Chapel of St. George
We welcome you to join in the sacred communal life of The Ranch, by way of our offerings of prayer and meditation in The Chapel of St. George. The Chapel congregation gathers every Sunday for celebration of the Mass (Holy Eucharist). From September through May, our Chaplain and Prayer Residents also offer morning and evening prayer in the Chapel, Tuesday through Saturday. See below for the worship schedule.
Worship Schedule
Tuesday - Saturday (September-May)
7:00am - Morning Meditation
7:30am - Morning Prayer (Matins)
5:30pm - Evening Meditation
6:00pm - Evening Prayer (Vespers)
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Sunday (Year-round)
9:30am - Mass (Holy Eucharist)
Daily Prayer + Meditation
Morning and evening prayer (Matins and Vespers) are offered Tuesday through Saturday every week, except June-August. Each Liturgy is preceded by thirty minutes of silent meditation. We warmly welcome you to any or all of our offerings in the Chapel.
Our daily prayer services are simple and contemplative, and offer an opportunity for communal silence, praise, and thanksgiving. These services are generally led by our volunteer Prayer Residents.
Holy Eucharist
We invite you to join us for Sunday worship at 9:30am in The Chapel of St. George. Our practice is to worship not only in Word and Sacrament, but also in holy silence. We begin with a few minutes of silent meditation, and silence follows each of the readings. After the silence that follows the Gospel reading, the Presider will invite all to share their own reflections on the readings or themes of the day, if they wish. The Presider will offer a final short homily toward the end. All are welcome to receive Holy Communion.
Chapel History & Features
The Chapel of St. George was built in 1955 and established as a ‘Chapel Peculiar’ of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, under the leadership of Bishop Karl Morgan Block. It was the first new building constructed after the Diocese of California purchased The Ranch from the White family in 1947. The Chapel is a sacred resource for all retreatants and visitors to The Ranch.
According to tradition, Saint George was a Roman soldier in the Guard of Diocletian. One of the most venerated Saints in the Anglican jurisdiction, he is considered the Patron Saint of England and also of farmers. He is immortalized in the legend of his defeat of a dragon and was martyred in 303 for refusing to recant his Christian Faith.
The windows on the north wall, in the chancel, and in the nave are the work of glass artist Irmi Steding. The guiding idea of the windows in the chancel is to provide non-representational inspiration for meditation. They also mimic the beautiful rolling hills of Sonoma County. The windows in the nave follow the theme of the much beloved prayer-song of St. Francis known as The Canticle of the Sun.
Prayer Resident Program
Daily prayer is an integral part of the life of worship at the Chapel of St. George. Prayer Residents lead weekday services and meditation sessions and help The Ranch Chaplain to maintain the Chapel as a warm, welcoming, sacred space for all guests and community members. Both lay and ordained persons of all faith traditions are welcome to apply.