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Thank you for your interest in coming to visit Holy Transfiguration Monastery (commonly known as "Mt. Tabor Monastery"), and participating in our prayer and worship. We welcome the opportunity to provide an environment of silence and prayerfulness in which people can meet God through our Lord Jesus Christ and listen to His Spirit.
Mt. Tabor is an Eastern Catholic Monastery, that is, Byzantine-rite Ukrainian Catholic, in the eparchy (diocese) of St. Nicholas in Chicago. We were “conceived” in 1972 and settled in our present location in 1977. The Monastery is tucked away in the mountains of the California Coastal Range. It’s not so easy to get here, but you may find it worth the effort. You will feel immediately that the Lord has taken this place for His own, as Jacob discovered in his dream of the mystical ladder where angels went up and down between heaven and earth: “Truly the Lord is in this place!” (Gen. 28:17). Once you have laid down your defenses in this loving Presence which casts out the assaults of the evil one, you are taken up into the life of the Monastery. In continuity with the Eastern tradition stemming from Egyptian and Palestinian deserts and carried on by the monasteries of Mt. Athos and Eastern Europe, Mt. Tabor is basically a contemplative monastery. That is, our main work and ministry is that of praise, worship, and fervent intercession. A contemplative monk is one who stands before the face of God like Moses on the mountain (Exodus 17:8-13) with arms upraised in prayer while Joshua and his army fought the enemies of Israel in the valley below. They were successful only as long as Moses kept his arms raised in prayerful intercession. Thus the monastic life meets a critical need in today’s Church for a radical witness to the truth and power of the Gospel, and for a firm foundation of unceasing prayer and sacrifice. Without this, the Church’s more “active” endeavors would be rendered virtually fruitless. By divesting themselves of many of the distractions and amusements of the world, monks are free to “fight the good fight” on a fundamental level in the midst of ordinary daily life. Therefore, prayer and contemplative life are not a running away from reality, but rather a running into Reality, to transform the world according to God’s original vision. At Mt. Tabor Monastery, the traditions of Eastern Christianity - ancient yet ever new and life-giving - are lived and celebrated by the monks in a simple lifestyle of prayer, work, and brotherly love. To make a retreat at Mt. Tabor is to share in the life of prayer, solitude, and silence of the Monastery, celebrating the Mysteries of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, in the richness of the Byzantine tradition. It is a time to be alone with our Lord, in meditation and prayer, with the rhythms of the seasons of fasting and feasting, and of the daily community prayers. You may also wish to hike up the mountain path for some exercise and beautiful views, in order to praise God for the reflected glory of His creation. Retreats are private (non-directed), but a priest can be available for confession on request. We do not ordinarily have programs and activities oriented toward particular types of groups or persons. Rather, we are here simply to live the Gospel as fully as possible, and we offer hospitality to those who would like to share in our way of life for a little while. Our guests are expected to join us in the liturgical services and the meals. Please inform us if there are any special needs to be met during your stay with us. We’re sorry, but most of the buildings are not well equipped to accommodate the handicapped, though we do welcome everyone the Lord sends to us. The retreat house has only 13 rooms, so we are limited in the number of people we can receive at one time.
To make a reservation, call (707) 485-8959 or FAX (707) 485-1122. The best time to call is between 8:30 and 11:00 AM (except on Wednesday and Sunday). Be aware that we are on Standard Time year round. Generally, retreatants come on Friday afternoon and leave Sunday afternoon, or come on Monday afternoon and leave Friday morning. Other arrangements must be approved by the Guestmaster and/or the Abbot. Be prepared to give your name, the names of those coming with you (specify male or female if it’s not obvious), the times you plan to arrive and depart, and your means of transportation. Please give us 6 weeks advance notice if possible (6 months if you want to come for Christmas or Easter), so we will be sure to have a room available for you. If you are flying in, the nearest airport is San Francisco (about a 3-hour drive). From there it is simplest to rent a car and drive here, but you can also take the Santa Rosa Airporter bus as far as the Sonoma County Airport and there pick up the MTA bus to Ukiah, where we could pick you up.
Many people ask about donations for making a retreat. We appreciate the support of all those whom the Lord has blessed with the means to offer it. Normally, $40 per night per person (which includes meals) helps us meet our expenses, but we ask no one to offer what they cannot afford. For a gift “is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one has not” (2 Cor 8:12). We do, however, ask you to send a $40 (per person) non-refundable deposit. We do so only because we have found it necessary to try to avoid some of the difficulties that last-minute cancellations or “no-shows” can bring. If you do come, your deposit will go toward your retreat donation. Thank you for understanding.
From the south: Take US 101 North. About 7 miles north of Ukiah, take the West Road exit. Turn right off the ramp. Follow West Road 3.3 miles until it ends at a “T” intersection. Turn left onto Tomki Road. Drive 4.7 miles and you will see our sign at the entrance. The driveway will lead you to the church parking lot. From the north: Take US 101 South. About 14 miles south of Willits, exit at West Road. Turn left off the ramp. The rest is as above. If coming from either north or south on I-5, exit at CA Highway 20 West near Williams and follow the directions below. From the east: Find your way to CA Highway 20 West. 1.5 miles past the left-hand Lake Mendocino turnoff, take the right-hand exit marked Road 230, Redwood Valley. At the bottom of the exit ramp (it’s a hill), turn right onto East Road. You will pass through the center of Redwood Valley (such as it is: one stop sign). Continue on East Road for 3.7 more miles, until you come to a bridge that curves to the left. Shortly after this you will come to a “T” intersection. Stay on the same road, which bears to the right and becomes Tomki Road at that point. From that intersection our driveway is 4.7 miles away.
In recent times, Mt Tabor Monastery has evolved, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, into what may be called a semi-eremitical community. That is, we are living a life of greater solitude for the sake of deeper prayer. This means that we no longer have a full schedule of liturgical services in the church. All the Offices are still prayed by the monks, but the majority of them are prayed in the solitude of the monastic cell. We celebrate the Divine Liturgy daily in the church, and we have more services on weekends and major feast days. But plan to make a more or less silent retreat when you come here. The schedule of services for the appropriate liturgical season will be found in your room. The monastery gate is locked after Compline (around 7:30 PM) and is opened before Matins (around 5:30 AM). We ask that you not arrive when the gate is locked. Any exceptions must be arranged in advance with the Guestmaster. may He let His face shine upon you and give you peace! Mt. Tabor Monastery HOME OUR LIFE THE ABBOT'S PAGE VOCATIONS NEWSLETTER PREVIOUS ISSUE PRAYER REQUESTS HISTORY |
