St. Francis Retreat Center

St. Francis Retreat
San Juan Bautista,California

And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves
to a quiet place and rest a while.” ~ Jesus

St. Francis Retreat Center, a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the St. Barbara Province, located in historic San Juan Bautista, California, provides a peaceful and contemplative environment conducive for renewal of mind, body and soul.

In the Spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, the Center’s staff commits itself to stewardship of the Earth by honoring and preserving the Center’s natural surroundings while extending hospitality and spiritual support to peoples of all faiths.

The Center’s Core values are:

• Hospitality
• Spiritual Support
• Franciscan Spirituality
• Stewardship of the Earth

Our rural location, 40 miles south of San Jose, offers you a quiet get-a-way from daily cares. We welcome all faiths and religions, non-profits, and individuals to this “Franciscan” setting to reflect, refresh, and grow.

Retreats

A retreat is a time for God, a time for assessing our relationship with God. A retreat nurtures our spiritual life in an environment away from the ordinary distractions of life. In scriptures, we read that Jesus would simply go off and pray.

Each and every one of us needs time to be alone, away from distractions. A retreat provides us with this opportunity. Groups and organizations also need this time. Time to pause and discern where we are, where we are going, where we want to be, and how we get there. A retreat provides this time for any person, married couple, religious group, or organization.

We have a number of retreats that we sponsor. Some are thematic, like “Franciscan Spirituality”; some are seasonal, like the “New Year’s Retreat”; and some are directed towards specialized groups.

Our hosted retreats are focused on specific life challenges like addiction, enriching our relationships through marriage and engagement encounters, or designed for specific groups like women’s groups and men’s groups.

In addition to sponsored and hosted retreats, we also offer private retreats for individuals. Private retreats are available on a space available basis only and are not designed for weekend or extend stays. If desired, spiritual direction is available.