Mount Calvary Retreat House and Monastery

Mount Calvary Retreat House and Monastery was established as a house of the Order in 1947. Both the monastery and guesthouse are housed in a large Spanish-style building dramatically situated 1250 feet above the city of Santa Barbara. There are commanding views of the seacoast, Pacific Ocean, and Las Padres Mountains. The guesthouse has accommodations for thirty retreatants and has been described in the Los Angeles Times as "possibly the most beautiful retreat house in the country".

At the present time, eight monks live out their stability to the Order in the Mount Calvary community. In addition, one of our monks-not-residence is attached here. We observe a fourfold liturgical day of Vigils, Lauds, Eucharist, and Vespers. To honor our covenant relationship with the Roman Catholic Cammaldolese, Benedictines, we use their office books and music. Leadership and decision making is a blend of traditional consultative, consensual, and discernment-depending upon its import within the fullness of community life.

Formative to our lives in community and complementary to the Order's Vision Statement are our own local guidelines:

"In openness to the movement of the divine wisdom and in the monastic tradition we seek to create a place where might be built redemptive knowledge and wonder in daily offices, in creation, in society and in the mystery of being human. We believe we are called to corporate prayer, hospitality, and other ministries. We
endeavor to be mutually accountable, risking, visionary, realistic and diligent."

"Openness" is the key: openness to the Spirit, to one another, and to the tradition."Openness" allow us to unlock the riches of the monastic traditions and to live our lives as a paschal people.

Even though we maintain a lively and busy ministry of hospitality, the community is diligent in nurturing a vital monastic core, enriched, rather than overwhelmed, by its common work. In the enclosure and beyond, the brothers encourage and support each other to grow and develop, personally and spiritually in a variety of ways, honoring each one's particular gifts, interests, and abilities. Art, calligraphy, astronomy, spiritual direction, 12 step work, prison ministry and evangelism, gardening, Hospital Chaplaincy, speaking, participation on the diocesan communities and education, are but a few of the activities that keep our lives rich, full, and spiritually active.