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Contemplative Outreach News
Volume
23, Number 2 · June 2008
The Four
You's ~ From the President ~
2007 Annual Conference
Reader's Reflections ~
New Resources ~
Regional Updates ~ Newsletter Index
International Region
Steering Committee for International Outreach
A Steering Committee is a group who are responsible for
providing guidance on an overall strategic direction. It does not take the place
of a Service Team, but makes the larger portion of the organization aware of the
general direction that needs to be followed as well as the information that has
been gathered. This Steering Committee is made up of the following Contemplative
Outreach members who have had some experience bringing Centering Prayer to other
countries, and will act as Liaisons:
| Timothy Koock |
Virgin Islands, Australia,
New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh |
| Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler,
Susan Komis |
South Africa |
| Fr. Thomas
Keating |
Brazil, UK |
| Patrick Uhm,
Madeline Soo, Fr. Bill Fickel |
South & North Korea,
Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, China |
| Bonnie J. Shimizu |
Trinidad & Tobago,
Philippines, Canada |
| Patricia Johnson |
Ireland |
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Extension Contemplativa Internacionale -
The pilgrimage to Greece and the Islands, followed by an optional
excursion into Turkey, which is meant “to follow the footsteps of
St. Paul” DID NOT TAKE PLACE IN 2007! It is scheduled and still ”ON”
for October of 2008. We are trying to fill the space as it is a
fundraiser for Extension Contemplativa and Contemplative Outreach of
Central Florida. We will be leaving on October 12th and returning on
October 24th for the basic portion of our tour, and those who want
to stay for the optional excursion, the group will be returning on
October 29th. The price of the basic portion is $2,949 and for the
optional part to visit Turkey (including beautiful Capadoccia),
Antioch, Konya and Pamukkale. Please contact Ilse Reissner at
407-767-7567 or Basha Perez at 407-869- 0781 for more details or to
receive a brochure. The price includes airfare, daily buffet
breakfast and dinner, and during the cruise three meals a day. Our
spiritual guide will be Fr. Bill Sheehan, and the Tour Host, Ilse
Reissner. The people that join us are usually very congenial, we
offer Centering prayer twice a day , and celebrate the Eucharist
daily for those wishing to participate. Our Spanish ministry keeps
growing. We had over 20 people attending this past September Annual
Conference. We were joined by our coordinators from the Dominican
Republic, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, and the three coordinator groups
in Mexico (North, Central and South Mexico)as well as our core group
from Florida. We also have many Intro. workshops and retreats at
these places. CONGRATULATIONS to Everybody!!!.
Ilse Reissner @ 407 767-7567, . |
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CO of Southwestern Ontario, Canada -
The Southwestern Ontario Chapter of Contemplative Outreach
continues to enjoy weekly meetings
of the four groups in Windsor, and vicinity. We have 4 people who
form the Service Team for the Southwestern Ontario Chapter:
Rose-Marie McIsaac, Rev. Joe Quinn, S. Yvonne Parent, and Marlene
Kelly-Kolotylo, Coordinator. Three members of our Service Team
attended the Canadian Visioning Retreat held in Winnipeg, Manitoba
in August 2007 with Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, President leading and
facilitating it. It was an enriching experience as well as an
opportunity to come together with people involved with Contemplative
Outreach from across Canada, and to share our common concerns,
issues, dreams and hopes. The National Service Team for the next two
years was established: Angelo Iasconi, Raymond Sevigny, John Wiebe
and myself, Marlene Kelly-Kolotylo. In September 2008, there were
over 20 people who attended a Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop
in Windsor; those who completed the follow up sessions and wished to
join a group were invited to join the open groups already existing
in Windsor and Essex. In January 2008, a group of over 30 people
attended the Introductory Workshop on Centering Prayer and the
follow up sessions in London, Ontario. Rev. Kevin, Pastor of the
Presbyterian Church arranged the Introductory Workshop as a gift to
his congregation. They are presently forming groups which will be
meeting regularly in London. There will be seven people from this
chapter attending a workshop for new facilitators being held in
Toronto on April 19th, 2008. We are presently planning follow-up and
support meetings to be held in our area as Toronto is four hours
away from us. We are grateful and enthused with the interest and
commitment of these individuals to assume this function and
volunteer to serve in this chapter. In November, 2007, we held a
Welcoming Prayer Workshop where the Welcoming Prayer practice was
shared with the members of the 4 groups. Many of those who attended
found it a powerful insightful experience and the effects are being
felt not only in their personal lives but also in the depth of the
sharing in the groups. On March 8th, 2008, we are looking forward to
being in union with other Centering Pray-ers in the world for World
Day of Prayer. Some of our members will be attending an Intensive
Retreat being held in Toronto in March, 2008 as well. We have set up
what we call a traveling library with a set of the books published
by T. Keating to be shared by 2 groups. The group members appreciate
the opportunity to read the books and to purchase those they wish to
own. As we are in the formative stages, we are discussing with the
Steering Committee of Ontario the aspects of communication, of
regional needs, of formation of leaders in the area, and the
coordination of events and resource people who come into our
vicinity.
Marlene Kelly-Kolotylo, Coordinator @519 324-0118, |
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CO of Dublin, Ireland
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Contemplative Outreach of Dublin is growing steadily. We are
amazed to see the plan of God unfolding with such grace. People are
coming, and the same people are coming back! We opened on October 6,
2007 and have been running since. We have had six Introductions to
Centering Prayer, four of these at the Resource Centre of the
Dominican Sisters in Cobra, one in Galway city and one in Belfast,
Northern Ireland. The follow up sessions in Dublin are most
promising, with forty people participating, ten on a Thursday and
the other thirty on the second Saturday of the month. We have had a
Lectio Divina day, an Advent day of reflection and a Lenten day is
planned in February. Two retreats are being offered in summer (see
web page) and on August 9th we look forward to welcoming Father
Murchadh O Madagain, author of "Centering Prayer and the Healing of
the Unconscious". We are so fortunate to have him in this small
island as a resource. Please view our web page:
www.dominicansisters.com/contOutreach. All inquires are most welcome.
Fionnuala Quinn, OP, Coordinator @mobile 01-086-235-2299, |
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CO of Trinidad & Tobago, West
Indies -
The past twelve months have seen the Contemplative Outreach of
Trinidad & Tobago grow steadily. We now have 10 groups that meet
weekly with a total of over 130 members. We have conducted workshops
on themes that included, The Christian Contemplative Tradition
presented by Fr. Henry Charles, In May Fr. Michel de Verteuil CSSP
introduced members to the ancient contemplative practice of Lectio
Divina. In September Justice Peter Jamadar’s workshop, Love and
Forgiveness, guided us through an experiential exploration of love
leading to forgiveness and the healing that forgiveness brings from
a Christian Contemplative perspective. Our 4th Annual Conference was
held on October 06 2007, the keynote address, Centering Prayer & the
Christian Life was delivered by Boyd Reid. This address is on our
website:
www.humandevelopment-tt.org
Sr. Paul D’Ornellas, Coordinator @868 624-8267,
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The Four
You's ~ From the President ~
2007 Annual Conference
Reader's Reflections ~
New Resources ~
Regional Updates ~
Newsletter Index
|