SANTIAGO RETREAT CENTER

What SANTIAGO RETREAT CENTER does

Santiago Retreat Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Catholic retreat center headquartered at 27912 Baker Canyon Road in Silverado, California, approximately 17 miles from Christ Cathedral in Orange County. The organization operates a 500-acre campus in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains with 500 beds distributed across four distinct retreat areas, each containing a chapel, meeting rooms, recreational space, and dormitories. It serves roughly 25,000 young people and families annually through six summer camps (Vacation Bible Camp, Liturgiae Camp, Quo Vadis Boys Camp, Blossom Girls Camp, Camp El Camino, and Catholic Family Camp), confirmation and school retreats, group facility rentals, and formation programs grounded in Catholic teaching with daily Mass and monthly adoration.

The center's revenue model combines program fees (camp tuition ranging from $95 to $450 plus lodging add-ons), group rental deposits (50% reservation deposit), donations through the Siempre Adelante giving program, and an annual Fiesta de Santiago fundraiser. Scholarship programs are explicit and substantial — the center states it does not turn anyone away for financial reasons — and pricing includes a $150 non-refundable deposit structure across most camps. Distribution runs through direct website booking on the CampWise registration platform, parish referrals across Southern California, and a formal relationship with the Diocese of Orange for confirmation retreats. Technology infrastructure is minimal: a Wix-hosted marketing site, CampWise for camp registration, and a third-party payment processor; there is no disclosed proprietary software, mobile app, API, or AI capability.

The organization has built out adjacent operating initiatives including the Santiago Catholic Trade School (skilled-trades formation for young men), the Shroud Center of Southern California (an on-site interactive exhibit on the Shroud of Turin), the Pilgrim's Circle stewardship plan, and community extensions such as Santiago Business Clubs, First Friday Friars, and Catholics at Work OC. Staff size is reported at 11–50 employees, no parent company or institutional ownership is disclosed, and there is no public financial reporting. Fr. Glenn Baaten serves as Chaplain and is a priest of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, contributing to the center's multi-rite Catholic identity alongside Roman, Chaldean, Antiochene, and Byzantine clergy participation in Liturgiae Camp.

Name

SANTIAGO RETREAT CENTER

Legal name

Santiago Retreat Center

Website

https://santiagoretreatcenter.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Santiago Retreat Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Catholic retreat center on a 500-acre campus in Silverado, California, serving roughly 25,000 youth and families annually through six summer camps, confirmation and school retreats, group rentals, and Catholic formation programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Retreat and Camp Services

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Conference Retreat Hotels (THAGALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mountain & Wilderness Lodges (THAAAHAE)

Keywords

• Catholic retreat center
• Youth summer camps
• Faith formation programs
• Religious education retreats
• Facility rental events

Headquarters

HQ city

Silverado

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Camp Registration Fees: The center generates revenue through tiered camp registration fees for summer programs including Vacation Bible Camp, Quo Vadis Boys Camp, Blossom Girls Camp, Camp El Camino, Liturgiae Camp, and Catholic Family Camp. Fees range from $95-$450 per participant with additional lodging costs.
2. Retreat and Group Rental Fees: Revenue from hosting confirmation retreats, school retreats, and group events. The center requires a 50% deposit to reserve dates. Groups pay for facility use, meals, and optional amenities like the swimming pool.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, Santiago Retreat Center relies on charitable donations through its Siempre Adelante (Always Forward) giving program. Donations fund summer camp scholarships, confirmation scholarships, St. James Chapel building fund, and general operations.
4. Fiesta de Santiago Event: Annual signature fundraising event celebrating the feast day of St. James. The event generates sponsorship revenue from businesses and organizations, with proceeds benefiting summer camp scholarships and retreat programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Santiago Retreat Center operates a 500-acre Catholic retreat facility in the Santa Ana Mountains, hosting six summer camps (Vacation Bible Camp, Liturgiae, Quo Vadis Boys, Blossom Girls, Camp El Camino, and Family Camp), Confirmation and school retreats, group facility rentals, and the Shroud Center of Southern California exhibit. The center also runs the Santiago Catholic Trade School apostolate and the annual Fiesta de Santiago fundraiser, all serving Catholic families, parishes, and schools in Southern California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shroud Center of Southern California: Interactive exhibit exploring the science and research behind the Shroud of Turin, featuring docent-led tours and information on the Holy Face devotion.
• Santiago Catholic Trade School

Products and services

• Vacation Bible Camp

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Santiago Catholic Trade SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn apostolate of Santiago Retreat Center, the Santiago Catholic Trade School forms young men through prayer, study, and work in skilled trades including general construction, mechanical technology, and agricultural management. The Trade School uses Santiago Retreat Center facilities and shares the mission of Catholic formation.
• Shroud Center of Southern CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated at Santiago Retreat Center, the Shroud Center presents exhibits on the science and research behind the Shroud of Turin. Hosts Wednesday pilgrimages and group visits exploring the Holy Face devotion.
• First Friday FriarsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatholic men's group that meets at Santiago Retreat Center, providing community and spiritual support for Catholic men.
• Catholics at Work OCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatholic professional networking group that meets at Santiago Retreat Center, connecting Catholic business professionals in Orange County.
• Santiago Business ClubsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of Catholic business clubs associated with Santiago Retreat Center, providing professional networking and business support within a Catholic framework.
• Diocese of OrangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial relationship for confirmation retreats and safe environment training. Volunteers are fingerprinted and trained in accordance with Diocese of Orange standards.
• Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. PetercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFr. Glenn Baaten serves as chaplain, representing the Anglican Ordinariate tradition. The retreat center hosts clergy from multiple Catholic rites including Roman, Chaldean, Antiochene, and Byzantine for Liturgiae Camp.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hume Lake Christian Camps: California-based Christian camp and conference center running summer camps, family camps, and year-round retreat programming in a wilderness setting. Comparable faith-based camp model, multi-segment programming, and mountain-lake facility scale.
• Holy Spirit Retreat Center: Catholic retreat center in Encino, California run by the Sisters of Social Service, offering parish, school, and youth retreats. Comparable Catholic identity, parish-group retreat focus, and Southern California market overlap.
• Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center: Santa Cruz Mountains, California Christian conference and retreat center hosting church retreats, family camps, and youth programs. Comparable faith-based mission, large multi-area campus, and combination of group rentals with structured camp programming.
• Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center: Sierra Madre, California-based Catholic retreat center offering preached and directed retreats for parish groups, youth, and Spanish-speaking communities. Closely comparable to Santiago in mission, sacramental focus, and Southern California Catholic market overlap.
• Pine Valley Bible Conference Center: Christian retreat and conference center in Pine Valley, California hosting church group retreats, camps, and conferences. Comparable faith-based group rental and retreat model, smaller-scale California mountain facility.
• Forest Home: Christian camp and conference center in the San Bernardino Mountains, California, operating summer camps, family camps, and church retreats on a large mountain campus. Comparable mountain-wilderness setting, multi-program youth and family model, and faith-based programming.
• Serra Retreat Center: Malibu, California Catholic retreat center run by the Claretian Missionaries hosting parish, school, and youth retreats with overnight accommodations. Direct comparable on retreat format, Catholic identity, and Southern California geography.
• St. Andrew's Abbey Retreat Center: Benedictine monastery and retreat center in Valyermo, California offering individual and group Catholic retreats in a desert/mountain setting. Comparable Catholic sacramental programming, monastic chaplaincy model, and Southern California geography.
• T Bar M Camps: Faith-based summer camp and retreat organization in New Braunfels, Texas running multi-week youth camps and year-round retreats. Comparable structured summer camp portfolio with faith formation focus, though outside Southern California.

Emerging players

• Life Teen (Stuebenville): Catholic youth ministry organization running summer camps, conferences, and parish retreat programs nationally. Comparable Catholic youth formation mission and summer camp model, but operates broader geographic reach and a different delivery format (traveling conferences rather than fixed-site retreat).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/santiago-retreat-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SANTIAGO RETREAT CENTER