            Villa Maria del Mar ~ A Gift by the Sea
                 a place of peace, natural beauty and tranquility
                overlooking the Monterey Bay

            Home     ~    Accommodations     ~     Retreats & Special Programs     ~     Reservations & Directions     ~     Contact Us

Villa Retreats & Special Programs
(Please refresh browser to see updated information)

Villa offers a beautiful and peace-filled retreat center for the use of organized groups or individuals. A few retreats and special programs are hosted by the Villa each year that are open to the public. Please contact us to register for one of the below events or if available, mail in the registration form with your deposit to ensure your space.

For your convience you can fill out a registration form online using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, save the file locally,
then attach it in an email to us. A non-refundable cash or check deposit is also required to complete your reservation.

Evening of Reflection ~ Dr. Susan Mahan explores a new throught-provoking topic each month. [more info]
Tom Weston Retreats ~ Fr. Tom Weston offers 12-step related retreats 3 times each year; 1 week-long and 2 4-day sessions. [more info]
Summer Silent Retreats ~ Villa hosts 4 week-long silent retreats each summer.
Wholistic Retreat for Women ~ Villa hosts a 5-day retreat each summer. Monday August 5 through Friday August 9, 2013

Villa Maria Del Mar Summer Retreats

June 18-25, 2013
Carol Quinlivan, csj
The Celtic Way of Praying: A Way of Being

July 8-15, 2013
Jean Evans, RSM
Begin with the Heart: Ecology and
our Following of Jesus

SNJM 2013 retreat offerings.pdf

Wholistic Retreat for Women
August 5-9, 2013

Theme: Embracing Faith, Hope and Love
Extraordinary gifts to live a full and rich spiritual life

We invite women of all faiths to come to the 28th Women’s retreat to pray, reflect, relax, and to explore your personal spiritual journey. The retreat will focus on the integration of one's body and spirit as the central location of meeting your God. Through dance movement, meditation, and music the virtues of faith, hope and love will be explored. The exploration of these virtues will be women-centered and based in a relationship of God as faithful friend. This retreat is grounded in the belief that God’s unconditional love is everlasting and leads women to a deeper self-understanding and self-acceptance. The 5-day retreat includes dance movement, guided meditation, group sharing, solitude, walks on the beach, reading and journaling.

28th WHOLISTIC RETREAT April 15 SSM-3.pdf

Alcoholics Anonymous 12- Step Related Retreats
with Fr. Tom Weston

Fr. Thomas C. Weston, S.J., has been involved in AA 12-Step Programs since 1976. A former Director of the Jesuit Volunteers Corps and a teacher at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, he has degrees and experience in counseling, education and theology. He counsels, conducts workshops and seminars, and preaches retreats internationally and often. He lives and gardens in Oakland, California.

Fr. Tom Weston offers 12-Step related retreats 3 times every year at the Villa, which are open to the public to attend.

~ January or February: week-long retreat from Friday - Thursday.
~ March: weekend retreat from Thursday - Sunday. ~November: weekend retreat from Thursday - Sunday.

Please complete a registration form for the desired dates and mail in with your deposit to secure your space. We automatically create a waitlist once registration is full.

An Evening of Reflection & Learning
with Dr. Susan Mahan, Ph.D.

Susan T. Mahan, Ph.D.
is a Catholic theologian and Master Catechist
for the Diocese of Monterey.
An experienced teacher of adults
and leader of retreats and workshops,
she is also a wife and mother of three
and teaches for the University of San Francisco.

May 23, 2013 - Thursday 7:00-9:00 pm

"Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness
let us rid ourselves of every burden. "
Hebrews 12:1

Gather Together to Celebrate

Many Many Special and Holy People Who in Recent Years

Have Created Positive Change in the World

What Can We Find in Their Lives to Bring Hope to Our Selves?

Tom Weston 2013 retreats are FULL
Register early for 2014 retreats

November 1 – 3, 2013 [weekend] (FULL)
Friday @4pm – Sunday @1:30pm
October 31 – November 3, 2013 [4-day]
Thursday @4pm – Sunday @1:30pm
Overnight: includes bedroom, meals,
meetings & stipend
Commuter: includes meals, meetings & stipend

January 13-19, 2014 [week] (FULL)
Monday @4pm -- Sunday @1:30pm
Overnight: includes bedroom, meals,
meetings & stipend
Commuter: includes meals, meetings & stipend
March 7 -- 9, 2014 [Four day] (FULL)
Thursday @4pm -- Sunday @1:30pm
Overnight: includes bedroom, meals,
meetings & stipend
Commuter: includes meals, meetings & stipend

Villa Maria Del Mar Summer Retreats

Wholistic Retreat for Women August 5-9, 2013

An Evening of Reflection & Learning with Dr. Susan Mahan, Ph.D.

Susan T. Mahan, Ph.D. is a Catholic theologian and Master Catechist for the Diocese of Monterey. An experienced teacher of adults and leader of retreats and workshops, she is also a wife and mother of three and teaches for the University of San Francisco.

Wholistic Retreat for Women
August 5-9, 2013

An Evening of Reflection & Learning
with Dr. Susan Mahan, Ph.D.

Susan T. Mahan, Ph.D.
is a Catholic theologian and Master Catechist
for the Diocese of Monterey.
An experienced teacher of adults
and leader of retreats and workshops,
she is also a wife and mother of three
and teaches for the University of San Francisco.