Treats for the Spirit : RETREATS ADVANCE SPIRITUAL LIFE IN THE VALLEY

“How then do I seek Thee, O Lord? For when I seek Thee, I seek a happy life. I will seek Thee that my soul may live. For my body liveth by my soul, and my soul by Thee.” St. Augustine (350-430), Confessions.

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The urge to go on a spiritual retreat--which may coincide with the dawn of a new year--is usually accompanied by the idea to seek a site far from city life. Retreat centers in the desert, mountains or hills overlooking the ocean beckon as ideal locales for quiet contemplation or a group’s focus on religious themes.

The St. Andrew’s Abbey, run by Benedictine monks on the hilly south end of the Antelope Valley at Valyermo, fits that bill for many individuals and organizations.

In the San Fernando Valley, several retreats can accommodate either individuals or groups--Holy Spirit in Encino and Poverello of Assisi in San Fernando.

Another getaway site--more of a camp than a spiritual retreat--is Camp Max Straus in the Verdugo Mountains, owned and operated by the Jewish Big Brothers.

Holy Spirit Retreat Center

* Location, phone: 4316 Lanai Road, Encino; (818) 784-4515.

* Amenities: Located on 11 secluded acres a few blocks south of Ventura Boulevard, here’s “tranquility without having to go too far,” said Sister Patricia McCarthy, executive director. Although the Sisters of Social Service own the center, it is run by a professional lay staff. It can accommodate up to 50 overnight visitors. The dining room can accommodate 120 guests. The park-like retreat was once a private estate which was purchased in 1949. Individual visitors may either follow their own spiritual agenda or take part in a retreat schedule. “Anyone on a spiritual journey” is welcome at Holy Spirit Retreat Center, whether they be Christian, Jewish or lacking formal religious affiliation, says Sister McCarthy.

* Cost: It costs $140 for individuals staying Friday and Saturday nights, eating five meals; $116 each for two people sharing a room. The retreat also attracts people who simply stay for a few hours. “If they join us for meals, then there is a cost for that,” Sister McCarthy said.

Poverello of Assisi Retreat House

* Location, phone: 1519 Woodworth St., San Fernando; (818) 365-1071.

* Amenities: This retreat welcomes both individuals and groups, and can accommodate as many as 125 people at one time, said Sister Mary Jesus, the administrator. The park-like 10 acres at the west end of Woodworth Street is on the old ranch-home site of Christian Porter, of the Porter family that once owned most of northern San Fernando Valley. The Porter mansion was torn down after the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. Nine nuns with the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception operate the retreat. “Poverello” is Italian for “poor man,” and refers to St. Francis of Assisi. Poverello of Assisi Retreat House hosts mostly Catholic groups, including marriage enhancement weekends in Spanish and Korean, but Protestant and Jewish groups have met there too.

* Cost: A weekend stay, including five meals, costs between $65 and $75.

Camp Max Straus

* Location, phone: 1041 Shirleyjean St., Glendale; (818) 957-4900.

* Amenities: Owned by the Jewish Big Brothers, this 112-acre facility near the Foothill Freeway is leased to youth-oriented groups, including churches and synagogues, October through April. The camp has hiking trails “and lots of oak trees,” said manager Tom Riel. It has two main conference halls and 12 dormitories each with 12 beds. The National Conference (formerly the National Conference of Christians and Jews) meets eight times a year at Camp Max Straus, but the Jewish-run center also has had groups from Holy Family Catholic Church in Glendale and Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena.

* Cost: The basic rate is $25 a day, including meals. The camp rules include no smoking and no alcohol.

St. Andrew’s Abbey

* Location, phone: 31001 N. Valyermo Rd., Valyermo; (805) 944-2178.

* Ameneties: Though well-known for its annual September arts festival, the abbey, on 725 acres south of Pearblossom, has 17 rooms for retreat-goers in its guesthouse. Thus, with people pairing up in rooms, only 34 people can be accommodated at one time. “Most people come for spiritual reasons--to pray with the monks and participate to some extent in our community life,” said Abbot Francis Benedict. Individuals sometimes come to study for exams or put the finishing touches on a master’s thesis, he said. Bel Air Presbyterian Church goes twice a year to St. Andrew’s, which has also hosted Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians and an evangelical Vineyard congregation.

* Cost: On weekdays, it’s $50 a person per night for a shared room, $55 a night for a private room. On weekends, add $10 to those prices.

Sources: Individual retreats

Researched by JOHN DART / Los Angeles Times