It's A Retreat Center

This year the National Association for Episcopal Christian Education Directors (NAECED) annual conference is being held at the Vallombrosa Center in Menlo Park, California. The former Hopkins estate was purchased by the roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1947 as a retreat house for women. It now hosts a variety of retreats and meetings.

I've been to many retreat centers during my life, and especially during my tenure at the Church Center, including several run by various Roman Catholic organizations from the Jesuits to the Sisters of Mercy. Many started out as homes or estates of the wealthy. Some started out as seminaries or monasteries/convents. The basics include a twin bed, a chair, a table or desk for writing or study, and a place to store clothes. Bathrooms are sometimes in the room and sometimes down the hall.

The rooms here are small. One of my fellow board members commented, "what is it with Catholics and cells?" But they are clean and comfortable. Each has its own heater and bathroom. The thing that caught my attention here? There are electric blankets on the beds. Of course, this is California. For a New Englander 50 degrees isn't cold, especially in the middle of winter.

As with all retreat centers, our rooms do not have televisions or telephones. On the other hand, we do have wireless throughout the Center.

Our host parish is Trinity Episcopal Church, which in good weather would be within walking distance. The NAECED board held our meeting there this afternoon, and will meet there again tomorrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon the parish will open its campus for a variety of activities as the conference begins.

There are 12 board members here, and we are currently sharing the Center with a large group of high school-age girls here on retreat. So far we've had little interaction with them, but tomorrow we will be having breakfast and lunch with them in the dining room.

The rain continues.

Peace,
Jeff