The Deacon's Bench
Soon after I landed in San Francisco on Friday—in the city named for the saint of peace—I felt I was in the right place.
Who should I see waiting for someone at the gate, but these gals?
Deacon Bill Ditewig and his lovely wife Diann met me outside my baggage claim area, and we were off to scenic Santa Cruz, where I’m leading a retreat for deacons and wives from the Diocese of Monterey. I gotta say: everyone here has been friendly and welcoming, and the diaconate community is making this New Yorker feel right at home.
The Villa Maria del Mar Retreat Center, run by the Sisters of the Holy Names, is lovely: homey, warm, comfortable. It has the quiet charm of a bed-and-breakfast.
The vistas of Monterey Bay and the Pacific are nothing less than spectacular. The view from my room? Stunning.
This is a wonderful place to spend time apart.
And I have to say: you don’t see views like this very much in Brooklyn.
The beach beckons. I hope to post more pictures later, including images from the chapel and—yes!—dinner.
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