About this Event
On Tuesday, December 8, 2026, we will gather for a 5-Day retreat with the purpose of “complete spiritual renewal” in the Faith. Father George Butler, a renowned American Catholic priest, will lead this retreat.
It will be an opportunity to experience silence, interior stillness, listening to God and prayer. It is patterned after the instruction given to Marte Robin in France, a mystic who survived only on the Holy Eucharist for 53 years. She could not even have a glass of water. The Blessed Mother instructed her to hold retreats that were led by a priest, in complete silence, and that it must be five days as three days was not enough to convert a soul.
This retreat will be our tenth. Attendance is limited to 40 participants.The cost is $475.00 (50% off the regular price – scholarships available). It includes daily Mass, confessions, conferences, meals, and rooms.
Fr. George Rutler was born in 1945 and grew up in the Episcopal Church. He was an Episcopalian priest for nine years. He became a Catholic in 1979, studied seminary in Rome, and was ordained in 1981. In addition to working in parishes, he is a popular speaker, had a weekly television program on EWTN, made documentary films, and has penned 32 books on theology, history, cultural issues, and saint's lives. He is also a member of the United States Racquets Association.
For reservations, contact Jaynie at (650) 325-5614. or register here on Eventbrite. For questions, contact Deacon Dominick Peloso at (650)269-6279.
For this great project, Mary used a beautiful and pure instrument, Marthe Rubin of France. She was born in 1902. By the age of 28, she was totally paralyzed and could only move her head ever so slightly. She was also unable to sleep or to eat. For the next 53 years, she lived only on the Holy Eucharist which sometimes leapt from the priest's hand into her mouth.
At one point, the Blessed Mother appeared to this bedridden mystic and asked her to start retreat houses (there are 70 throughout the world). She specifically asked that they be silent, led by a priest, and follow the inspirations of St. Louis de Montfort in his book Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. She said that this would lead to a complete renewal in the Faith. She also asked that the retreats be five days. She said three days “was not enough to change a soul.”
Vallombrosa proves the perfect setting for this retreat with its outdoor area, shrines for meditation, clean rooms and regular meal service. The Center will be closed to visitors during this time to minimize distractions. Nativity Church is next door with its 24/7 adoration providing quiet adoration of Jesus in the monstrance, especially at night.
The role of silence and the rule of silence.
See complete flyer here:
https://www.vallombrosa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Time-with-the-Lord.pdf
Event venue & nearby stays
Vallombrosa Center, 250 Oak Grove Ave, Menlo Park, United States
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