Mount Calvary - Benedictine Retreat House and Monastery

History

The Mount Calvary Monastery and Retreat House was established in 1947 by Fr. Karl Tiedemann, OHC, as the retreat and conference center of the Order of the Holy Cross on the West Coast. The guesthouse is operated and staffed by six members of the monastic community, our professional staff and chef.

The large Spanish-style house is situated dramatically on a ridge 1250 feet above Santa Barbara with a commanding view of the seacoast and Pacific Ocean.

Central to each day at Mount Calvary is the "work" of prayer, or Opus Dei, as St. Benedict calls it. The three services of The Divine Office and the daily offering of the Holy Eucharist are both acts of praise to God and an intercession for the needs of the world.

Treat Yourself to a Retreat

Men and women come to Mount Calvary for a variety of reasons. Some come for a formal conducted retreat, some for prayer and study, some for a meeting or conference, some to relax, meet the monastic community and to enter into the quiet atmosphere of a monastery.

A private or group retreat can be for one day or for several days, during the week or over a weekend. Solitude, silence, conducted meditations, discussions and reading are elements which you may choose to include in your experience. Members of the monastic community are available for guidance when needed.

A study retreat. The atmosphere of monastic prayer, work and study makes Mount Calvary an ideal place for clergy and others to come for a period of reading and reflection. The library offers excellent collections in the Bible, church history, biography, spirituality and literature.

Order of the Holy Cross Brothers in residence, Autumn 2007 (left to right): Robert Sevensky—Prior,
Will Brown, Nicholas Radelmiller, Joseph Brown—novice, Roy Parker, Laurence Harms.