“An Island of Peace In a Troubled World”

The Founding of St. Clare's Retreat

St. Philomena

The Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows were founded in 1939 by Bishop Raphael Angelo Palazzi to be missionaries in China. They had to flee China when World War II came to an end and the atheist Communists came down from the North, imprisoning and killing Christians as they went. American born Sisters Mary Dulcissima and Mary Agatha arrived in California in May 1949 ahead of their main community. Initially serving as catechists in the then Diocese of Monterey-Fresno, they prayed to St. Philomena for an apostolate so that they could bring the rest of their Sisters over from Portuguese controlled Macau where they had fled.

While the Sisters were praying to St. Philomena, Franciscan Father Owen de Silva, O.F.M., who was a retreat master at St. Francis Retreat in San Juan Bautista, a retreat house for men, saw the need for a women’s retreat house staffed by Sisters. His Community also began to pray to St. Philomena for a solution. When the Franciscan Fathers consulted His Excellency Bishop Aloysius Willinger, C.Ss.R., of the Monterey-Fresno diocese about the matter, the Bishop recommended the Franciscan Sisters from China and Fr. Owen wasted no time in personally meeting with them. To their mutual delight, they found both communities had been praying to St. Philomena. Praise God for His great Providence in bringing them together!

Founding of St. Clare's

Both parties set about combing the countryside for a suitable location. Watsonville real estate agent Harold Kane brought them to the old Mountain View Ranch Hotel located near Santa Cruz. Built in the late 1800s, the resort had served wealthy clients from the San Francisco Bay area for years but was now substantially worn. While standing on the expansive deck overlooking the valley, the Fathers and Sisters were mesmerized by the beauty and peace, the ideal location for lifting one’s heart to God! 

[Photos courtesy of Frank R. Dann]

The original two-story structure with its separate cottages could be purchased as they stood, completely furnished. With some help from generous benefactors, the Sisters bought the original 18-acre property and sent for their Sisters in Macau. With a dedicated corner to their beloved little St. Philomena, the ranch became officially known as St. Clare’s Retreat.

 Laboring from dawn to dusk, the Sisters and Brothers completed all the work on the house and cabins in preparation for St. Clare’s formal opening the weekend of April 14-16, 1950. The retreat was organized by Mrs. J.L. Chiorini, wife of the Santa Cruz city mayor. The chef at the Santa Maria del Mar Hotel in Santa Cruz ensured the kitchen ran smoothly, teaching the Sisters commercial food preparation. Fr. Owen de Silva and Fr. Leander Laner, O.F.M., served as excellent retreat masters. As the months passed, St. Clare’s became known as the perfect place to make a retreat!

Formal dedication of the retreat house took place June 25, 1950, with the Most Reverend Bishop Willinger blessing the chapel, house, and grounds. In April 1956, the original cabins were cleared, and St. Philomena Hall was completed, named in honor of the little saint of impossible causes. Like St. Agnes Hall to follow, both buildings are of a modified Swiss Alpine architecture built with re-sawn redwood, perfect for their mountain surroundings.

 Only God can compute the graces which He was able to grant to future generations because of so many sacrifices of these early pioneer Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows and those of a long line of loyal retreatants, passing the torch from one generation to the next! Today, the retreat house stands on almost 46 acres comprised of meadows, a mountainous Stations of the Cross, hiking trails, and multiple shrines suitable for meditation. The newly rebuilt deck still spans the length of three buildings with a stunning view of the forest in the valley below.

[Photos courtesy of Family of Belmira Garcia, Donna & Jim Snead and Fran Harrington & Elaine Conlar Breslin]