JUBILARIANS ALL! - Holy Name Province

Father Max also has a precise internal clock,
knowing to the second how much
time remains on the parking meter.
RETREAT CENTERS
RETREAT OFFERS
PEACE AND RENEWAL
IN MALIBU’S BACKYARD
By Hannah Klodt
Driven nearly insane by the beach traffic,
paparazzi, and price tags of Malibu, I needed
to get away. But I couldn’t go far. My travel
budget was bankrupt. To my surprise, a nocost
getaway beckoned to me just blocks
from my home.
The Serra Retreat Center sign pointed me to
a side street veering off Pacific Coast Highway.
I followed a winding road through a
neighborhood of Malibu’s wealthiest estates.
Atop the hill, I parked and climbed out of my
car. Isolated 1200 feet high above the roar of
Lamborghinis in central Malibu.
The Serra Retreat Center welcomed me with
silence. A colorful marble plaque offered an
introduction, “Serra Retreat Franciscans”. All
that I knew about the Franciscans was that
each believer pledges to poverty. The Retreat
Center’s calm beauty stunned me. Wideeyed,
I felt like Alice in Wonderland. Hillside
gardens in full-bloom boasted birds of paradise,
organ pipe cactus, and honeysuckle.
The grounds’ well-combed sandy walkways
and gardens were free of weeds, paper, and
debris. They showed a loving care anyone
would long for. I walked beneath eucalyptus
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tree overhangs. I admire the holy statues of
the cross. I basked in the peace that I needed
so badly. Views of the Pacific coastline
soothed me. The cool Malibu breeze caressed
my face. Water gurgling down a stone fountain
urged my soul to throw away my worries.
The longer that I relaxed in nature’s simple
beauty, the deeper a strange irony set in. It
dawned on me that I was experiencing a classic
contrast of the ages: peace and poverty
amid pleasure and plenty. Here in Malibu
where cash reins supreme, there is a retreat
that pledges itself to poverty.
How did this come about I sought the answer
in the office of Fr. Warren, resident
and director of the Serra Retreat Center. He
expressed a disappointment: “ 99-percent of
Malibu residents don’t have the foggiest idea
of what we do [at the Retreat Center]. We
want to provide a place of quiet and reflection
to those who are looking for purpose.”
His words lifted me. This is exactly what
I was looking for; a quite place in a city of
commotion. “We want to provide a place
where people seeking peace and tranquility
can find it,” said Father Warren. “We welcome
everybody at the Retreat Center. Our
only hope is to bring a sense of peace and
relaxation to visitors.”
The path to peace is the labyrinth. The
labyrinth gives visitors a way of physically
tracking their reflection. At first glance, the
labyrinth appears to be a maze of stones
leading to a small, white cross. A nearby sign
explains the purpose of this maze. It indicates
that visitors should walk at their own
paces along the path while reflecting on their
individual spiritual journeys. The labyrinth