The poetry of these two celebrated American contemplatives' witness to life's hidden holiness.  Their spiritualties enliven and mentor our loving the world's family of all things.  We shall reflect together over the poetry of Oliver and Merton, expanding our hearts' bandwidths to experience their rapture of being awake and alive.

Many of us deeply feel the divisiveness of our time. We long to have bridge-building conversations and yet when we try, we often end up frustrated, angry, dismayed. We want to be true to our values and to have fruitful conversations filled with care and understanding; sometimes it doesn’t feel possible to do both. Not knowing how to navigate these conversations is particularly painful when the other person is someone we love. What are ways to maintain connection so that both parties have a chance to speak honestly and be heard? How do we move from “us” and “them” to…

Are there parts of you longing for care and connection? Do you sometimes hesitate to bring your whole self into certain scenarios? Come and re-member all of who you are. Allow yourself time to slow down and connect through meditation, journaling, and creative play. You are encouraged to bring a journal.  All other supplies will be provided. ~~~~~~

Today, when so much of the evolutionary process is being explained from a materialist view, one of the most challenging questions for believers is how to envision the role of the Divine in the ongoing creation. Contemporary mystics have discovered powerful images that address this dilemma. In particular, Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin speaks eloquently of the Cosmic Christ hinted at in Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians (1:9-10 and 4:9-10). He sings the praises of Divine Wisdom (Prov. 8:22-36) in his poem entitled "Hagai Sophia." He understands the world around us as a Divine Milieu. During this retreat, we will…

During this season of Advent we are called to uncomplicate, free ourselves from excess and prepare our hearts to reflect on the significance of the birth of Jesus Christ.  Simplicity of lifestyle both physically and spiritually will be the focus of our time together through talks, silent reflection, small group processing, meditation and Taizé prayer. Join us from 9 am - 3 p.m. Lunch is included.    

Sound is one of the most natural and accessible forms of healing for emotional and physical well-being and has been used for millennia to access higher states of consciousness. Gong baths offer relief from stress, chronic pain, depression, fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, and many other conditions related to imbalance and disharmony in the body. The sound of the gong soothes internal mental chatter, supporting full-body relaxation. During a sound journey, immerse in the healing vibrations of the symphonic gong, singing bowls, and chimes as the sound waves wash over you. The gong and accompanying instruments activate a dreamlike state to bring…

Experience an introduction to Thomas Merton's contemplative legacy and a full-day visit to the Abbey of Gethsemani with Jonathan Montaldo and Brother Paul Quenon as docent guides.  You will receive your copy of Jonathan's edition of the monk's private journal, The Intimate Merton, as the main text for our retreat's reflections. After an evening of instruction about Merton and monastic living at Gethsemani, the entire next day is spent with Jonathan at Gethsemani.  The day begins early with Mass and breakfast, followed by silent prayer and a teaching in the Skakel Chapel, visiting Merton’s grave, a luncheon program at Merton’s…

Experience an introduction to Thomas Merton's contemplative legacy and a full-day visit to the Abbey of Gethsemani with Jonathan Montaldo and Brother Paul Quenon as docent guides.  You will receive your copy of Jonathan's edition of the monk's private journal, The Intimate Merton, as the main text for our retreat's reflections. After an evening of instruction about Merton and monastic living at Gethsemani, the entire next day is spent with Jonathan at Gethsemani.  The day begins early with Mass and breakfast, followed by silent prayer and a teaching in the Skakel Chapel, visiting Merton’s grave, a luncheon program at Merton’s…

Start the New Year and follow your Desire to Deepen your Relationship with God. This retreat invites you to experience the intimacy of God’s unconditional love for you. It adapts material from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola whose contemplative practices have enlivened and transformed the lives of countless participants for over four Centuries. The retreat is open to all men and women of all denominations and no prior experience with Ignatian Spirituality is necessary. Participants will seek to deepen their personal relationship with God/Christ by using the “Ignatian Prayer Method” of praying with Scripture and experiencing &…

As the new year begins, how is your call changing? If you have felt a sense of call spiraling through your life, taking different forms at different stages, then every round of call can be rich with completion and newness as we shed old fears and attend to the work that is truly ours to do. And if you’ve never felt a sense of call, this retreat might offer some help with that too. Is there meaning and purpose you have not yet explored? A nudge you have ignored? Things you need to release? Relationships to heal? Later years are…

As a society, we face deep and sometimes violent social and political divisions. Likewise, we encounter often intractable conflict within our own families, our marriage, and our community. "Let peace be your aim" is an exhortation we find in both the epistles of St. Paul and The Rule of St. Benedict, a 6th century text that is still used by thousands today as a framework for living peaceably and with compassion.  St. Benedict considered creating peaceful relations by building community and practicing hospitality and humility one of the most important aims of the spiritual life. Jesus says, "My peace I give you, my peace I leave with you." Faced with personal attack, how…

  Prepare for Holy Week by spending time with women who have encountered Jesus. The Woman at the Well will be your guide to intentional discipleship. Confronting her vulnerabilities this unnamed biblical woman rejoices in her complete transformation after an encounter with Jesus. Mary, the mother of Jesus will teach us lessons on how to walk in faith, sisterhood, and hope, never shying away from your “God-calling.” While the Woman at the Well strikes out boldly, Mary lives a quiet life of deep, abiding faith. Both guide us on our own journey as we encounter Jesus in life, death and…

Images of a mothering God are very deep within the Jewish-Christian tradition, as well as in other religious traditions. These images, often hidden deep within our tradition, speak to the realities of divine love and celebrate a God who loves, nurtures, and protects the beloved. Images of a mothering God stretch us to envision and experience the divine in new ways, delving deeply into the heart of God, and stretching our theological vocabularies. This retreat provides an opportunity to reflect and experience on the images of a mothering God as found through scripture – the psalms, prophetic literature, the gospels…

Join author and spiritual director Robin Hebert as we journey with Etty Hillesum, a young Jewish woman whose remarkable discovery of interior freedom unfolded through the Holocaust. Her story provides a glimpse into a spirituality so expansive that it transcends any tradition or religion, a profound testament to hope in the midst of unfathomable oppression. Etty will inspire an awareness that we each possess within ourselves a space of freedom that no one can take away, because God is its source and guarantee. This is a silent retreat.

Each group of five individuals at the retreat will have a spiritual director who will suggest two or three Scripture readings per day for prayer.  The readings will be particular to each retreatant.  Participants are asked to spend about an hour with each passage, entering the story using his or her imagination.   The group will come together twice: on the first day of the retreat and at its conclusion.  The retreat includes a daily meeting with a spiritual director to help process one's prayer and to discern the movement of God's Spirit in one's life.   Kathy Tosney directs…

The world is a fast-moving, confusing, and sometimes morally perilous place to be. How do we decide what to decide? A careful examination of our strengths and weaknesses may clear away some of the fog around the daily task of discernment. Can the ancient wisdom of the Enneagram help us uncover our core values and pursue personal growth at the same time? No prior knowledge of the Enneagram is needed. Come find yourself on the wheel of possibility, appreciate your sticking places, and consider which directions might assist you in moving forward.