THE SOUL AFTER DEATH
2025-12-13 09:30 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Saint Andrew’s Abbey, 31001 N. Valyermo Road, Valyermo, CA, 93563, United States
This retreat will examine what happens to us after we die, using the Scriptures and Tradition. We will use the book “The Soul After Death” by Fr Seraphim Rose as a springboard. There will be some discussion on the phenomenon of near-Death Experiences, including true Christian experiences of heaven during these, particularly in relation to the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.

Presenter: FR. ANGELUS ECHEVERRY, OSB, has been a monk of Valyermo since 2011. He has a Master’s degree in Classical Music Composition and is currently an Organist and Choirmaster. He has a deep love for what he calls “The four ‘M’s’ of my life”: Music, the Mystical life, the Holy Mystery that we call the Trinity and Mary, the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God. To listen to the Music of Fr. Angelus, visit: www.angelusecheverry.com

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

CHRISTMAS AT VALYERMO
2025-12-23 15:00 - 2025-12-26 10:00
On the Solemnity of Christmas, we first contemplate the mystery of the Word becoming Flesh. The liturgical celebration at the Abbey starts with First Vespers on Christmas Eve and ends with Night Prayer on Christmas Day.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

NEW YEAR RETREAT: “Benedictine Chant as Contemplative Prayer" (ZOOM Option Available)
2025-12-30 15:00 - 2026-01-02 10:00
The principal sources of contemplative prayer in the early Church were the Scriptures and the sacred liturgy, where the Scriptures are transformed into poetry and song. In this workshop, we will seek to rediscover in the Benedictine liturgical tradition of music and prayer our capacity to delight in and reverence the mystery of the God of Love. Latin chants from from early monastic sources as well as modern Benedictine antiphons, will be shared, and participants will be encouraged to share the liturgy of the hours with the monastic community.

Presenter: FR. LUKE DYSINGER, OSB; D.Phil.; M.D., has been a monk of Saint Andrew’s Abbey since 1980. He studied medicine at the University of Southern California and theology at the University of Oxford. He is professor of moral theology and church history at Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California and has published books and articles in the fields of bioethics, early Christian spirituality and patristics.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

Mid-Winter Dance Workshop: Stepping Into the Wells of Life
2026-01-16 15:00 - 2026-01-19 10:00
Let us join together and help one another remove the junk from our lives that blocks the flow of the Living Water. Let us fill ourselves with good prayer, good community, and the blessings of creativity. Come refresh and renew one another from the well of our blessed human experiences with uplifting sacred music, word, and dance. Bring comfortable clothes for both “work” and formal prayer. The retreat will be facilitated by John West Obl.OSB; Val and Frank Jansen will provide musical support.

Presenter: JOHN WEST, Obl.OSB, is an oblate of Saint Andrew’s Abbey and the founder of the Valyermo Dancers. A gifted dancer, choreographer, liturgist, and writer, he has been conducting workshops at St. Andrew’s Abbey and Holy Spirit Retreat Center, as well as at international and national collegiate and university levels. His professional associations include serving the Sacred Dance Guild as a Board Member and Approved Sacred Dance Facilitator; he is also a member of the prestigious North American Academy of Liturgy.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

Retiro de Cuaresma - *CANCELADO*
2026-02-08 09:00 - 15:30
La Cuaresma es el tiempo litúrgico de conversión, que la Iglesia marca para prepararnos a la gran fiesta de la Pascua. Es tiempo para arrepentirnos de nuestros pecados y de cambiar algo dentro nosotros para ser mejores y poder vivir más cerca de Cristo. En la Cuaresma, Cristo nos invita a cambiar de vida. La Iglesia nos invita a vivir la Cuaresma como un camino hacia Jesucristo, escuchando la Palabra de Dios, orando, compartiendo con el prójimo y haciendo obras buenas. Nos invita a vivir una serie de actitudes cristianas que nos ayudan a parecernos más a Jesucristo. Durante este mini retiro examinaremos nuestras vidas a través del Misterio Pascual.

Presentador: CARLOS OBANDO, Obl.OSB, nació en Costa Rica y vive en Los Estados Unidos desde 1966. Está casado, tiene tres hijos y tres nietos. En el año 2009 obtuvo una maestría de la Universidad de Loyola Marymount, Los Ángeles, en Teología Pastoral, es instructor en la Escuela de la Renovación Carismática en la Diócesis de Orange. Ha sido Director Espiritual por más de 25 años. Trabaja con la comunidad hispana desde 1979 en los condados de Los Ángeles y Orange en la formación de líderes y dando retiros a jóvenes, adultos y matrimonios. Actualmente coordina los Ejercicios Espirituales para los Aspirantes y sus Esposas a través de la Oficina del Diaconado, en la Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles.

*Si el evento aparece como agotado, llámenos al 661-944-2178 para consultar la disponibilidad en tiempo real y apuntarse a la lista de espera.

*Registration Closed* Gonzaga Alumni Retreat February '26
2026-02-11 15:00 - 2026-02-15 10:00
Content is protected.

Lenten Silent Retreat
2026-02-17 15:00 - 2026-02-20 10:00
During these days of silence at the monastery, the whole Church begins the sacred season of Lent. Short reflections will be offered daily, emphasizing the traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The desert silence and the monastery’s liturgies will provide an atmosphere conducive to deep reflection. This is a wonderful opportunity to make our Lenten pilgrimage more fruitful this year.

Presenters: Monks of Valyermo

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

Poverty of Spirit
2026-02-28 09:00 - 15:30
Using the German Catholic priest and theologian Johann Metz’s book Poverty of Spirit, this retreat will look into the
meaning and significance of ‘poverty of spirit.’ We will examine the importance of the themes of Incarnation, the
various shapes of poverty, and especially what it means to become human as the essence of true spiritual poverty.
God wants us to be rich, but this spiritual wealth only comes through poverty of spirit!

Presenter: FR. ANGELUS ECHEVERRY, OSB, has been a monk of Valyermo since 2011. He has a Master’s degree in Classical Music Composition and is currently an Organist and Choirmaster. He has a deep love for what he calls “The four ‘M’s’ of my life”: Music, the Mystical life, the Holy Mystery that we call the Trinity and Mary, the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God. To listen to the Music of Fr. Angelus, visit: www.angelusecheverry.com

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

WHO AM I? Meeting the Self in the in the Prodigal Son
2026-03-16 15:00 - 2026-03-19 10:00
St. Luke, Rembrandt, and Henri Nouwen are our human guides as we examine and discern the different spiritual states revealed in Holy Scripture’s parable of The Prodigal Son. Art, writing, and personal experience combine to help us realize the broader implications of this narrative and how they apply to our lives. Careful attention to art, close reading of texts, personal reflection, and discussion will form the basis of this retreat.

Presenters: Landi, Obl.OSB & Mary Kauffman, Obl.OSB
REESE LANDI is an Oblate of Valyermo. She is a nurse and an artist. Reese completed her Art of Spiritual Direction through LMU and has enjoyed using art to enhance one’s understanding of scripture. Reese is certified in Art for Healing through Brandman University and has worked with a non-profit to practice art therapy.
MARY KAUFFMAN is an oblate of Valyermo. She has an MA in English and has taught ESL, various levels of English and writing, and literature courses at several colleges in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Now retired, she enjoys sharing her love of reading and writing through participation in different reading and literary groups, particularly those with an emphasis on discovering the transcendent and increasing our Christian awareness through exploration of the written word.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and waiting list.

Sacred Triduum *SOLD OUT*
2026-04-02 15:00 - 2026-04-05 13:30
The Sacred Triduum is the holiest time of the Church’s liturgical cycle. You are invited to share the monastic experience of this sacred liturgy, beginning on Holy Thursday and concluding on Easter Sunday.
(Since this time is rooted in silence and reflection, we ask that you plan to arrive in sufficient time to be settled in your rooms before 4 p.m.)

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.
(Painting by John August Swanson)

Gonzaga Alumni Servant Leadership April '26: Seeking Heartful Bodyful Wisdom (Registration Closed)
2026-04-08 15:00 - 2026-04-12 10:00

Pureza de corazón a través de los Corazones de Jesús y María
2026-04-11 09:00 - 15:30
Este retiro explorará qué es la pureza de corazón y cómo podemos esforzarnos por alcanzarla de manera más
perfecta, contemplándola a través de la perspectiva de los Corazones de Jesús y María. Reflexionaremos sobre la
vida, las palabras y el ejemplo de nuestro Señor y de la Virgen María en su búsqueda inquebrantable de la voluntad
de Dios, tal como se presenta en las Escrituras, a través de las devociones al Sagrado Corazón de Jesús y al
Inmaculado Corazón de María, así como desde algunas perspectivas monásticas sobre el tema.

Presentador: P. ANGELUS ECHEVERRY OSB, es monje de Valyermo desde 2011. Tiene una Maestría en Composición de Música Clásica y actualmente es Organista y Maestro de Coro. Tiene un profundo amor por lo que llama “Las cuatro ‘Emes’ de mi vida”: la Música, la vida Mística, el Santo Misterio que llamamos Trinidad y María, la Santísima Virgen, Madre de Dios. Para escuchar al Música de P. Angelus, visite: www.angelusecheverry.com

*Si el evento figura como agotado, llámenos al 661-944-2178 para consultar la disponibilidad en tiempo real y una lista de espera.

Spring Artists Retreat - SOLD OUT
2026-04-27 03:00 - 2026-05-01 10:00
This retreat is open to artists at all levels, including beginners. Photographers, sculptors, and writers are also welcome to experience the colors and beauty of the high desert in the monastery setting. Escape the stress of daily life while deepening a spiritual vision in your art.
Presenter: GREGORY MICHAEL HERNANDEZ is a landscape-based visual artist living in Pasadena, CA. His paintings, photography and sculptures explore the religious and political dimensions of land use. Growing up in Hesperia, CA, cemented his lifelong connection to the Mojave Desert. See his work at www.gmhstudio.com.
*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

Called and Empowered: Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts
2026-05-02 09:00 - 16:00
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC 2003 tells us that “Charisms, or spiritual gifts, are special abilities given to Christians by the Holy Spirit to be powerful channels of God’s love and redeeming presence in the world. Whether extraordinary or ordinary, charisms are to be used in charity or service to build up the church.”
In this one-day retreat, participants will learn what the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit are and how they differ from spiritual gifts. All Christians have been given one or more spiritual gifts or charisms (e.g., hospitality, encouragement, or giving). Using a spiritual gifts inventory, retreatants will be guided in discerning and exercising their spiritual gifts.

Presenter: MARY SCHULTE is an oblate of Valyermo. She has a B.A. in history, with a minor in French, and a J.D. (law degree). She has served as Chairperson of the Ecumenical and Inter-religious Commission for the Diocese of Orange from 1999-2005. She loves proclaiming the word of God and has been a lector in her parish for over 25 years. In addition to her Benedictine spirituality, she participates in a Christian Life Community (CLC) with fellow legal professionals who completed the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. She is co-coordinator of the Orange County oblate group, and one of four oblate mentors for the Orange County area. She loves to write, and four of her articles have been published in the Abbey Chronicle. She is developing a blog called Ordinary Days with Mary, to share her photography, spiritual writings, musings, and her passion for baking.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

Silent Retreat
2026-05-11 15:00 - 2026-05-14 15:00
Do you long for a few days of emotional and spiritual tranquility? Are you looking for a few moments of silence in your life? Do you need to be alone with the Lord through meditation and contemplation? If this is what your heart desires, we invite you to our silent retreat in the small oasis offered by the Benedictine Community of the Abbey of Saint Andrew, located in Valyermo.
Remember that this silent retreat is an opportunity to pause along the way, to take some time to reflect, meditate, and internalize profound truths that cannot be clearly contemplated in the midst of noise and everyday life.

Presenter: Carlos Obando Obl., OSB, was born in Costa Rica and has lived in the United States since 1966. He is married with three children and three grandchildren. In 2009, he earned a Master’s degree in Pastoral Theology from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, and is an instructor at the School of Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Orange. He has been a Spiritual Director for over 25 years. He has worked with the Hispanic community since 1979 in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, training leaders and giving retreats for youth, adults, and married couples. He currently coordinates the Spiritual Exercises for Aspirants and their Wives through the Office of the Diaconate in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Pentecost Retreat
2026-05-22 15:00 - 2026-05-24 13:30
This preached retreat is for the oblates of St. Andrew’s Abbey or anyone interested in Benedictine spirituality. The focus is the Rule of St. Benedict and the liturgy of Pentecost.

Presenters: Monks of Valyermo

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

Called to Create and Illuminate
2026-06-05 15:00 - 2026-06-07 13:30
A Call to Catholic artists to use their gifts to bring his light into the world.
This retreat will guide the artist into a reflection of their lives to see where they are on the journey. It will present the strong foundation of the Church’s teachings as well as welcome individuals to encounter Jesus in a deeper way through the sacramental life of the Church. Drawing strength from their relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist, they will be drawn how to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in their lives and more to create accordingly. This will allow the Spirit to transform their hearts and their ministries, thus becoming lay missionaries of His light, enkindling their communities.
A retreat that offers spiritual formation for Catholic artists working in the art and entertainment industry.

Film and televesion industry-producers and actors.
Music industry-singers and songwriters.
Podcasters.
Media content creators.
Educators.
Students of the arts.

Presenters: FR. ISAAC KALINA OSB, ST. MICHAEL’S PRAYER GROUP
MUSIC BY TCV’S POETRY DREAMS
ISAAC KALINA has been a monk of Valyermo since 1984. Having completed his theological degree in Rome at Collegio Sant’ Anselmo, he was ordained a priest in 1989. He has served the Abbey as Prior, Sub-prior, Kitchenmaster, Youth Director, Assistant Novicemaster, Vocation Director, and Juniormaster. He is involved in retreats and workshops, bilingual ministry, 12-step recovery, addiction counseling, spiritual direction, and grief coaching.
*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

The Way of Beauty
2026-06-22 15:00 - 2026-06-26 10:00
Another way to say Christ in all His glory is to say Christ in all His beauty. An experience of Christ through beauty awakens faith or fortifies it to a deeper surety. God allows us to see breathtaking beauty in nature. David Clayton proposes that “the aims for the supernatural transformation of the person are so that he can, in turn, transfigure the whole culture through the divine beauty of his daily actions. There is no human activity, no matter how mundane, that cannot be enhanced by this formation in beauty.” Creativity driven by the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in people results in many forms of beauty that bring others to a sense of Christ’s beauty. This retreat will enliven our experience of beauty in many of its expressions, including in nature, music, and silence.

Presenter: DR. NANCY WALLIS offers spiritual companionship to individuals and groups, and designs and leads contemplative spiritual retreats. Building on her corporate and academic careers as an organizational leadership scholar, Nancy brings a transformational and loving spirit to the sacred cultivating of richer inner lives. Following the completion of her M.Div. degree at the Claremont School of Theology, she undertook further study in the areas of spiritual direction and contemplative leadership at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

Cinema Divina Retreat
2026-06-26 15:00 - 2026-06-28 13:30
This retreat provides a unique opportunity to pray with the Word of God and film. Movies are stories that reflect our common human experience and the gift of relationships. When we bring our faith into conversation with movies, we can be inspired to be more authentically human.

Cinema Divina is based on the ancient practice of lectio divina. It takes us on a journey in which we reflect on stories in films and then listen to how the Holy Spirit invites us to live, based on what we experience by connecting faith, culture, conversation and the Gospel message.

Movies: TBA

Presenter: SISTER JENNIFER TECLA HYATT is a member of the Daughters of St Paul, a religious community dedicated to evangelization with the media. She has a BA in Theology and is a Master Catechist in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Currently the Manager of Pauline Books and Media in Miami, Florida, she also is an associate of the Pauline Center for Media Studies. Over the past ten years, she has facilitated various film and Scripture activities for both children and adults, as well as given presentations on media literacy and integrating culture, faith, and media. She is a proud member of the elite Catholic Speakers Organization, CatholicSpeakers.com

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

The Flame Within: Writing Your Life *SOLD OUT*
2026-07-06 15:00 - 2026-07-10 10:00
This week-long memoir writing workshop with award-winning author Heather King offers a unique opportunity to reflect, write, and grow. Designed for writers at any stage, the workshop emphasizes the value of the creative process, while the peaceful rhythms of St. Andrew’s Abbey will afford space for silence, self-inquiry, and honest expression.
Everyone is welcome. The workshop is designed for all who have a love of writing, including those who may have never written at all, or perhaps never shared their writing with another. We all start somewhere!
Through daily talks on craft—covering story, theme, structure, and revision—as well as focused sessions on how to begin and how to sustain a writing practice, participants will be guided in how to shape their life experiences into meaningful narrative.
To encourage digging deeper, the workshop will include writing prompts, group discussion, and the optional opportunity to read work aloud. The techniques of memoir, as well as the value of writing as a practice of attention and transformation will be emphasized.
In addition to structured time, the retreat allows for plenty of solitude and open space. Participants are encouraged to explore the grounds, pray or reflect in the chapel, join the monks for the Divine Office and daily Mass, write under the trees, or engage in unhurried conversation.
“Every human being has an authentic voice and a unique story. Let’s get together—human-to-human—and start telling them.”

Presenter: HEATHER KING Obl. OSB, is an author, columnist and nationwide speaker with several memoirs, among them Parched¸ Shirt of Flame, Holy Desperation, and Consumed: The Joys, Débacles and Sorrows of a Life Ordered to Art. An Oblate of St. Andrew’s Abbey, she writes an award-winning weekly arts and culture column for Angelus News, the archdiocesan newspaper of LA, appears monthly in Magnificat, leads writing workshops here and abroad, and posts on Substack at DESIRE LINES: BOOKS, CULTURE, ART. For more, visit heather-king.com.
An article from Heather in the Angelus Newsletter

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

BENEDICTINE SPIRITUALITY RETREAT: Reading and Living the Rule of Saint Benedict Today (Zoom Option)
2026-07-10 15:00 - 2026-07-12 13:30
During this workshop, we will celebrate together the Solemnity of Saint Benedict at Mass and the Divine Office, and we will discover in his Rule a guide for spiritual progress and contemplative prayer. We will give special attention to the Prologue of the Rule as well as chapters 19, 20, and 79 as models of condensed spiritual wisdom and encouragement.

Presenter: FR. LUKE DYSINGER MD, DPhil, has been a monk of Saint Andrew’s Abbey since 1980. He studied medicine at the University of Southern California and theology at the University of Oxford. He is a professor of moral theology and church history at Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California and has published books and articles in the fields of bioethics, early Christian spirituality and patristics.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

Iconography Workshop
2026-07-13 15:00 - 2026-07-19 13:30
This intensive icon painting workshop will provide an opportunity to experience the process of icon painting. Participants will learn traditional iconographic techniques, working with egg tempera on gesso and the Byzantine four-color (tetrachrome) palette. This practical instruction will be combined with theoretical instruction in the history of iconography, iconographic composition, and the theology of icons. Each participant will work on an icon and take the completed icon home. No experience is necessary. The instructor will provide all supplies and materials.

Presenter: VICTORIA BRENNAN holds a doctorate in Eastern Ecclesiastical Studies from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. Her areas of specialization include Theology of Icons, Byzantine Art and Architecture, Byzantine Spirituality, and Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts. She has taught courses in theology and art at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine, and St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo where she currently works. In addition to her theological and academic study of Byzantine Sacred Art, Victoria pursues her love of this tradition as an iconographer.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

Gonzaga Alumni Retreat July '26
2026-07-22 15:00 - 2026-07-26 10:00

Got joy?
2026-07-25 09:00 - 15:30
God wants us to be joyful! With Dr Peter Kreeft’s book The Mystery of Joy as the departing point for our
exploration on the Holy Spirit’s gift of Joy and how to acquire it, we will also look at joy as understood in the
Scriptures, as well as what the Saints have to say about it. This retreat will help clear up what joy is and what it is not,
that we might share in this mystery more intimately.

Presenter: FR. ANGELUS ECHEVERRY, OSB, has been a monk of Valyermo since 2011. He has a Master’s degree in Classical Music Composition and is currently an Organist and Choirmaster. He has a deep love for what he calls “The four ‘M’s’ of my life”: Music, the Mystical life, the Holy Mystery that we call the Trinity and Mary, the Blessed Virgin, Mother of God. To listen to the Music of Fr. Angelus, visit: www.angelusecheverry.com

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

The Transformative Power of Story
2026-07-27 15:00 - 2026-07-31 10:00
Our modern culture places a high value on non-fiction, deeming it to be the “reality” while largely minimizing or dismissing the rich source of meaning that can be found in fiction, myth, and parables. Through a psycho-spiritual lens, we will explore how the human psyche can experience significant growth through deep interaction with certain forms of fiction that reflect symbolic and archetypal realities; through a literary lens, we will explore the many activities that fall under the one term “reading” and their different effects on the mind and spirit, emphasizing, in particular, the role of the fiction novel on individuals and culture. Can a return to the primacy of fiction and its revelations of the transcendent return the culture to wholeness?
Everyone can benefit from this retreat, but it may be especially enriching for those interested in spiritual growth, spiritual direction, and/or literature and reading’s role in these areas.

Presenters: MARY KAUFFMAN, Obl. OSB, & MICHAEL MULLARD, Obl OSB; Ph.D

MARY KAUFFMAN is an oblate of Valyermo. She has an MA in English and has taught ESL, various levels of English and writing, and literature courses at several colleges in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Now retired, she enjoys sharing her love of reading and writing through participation in different reading and literary groups, particularly those with an emphasis on discovering the transcendent and increasing our Christian awareness through exploration of the written word.
MICHAEL MULLARD is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, emphasizing depth psychology. He has been an Oblate of New Camaldoli Hermitage since 2004 and has been hanging out with Benedictines since 1980. He lives in Southern California.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

Retiro de Silencio
2026-07-31 15:00 - 2026-08-02 13:30
¿Añoras unos días de tranquilidad emocional y espiritual? ¿Buscas unos momentos de silencio en tu vida? ¿Sientes la necesidad de estar a solas con el Señor a través de la meditación y contemplación? Si así lo desea tu corazón, te invitamos a nuestro retiro de silencio que se llevará a cabo en el pequeño oasis que ofrece la Comunidad Benedictina de la Abadía de San Andrés, ubicada en Valyermo.
Recuerda que este retiro de silencio es la oportunidad de hacer un alto en el camino, con el fin de tomarse un tiempo para reflexionar, meditar e interiorizar verdades profundas que en medio del ruido y la cotidianidad no es posible contemplar con claridad.

Presentador: CARLOS OBANDO, Obl.OSB, nació en Costa Rica y vive en Los Estados Unidos desde 1966. Está casado, tiene tres hijos y tres nietos. En el año 2009 obtuvo una maestría de la Universidad de Loyola Marymount, Los Ángeles, en Teología Pastoral, es instructor en la Escuela de la Renovación Carismática en la Diócesis de Orange. Ha sido Director Espiritual por más de 25 años. Trabaja con la comunidad hispana desde 1979 en los condados de Los Ángeles y Orange en la formación de líderes y dando retiros a jóvenes, adultos y matrimonios. Actualmente coordina los Ejercicios Espirituales para los Aspirantes y sus Esposas a través de la Oficina del Diaconado, en la Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles.

*Si el evento aparece como agotado, llámenos al 661-944-2178 para conocer la disponibilidad en tiempo real y la lista de espera.

EDITH STEIN: Her Journey from Darkness into Light
2026-08-07 15:00 - 2026-08-09 13:30
Join us as we reflect on the life and times of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, a brilliant philosopher and poet, a mystic and searcher of the truth, and a Jew — a daughter of Israel. Her encounter with the cross in the life of a Christian friend sparked an inner transformation that led to her baptism into the Catholic faith. Her reading of the life of Teresa of Avila brought her to the door of the Cologne Carmel, where she began her contemplative journey as a Carmelite nun. Her Jewish identity and her Catholic faith collided with the oppressive Nazi regime and led to her martyrdom at Auschwitz.

Presenter: FR. JOSEPH BRENNAN, OSB, has been a monk of Valyermo since 1994 after having served as a parish priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for over 20 years. He is a spiritual director at the Cardinal Manning House of Prayer for priests in Los Angeles as well as St. Andrew’s Sub-Prior.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

The Spirituality of Medieval Monks and Nuns
2026-08-14 15:00 - 2026-08-16 13:30
This retreat will introduce the spiritual vision of well-known medieval monks and nuns. Highlighted individuals will include the Cistercians Bernard of Clairvaux and William of St. Thierry, alongside the Benedictine Hildegaard of Bingen, the anchoress Julian of Norwich and the Augustinian Canon Thomas à Kempis. Though not all of these individuals are Benedictines, the retreat will show how they channel the monastic imagination of Benedict. In particular, attention will be paid to their theology of spiritual growth and divine union. Further, the retreat will show how their spiritual theology is applicable to all Christians desiring union with God.

Presenter: REV. DR. GREG PETERS, Obl. OSB, is an oblate of Valyermo, Professor of Medieval and Spiritual Theology at Biola University, La Mirada, CA, and the Servants of Christ Research Professor of Monastic Studies and Ascetical Theology at Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Wisconsin. As an Anglican priest, he serves as Vicar of the Anglican Church of the Epiphany, also in La Mirada. He is the author of Reforming the Monastery: Protestant Theologies of the Religious Life, The Story of Monasticism: Retrieving an Ancient Tradition for Contemporary Spirituality and The Monkhood of All Believers: The Monastic Foundation of Christian Spirituality.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

HEALING OUR WOUNDS: Forgiveness in the Spiritual Life
2026-08-24 15:00 - 2026-08-28 10:00
We give them, we suffer them, our bodies hold on to them for years: Wounds. We can imprison ourselves in them and wither emotionally far too long without the transforming power of forgiveness. It is Divine Love that liberates us from resentment, self-pity and isolation. The love that forgives opens a path to inner freedom, allowing us to begin to live again in hope and gratitude. When we ponder such experiences, we desire to enter more personally into the mystery for forgiveness toward others, to become reconcilers ourselves. When the whole person – body, mind, and soul – engages in this endeavor, we may become our truest self, the person God intends us to be.

Presenter: DR. NANCY WALLIS offers spiritual companionship to individuals and groups, and designs and leads contemplative spiritual retreats. Building on her corporate and academic careers as an organizational leadership scholar, Nancy brings a transformational and loving spirit to the sacred cultivating of richer inner lives. Following the completion of her M.Div. degree at the Claremont School of Theology, she undertook further study in the areas of spiritual direction and contemplative leadership at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.

ANCIENT AND MODERN BENEDICTINE SPIRITUALITY: Contemplative Practices For Today (ZOOM Option)
2026-08-28 15:00 - 2026-08-30 13:30
In the Benedictine tradition the Sacred Scriptures have always been at the center. In the whole of the Bible, and especially while chanting the Book of Psalms, Benedictines daily encounter Jesus Christ in prayer. In this workshop we will consider the history and modern use of the ancient Christian practices of lectio divina (praying the Scriptures) , psalmody, and intentional community life.

Presenter: LUKE DYSINGER MD, DPhil, has been a monk of Saint Andrew’s Abbey since 1980. He studied medicine at the University of Southern California and theology at the University of Oxford. He is a professor of moral theology and church history at Saint John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California and has published books and articles in the fields of bioethics, early Christian spirituality and patristics.

*If the event is listed as sold out, please call us at 661-944-2178 for real-time availability and a waiting list.
