Join GIVEN at the Vallombrosa Center retreat house in Menlo Park, CA for a weekend retreat on the theme of Entering Into Advent with Our Lady. This retreat is open to women of all ages.

In accepting her mission to become the mother of Jesus, how did Mary receive the gift that she was, realize the gifts she had been given, and respond with the gift only she could give? How can we learn from her example as we enter into this Advent season?

Registration for this event has closed.

You will experience:

• Single-occupancy lodging (with private bathroom) for 2 nights
• Meals from dinner Friday to brunch Sunday
• Mass on Saturday and Sunday
• Talks by GIVEN retreat leaders Dorrie Donahue, Sr. Mary Elizabeth Albers SOLT, and Sr. Mary Gabriel SV

• The opportunity for Adoration and Confession
• The opportunity to rest and enjoy community with fellow retreatants while taking in Vallombrosa Center’s peaceful grounds

Come be refreshed in the Mary’s heart for the new liturgical year; be reminded of your identity as a beloved daughter and a gift!

A participant from our summer retreat said:

I’ve been to many retreats over the years, there really was something different about attending a retreat with the GIVEN Institute. The retreat provided a beautiful balance of both providing and encouraging space within my heart to slow down and renew my relationship with the Lord while also bringing together such a diverse and powerful group of women to journey together. From our retreat leaders and the priests… this retreat was just what I needed to be able to learn again to rest in the Lord.

We hope to see you there! Please contact Megan Haile with any questions.

Nursing babies are welcome.

The closest major airport to the retreat house is San Francisco. Another option is San Jose. Public transportation is also an option; Vallombrosa Center is 2 blocks from the Menlo Park station. There is parking for those who drive. GIVEN will aim to help facilitate carpools and airport pickups in the weeks before the retreat. 

Please contact us if you are able to donate to sponsor a retreatant.