yoga, dancing, storytelling, and celebration.”
Amongst the men hosting and attending these retreats over the years, there was talk of, “we should have a center, we should have a place—” and, as John puts it, “[the] archetypes of idealistic community were present in the ethos of what we were doing.” They started looking at properties.
Years passed before John found a “dilapidated” property that was at one time The Phoenix Club, a naturist resort. Funding was raised, and the purchase was made. They had ‘a place’.
Harry was one of the first people to move to Easton Mountain as a resident. “We became, from the very start, a residential community. And people are curious about that. That's why they sometimes come here to see what's going on, you know, what's going on behind the scenes. They come here to volunteer, to see what we're doing. And I don't think that we would have been sustainable if we had not had this group of people who were committed to live here.”
As a residential community, Easton Mountain is unique in that, “we are not gathered around one spiritual concept or one unifying concept–– People who come here generally are presumed to be serious about their spiritual life, and they usually are. They're trying to figure out as queer people how they can navigate this thing called spirituality because they have all, almost all of them, have had a negative experience with organized religion.”
Harry continues, “There are some people who are serious about being Jews or Christians or Buddhists or Catholics. And we encourage them to be the fullest Catholic or Jew that they can be. And also we offer some assistance and thoughtfulness and experience [for] people who are practicing other spiritual practices. Like AA, I practice that. That's my spiritual practice. There are people who try on what it's like to be a pagan, what that's like for them. Whoever is outwardly practicing their devotion, that’s what we want to encourage.”
On ‘gay spirituality’, as a concept, John poses the consideration, “When I’m practicing Christianity is that ‘gay spirituality’ because I’m gay?” He goes on to elaborate that ‘gay spirituality’ is nuanced. “We ‘queer’ our traditions— traditions that have excluded the queer experience. That’s one piece of ‘gay spirituality’ that takes place here.” He adds, “There’s a belief that there’s a spiritual component to embracing one’s sexuality— the acceptance of who we are opens us to a different kind of spiritual insight.”
Winter Spirit Camp, 2025
Throughout their conversation, Harry & John return to the word ‘particularity’. They speak of the healing available when a group gathers who have a particular thing in common. I believe that’s especially true when that commonality allows and celebrates the many differences that remain. Whether it’s sexuality, gender identity, a set of spiritual beliefs or values or a common goal, Easton Mountain provides a sanctuary, a sacred place set apart from the mundane, for people to gather together. Aside from its programming, which centers GBTQ men, Easton Mountain hosts private rental groups of all identities and genders throughout the year, each bringing together people who share something in particular with one another.
Looking to the future…
Harry: “Tell me what you hope.”
John: “I hope we can cultivate a community of people who are mature spiritually and open to the needs of the time as it evolves.”
Harry: “Service, is an important element.”
John: “Yes, service is key. Let’s be of service to one another and the world— How can we instill the desire to be of service in people?”
Easton Mountain is an ever-changing community and sanctuary, established to serve those who are most in need of a sanctuary, a place to gather and celebrate.
Listen to the full conversation between John & Harry below.
(Run time: 40:29)
Written by Cam, no AI
