Saint Andrew’s Abbey

       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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

  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 […]

            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 […]

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. Through daily talks on […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

  ¿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 […]

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 […]

  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 […]