Centennial of the First Retreat
The Passionists purchased this land in 1924 and offered the first retreat in July 1926. We will celebrate the centennial of the first retreat throughout the 2026-2027 retreat season.
Special Events:
We will kick off the festivities on September 26, 2026, with "Century on the Hill: Remember, Rejoice, Renew." There will also be a spring event to wrap up the centennial season, so please save the date for May 8, 2027.
Retreat Season:
The retreat theme for 2026-2027 will also reflect the theme of "Remember, Rejoice, Renew." The retreat season will start with a women's retreat in Spanish July 31 - August 2, followed by the first men's retreat of the season September 11 - 17, and the first women's retreat of the season October 2 - 4.
Registration will open for the centennial season in early July, but you may see the full retreat schedule at MaterDolorosa.org/Calendar. We expect retreats to fill up early for this special season, so save your weekend retreat date and register early!
Merchandise:
Our bookstore and gift shop will have a variety of centennial-related materials. We already have the shirt below in grey and burgundy. More materials will arrive throughout the summer!
A Brief History:
The site of Mater Dolorosa Monastery and Retreat Center was acquired by the Passionists in 1924. It was an 83 acre plot, at an elevation of about 1200 feet, originally called Monte Olivette, commanding a sweeping view from Los Angeles central city to the eastern limits of the San Gabriel Valley. Behind the retreat center, the San Gabriel Mountains rise sharply. Some Passionists resided at St. Rita's Parish in Sierra Madre, where Passionists served from 1923 until 1951. Others lived at a farm house on the property.
The first retreat at Mater Dolorosa was preached in 1926 under the "old rubber tree," a Moreton Bay Fig, which still stands on the property. Mater Dolorosa Monastery, dedicated in 1932, was the first in Holy Cross Province to be constructed precisely for a men's retreat movement. The religious community lived on the second floor, and retreatants occupied the first and third floors. By 1950 they had outgrown the space and a separate structure was built uphill from the monastery. The new structure brought the capacity to 70 retreatants on a weekend. Additional expansion took place in 1985, adding another 17 retreatant rooms, two meeting rooms, and living space for the retreat director and those on extended personal retreat.
In 1991 an earthquake devastated the monastery and it subsequently was demolished. In its place a beautiful Monastery Memorial Gardens was created in 1999. This area consists of the Garden of Seven Sorrows, the Plaza of the Sacred Heart, and an amphitheater. Following the earthquake, the religious community moved into an apartment in the Retreat center. From the Community residence, Passionists serve as the retreat team, in parishes and other ministries within the Archdiocese.
Since the first retreat in 1926, the program has expanded; today retreats are offered for men, women and married couples in English and Spanish. Hosted programs are available for high school groups, other Catholic programs as well as many ecumenical groups.
Holy Week and Good Friday are our busiest days of the year; 2,500-3,000 people visit on Good Friday to walk and pray our uniquely beautiful Stations of the Cross.
Today, more than 10,000 individuals grace the retreat center and grounds annually which includes men, women, married couples, people in 12-step and addiction recovery, Archdiocese of Los Angeles clergy and lay persons, high school and college students, faculty, Mass participants and visitors to special events.
Learn more about our many ministries on our website or follow up on social media: