Experience a day and/or weekend opportunity with others to explore various themes of spiritual life.

Attending a Spiritual retreat is a time set apart to be in quiet and solitude with God. Retreats remove us from the distraction and noise in our lives into a place of spiritual renewal and refreshment. It is a way to experience a deepening of faith, an ongoing conversion, and an entering into the presence of God and allowing him to nourish our hearts and minds. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes the necessity of such retreats: “In the fever and agitation of modern life, the need of meditation and spiritual repose impresses itself on Christian souls who desire to reflect on their eternal destiny, and direct their life in this world towards God.”

Why should I attend a Retreat?

♦ Find strength and inspiration
♦ Work though a challenge
♦ Learn the Bible better
♦ Strengthen/examine your faith
♦ Get away from the business and think, relax and take care of self – nurture self
♦ Gain perspective
♦ Partake in and enjoy the Sacraments in a relaxed, unhurried setting
♦ Renew your energy
♦ Keep priorities straight
♦ Hear God’s voice in your life
♦ Be your joyful, rested, confident self for yourself and others around you
♦ Remember, again, that you never walk alone
♦ Seek guidance in life (from God and trained spiritual directors)
♦ Have faith affirmed by others of like minds
♦ Discover new ways to worship and pray
♦ Experience growth by exploring a unique yearly theme

Upcoming Retreats

Contemplative Lenten Retreat 

with Jenny Haggard
Saturday, February 11, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
St. Monica Spirituality Center

Click HERE to Register

Life is all about choices. Every decision we make either drives us closer to or further away from God. As we prepare for Lent, have you considered the choices that God is calling you to discern? What is He asking you to let go of, start doing, or continue?

Whatever it is, discernment is the process that, if practiced prayerfully, will lead you to a peaceful life and fruitful Lent. 

On this silent retreat, learn about God’s call for us to discern as Jenny shares scripture, research, stories, and tangible steps to help you discern life’s biggest decisions. Most importantly, take the time to intimately connect with the Lord as we prepare for this sacred season of Lent. There will be opportunities for spiritual direction with a spiritual director, adoration, and Mass.

Jenny Haggard is a professional speaker and discernment thought leader. In May 2023, she’ll be a fully certified spiritual director after completing Mount Saint Mary’s three-year spiritual direction program. In addition to leading young adult retreats and speaking on discernment nationally, she’s also been recognized by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for her involvement in young adult ministry. An active parishioner at St. Monica’s, she’s currently on the leadership team of First Five (a ministry for couples in their first five years of marriage) as well as the Spirituality Center. When Jenny isn’t speaking on discernment, she does global creative strategy at Spotify.  

Healing Your Soul 

with Dr. Michael Di Paolo
Saturday, April 1, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
St. Monica Spirituality Center
RSVP HERE to reserve your spot

Our lives can be busy, blessed & full. But we all need to take a break now and then. And sometimes we need to do a little bit more to take care of ourselves and heal our souls. So whether you just need a break or you need a little soul healing, join Dr. Michael DiPaolo on April 1 for the one-day retreat, “Healing Your Soul."

During the retreat, you'll have the opportunity to get to know your internal family of parts. You’ll be invited to slow down and cultivate the capacity to be emotionally present to even the most vulnerable of parts within you. As Paul tells us, “The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor.” (Romans 12: 22-23)

Through a series of presentations, meditations, and time for personal reflection, you will be guided through a process to explore and bring healing to burdened parts of you and connect more fully with your core self and God.

Dr. Michael DiPaolo is a clinical psychologist & certified Imago Relationship Therapist in private practice in West Los Angeles.  Dr DiPaolo integrates psychology and spirituality into his work with individuals and couples.  He has been active in many ministries as a St. Monica member for over 25 years, including  counseling over 1,500 couples in marriage preparation.  Dr. DiPaolo is a frequent speaker, workshop presenter and retreat leader at parish and archdiocesan gatherings.  Dr. DiPaolo has been married to his wife Jennie for 21 years. They have 3 wonderful children, along with a hyperactive dog. He can be found online at www.DrMichaelD.com.

Levanté 

with Fr. Michael Fish, OSB, Cam.

January & February

Online HERE

St. Monica is so excited to offer our community opportunity to find out more about Fr. Michael Fish's Levanté Retreats! Fr. Michael, a retreat master and beloved speaker at St. Monica, has created an innovative video retreat series that can be done at home, inspired by his most recent pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. 

Levanté focuses on how simple everyday events hold valuable lessons for living life in the “now.” Retreatants will learn how viewing each day as a separate, distinct experience can reveal simple, easily overlooked opportunities for us to live more fully in the present and in the presence of the Divine. And Michael's remarkable gift of storytelling and metaphor to show us how these experiences can hold the key to opening our hearts!

Currently there are two Levanté Retreats. Both are stand-alone retreats that include five unique sections, each focusing on a different "day." You can do the Levanté Retreats in any order (e.g., you can do Levanté 2 before Levanté 1). 

Upcoming Levanté 1 Retreats

February 9 - 15
March 2 - 8

Upcoming Levanté 2 Retreats

January 5 - 11

January 26 - February 1

February 16 - 22

 To register for a Levanté Retreat or to get more information,
visit the Levanté website 

From the Levante website:

Fr.Michael Fish, OSB. CAM, is a Camaldolese monk who has created over a dozen popular retreats and has decades of experience as a retreat master and spiritual guide. Michael’s popular retreats are unique, engaging inspirational experiences. He has a gift forintuiting the complexities and distractions that impinge on our ability to call on our own spirituality for comfort and contemplation. Michael has an engaging personality, freely displaying his own vulnerabilities and foibles. His past retreats have explored such topics as Contemplative ways of being, Finding our inner monk,Thomas Merton – Hermit Pilgrim, preparing for Holy Week and Celtic spiritually.