Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.

Experience the Welcoming Prayer -- Offered via Zoom
2021-09-11 09:00 - 11:45 UTC | Internet – Online
Come learn the
Welcoming Prayer Practice
and move your relationship with God deeper into everyday life.
September 11, 2021
9 am -11:45 HST (UTC-10)
Free via Zoom
Meeting ID: 821 5855 7952 Passcode: [REDACTED]
“To Welcome and Let Go is one of the most
radically loving, faith-filled gestures
we can make.” — Mary Mrozowski
Join Pulelehua Quirk and
Contemplative Outreach of Hawaii
www.cohawaii.org

Advent Centering Prayer Weekend Retreat
2021-08-31 08:00 - 17:00 UTC | Bethany Retreat Center, 1031 Germania Rd, Frenchville, PA, 16836, United States
Bridges to Contemplative Living leads participants on a journey toward personal spiritual transformation and a more contemplative and peace-filled life.
This retreat is designed for those with an established daily practice of Centering Prayer who wish to deepen the transforming love of God in the midst of silence and solitude.
The weekend will include Centering Prayer, conferences with contemplative dialogue, personal time, meals and Sunday liturgy.
Please see the link below to register.

COCEMO 6-Day Intensive/Post-Intensive Retreat
2021-08-29 16:00 - 2021-09-03 13:00 UTC | Kings House Retreat and Renewal Center, 700 N. 66th St., Belleville, IL, 62223, United States
Both tracks of this retreat provide an opportunity to deepen the practice of Centering Prayer in an atmosphere of profound silence and community support.
The post-intensive retreat has up to six one hour Centering Prayer periods daily that consist of two 30 minute sits, with an optional meditative walk in between, along with the viewing of a selection of the Spiritual Journey Video Series by Fr. Thomas Keating.
Participants in both tracks will have the opportunity for interviews with the retreat staff if they so desire. Previous participation in an intensive retreat is a prerequisite to attend the post-intensive.
Daily Eucharist will be available. Daily AM gentle yoga and professional massage therapy may also be available. All are optional.
Retreat Director is Fr. Matthew Flatley. For over thirty years Fr. Flatley has engaged the daily discipline of Centering Prayer. Since 1994 he has taught Centering Prayer and led many retreats and workshops. He is excited to share his passion for contemplative prayer with all who are interested.
See the link below to register.

Welcome Prayer Workshop Online via Zoom
2021-08-29 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | Internet – Online
Online workshop via Zoom. Welcome Prayer practice and discussion led by The Rev. Tom Ward.
Please see the link below to register.

Introduction to Lectio Divina
2021-08-28 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Church of the Redeemer – Worship Center, 5572 Garden Village Way, Greensboro, NC, 27410, United States
Lectio Divina, literally meaning “divine reading,” is an ancient practice of praying the Scriptures. During Lectio Divina, the practitioner listens to the text of the Bible with the “ear of the heart,” as if he or she is in conversation with God, and God is suggesting the topics for discussion.
Please click on the link below for more information and to register.

Be Still and Know: A Contemplative Prayer Weekend
2021-08-27 17:00 - 2021-08-29 13:00 UTC | Wisdom House, 229 East Litchfield Road, Litchfield, CT, 6759, United States
Anchored in silence and the practice of Centering Prayer, this weekend will offer opportunities to let go of our everyday concerns in order to be still and know God ever more intimately. End the summer and start the fall in a prayerful and grace-full way.
The schedule includes three Centering Prayer gatherings, an overview of the practice, evening prayer, lectio divina and other contemplative practices. Remaining hours are unscheduled for private prayer and reflection as well as optional swimming in the on-site pool and labyrinth walk. No previous experience with Centering Prayer is necessary.

10th Centering Prayer and Enneagram Zoom Retreat
2021-08-21 09:30 - 14:30 UTC | Internet – Online
“Centering Prayer and Enneagram” retreat is meant for anyone who wants to advance in their contemplative prayer practice with a deeper knowledge of who we are and why we do the things we do. Knowing who we are is the first step into growing in wisdom. Enneagram personality types will show us what motivates us and why some of us can focus, learn, pray, and have a discipline of life better than others.
This online two-day retreat on zoom is a quick look into the Enneagrammic person in us. When we know what inspires us, then it will be easier for us to pray and play. When we pray well, we will play well, meaning, we will do whatever we do for living joyfully.
Set aside one day and take this program from the comfort of your home. Each session is about 20 minutes long with a 10 minutes break in between. You can interact with Fr. Jos while you are attending just like being in a classroom. You don’t need to download anything or call anyone. Just simply be home in your PJs and have a cup of coffee and relax, learn, and grow. Register now and you will be provided with a secure link for the Zoom Retreat. The seats are limited to a maximum of 75.
09:30 am Introduction and Prayer
10: 00 am Session 1
10: 50 am break
11: 00 am Session 2
11: 50 am Centering Prayer Session
12: 10 pm Lunch break
01: 00 pm Session 3
01: 50 pm break
02: 00 pm Session 4
Please register using the link below.
Reviews:
Over 440 people have taken this simple, easy to understand presentation of Centering Prayer and Enneagram. A three-hour presentation that enhances your Centering Prayer Practice and discipline of prayer. What others say.
“This retreat was very meaningful, and helpful in my prayer life as well as in knowing myself better.” Margaret… London.
“It helped me to deepen my own spiritual practice, and also to learn more about myself.” Lia… Brazil.
“What a blessing I had. I never imagined how easy it would be for me to understand, and how practical the application is. Thank you.” John…. NC.

From Seeker to Sage: Journey to the Unknowable -- A Center Prayer Retreat via Zoom
2021-08-20 17:30 - 2021-08-22 12:30 UTC | Internet – Online
This is a three-day online Centering Prayer retreat via Zoom
August 20th (Friday, starting at 5:30pm Central Daylight Time) to August 22nd (Sunday, ending at 12:30pm CDT)
This is co-sponsered by Contemplative Outreach of New Orleans and the School for Contemplative Living.
The presenter is Susan Komis of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.
The retreat will consists of Centering Prayer sessions, presentations, Q & A opportunities, and small group gatherings via breakout rooms.
The theme of the retreat is “From Seeker to Sage: Journey to the Unknowable”.
The titles of the presentations are: Introduction, Stages of Prayer & Faith, The Awakening, The Seeker, The Servant, Journey to the Unknowable, and The Sage.
The suggested cost is $39.00 with partial scholarships available.
To register and for more information: go to www.the scl.net and click on ‘Centering Prayer Retreat 2021’ in the second line of the headings.
Contact information: Maggie Dawson at mgdrake@juno.com.
Come join our global contemplative community for our annual Centering Prayer retreat.

Lectio Divina Retreat with Julie Saad
2021-08-20 16:00 - 2021-08-21 15:30 UTC | The Franciscan Center, 3010 N. Perry Ave., Tampa, FL, 33603, United States
CO of Tampa Bay is happy to welcome Julie Saad for a day and a half retreat at the beautiful Franciscan Center campus in Tampa, FL. Julie is returning again to share with us her many years of experience and expertise on the Lectio Divina practice. Lectio is a foundational practice of Scripture meditation which leads into contemplative prayer, and has been a traditional monastic method/practice of reading sacred text since the 5th century with St. Benedict.
Julie has been a part of Contemplative Outreach in Denver since 1994. She is a commissioned presenter in Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina and the Welcoming Prayer. She is the coordinator of the Contemplative Living Experience Program in Denver, is a co-facilitator in the Contemplative Outreach online courses, and currently serves on the Contemplative Outreach governing board. She is a soon-to-be published author of a book on Contemplative Life, the practical application of Thomas Keating’s teaching.
Retreat begins on Friday Aug. 20th at 4 p.m. and ends on Saturday Aug. 21st by 3:30 p.m.
Accommodation Cost: $143 Single; $133 Shared; $58 Commuter (Includes meals).
Please register using the link below.

Dwell in Silence Eight-Day Retreat
2021-08-20 12:00 - 2021-08-27 13:00 UTC | Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 Boyson Rd, Hiawatha, IA, 52233, United States
A Post-Intensive Eight-Day Centering Prayer Retreat
This post-intensive retreat will consist of continuous periods of Centering Prayer from before sunrise until the dinner hour, with breaks for meals. Attendees may participate in as much prayer as they are called to. Short pauses for entering and leaving the silence will be offered every 30 minutes. There will be no teaching and no reading during this immersion in silence. Veteran retreat leaders Chris Frantsvog and Paul Witmer look forward to hosting you for this journey into deep silence.
Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center is a retreat and conference center focused on ecology, spirituality, and holistic health. It is nestled in a natural setting of 70 acres of prairie and woodland in Hiawatha, Iowa, just north of Cedar Rapids. Prairiewoods is a place of peace and transformation. There will be time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings in prayer and meditation.
Cost is $780, which includes room with semi-private bathroom, (every two rooms share a bathroom) and all meals. A limited number of double occupancy rooms are available. ($710)
Please visit with Chris Frantsvog about prices, scholarships or restrictions you have: (515) 306-1221.
COVID: All participants must be fully vaccinated before attending this retreat.
Space is limited.
Visit the URL below for more information.

Wisdom School: The Imaginal Realm
2021-08-19 16:00 - 2021-08-23 16:00 UTC | Mercy Center Burlingame, 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame, CA, 94010, United States
“The imaginal is a meeting ground, a kind of cosmic intertidal zone … In this realm, the fruits of our human strivings — both conscious and unconscious — are offered up to the whole. From this realm, in turn, we receive blessing, inspiration, guidance, and vivifying force, which are ours to share and bestow here below.”
―Cynthia Bourgeault
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The Mercy Center Centering Prayer Program presents:
Wisdom School: The Imaginal Realm
You are invited to join us at Mercy Center in Burlingame. Rest, reflect, and explore the imaginal realm during this special summertime retreat experience.
This ‘Wisdom School’ will use Cynthia Bourgeault’s e-course video teachings to explore the Imaginal Realm so that we might learn to open ourselves to this world that surrounds and sustains us and to give back, participating in this divine exchange as conscious planetary servants.
The teachings draw from her book Eye of the Heart: A Spiritual Journey into the Imaginal Realm in which she offers us a new cosmic map and perspective of how an attuned and open heart may approach the current challenges we face and receive the assistance necessary for navigation.
There will be an integration of Cynthia’s transmissions and an invitation to a ‘wisdom way of knowing’ through a daily rhythm of periods of video teaching from Cynthia, Centering Prayer, chanting, mindful work, mindful movement, sharing, and contemplative free time.
*In addition to the registration fee, this wisdom school requires extra material costs of $137. Please bring a check with you, made out to Way of Wisdom Knowing. Included in this fee is access to the video teachings to review afterward.
Retreat Leaders:
Heather Ruce, M.A. is a wisdom spiritual director with a background as a therapist and training in a neurophysiology-based approach to trauma resolution. She loves working with individuals as well as facilitating groups and retreats focused on learning and practicing the Wisdom Tradition.
Joy Andrews Hayter, Ph.D. is a spiritual director and Centering Prayer coordinator at Mercy Center. Joy is dedicated to fostering contemplative practices such as Centering Prayer and others within the Christian Wisdom tradition that help us become aware of God’s ever-present love. As a scientist, she sees in the physical world an expression of that love.
Catherine Regan, Ph.D. is a spiritual director, retired psychologist, and adjunct staff member at Mercy Center, primarily serving on the Centering Prayer team. She has a special interest in participating in the reclamation of the Christian Wisdom tradition and fostering the contemplative practices so urgently needed at this time in our world.
Future Centering Prayer Dates at Mercy Center in Burlingame CA:
Fall Triduum Prayer Morning (Online): October 30
Centering Prayer Wisdom Retreat : Dec 3-5
Centering Prayer retreat: Feb 18-20, 2022
Centering Prayer Spring Triduum (Online): April 14-16, 2022
Centering Prayer retreat: May 22-29, 2022
CONTACT
For further assistance, contact us at (650) 340-7474. For more information visit: www.mercy-center.org
These are unprecedented times. If finances are an issue, please email us at registration@mercywmw.org for a learning grant discount code. We want to make sure our offerings are available to everyone.
This event is organized by
Mercy Center Burlingame
A ministry of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. We provide opportunities for people to become more attentive to the presence of the Divine in their lives and in the world, and then respond with care for the Earth and service to others. http://www.mercy-center.org/

Presence, Prayer and Writing from the Heart Retreat
2021-08-19 16:00 - 2021-08-21 12:00 UTC | Mercy by the Sea Retreat and Conference Center, 167 Neck Road, Madison, CT, 06443-0191, United States
August 19 – 21, 2021
All of us have myriad stories to tell. Some involve your family history, spiritual journey, experiences in Nature or a life-changing situation. Stories can also take many forms — memoir, essay, poem, blog posts, or journal entries — but the most compelling are the ones written from the heart, those that touch and move us and sometimes even transform both the writer and reader. Writing from the heart demands attentiveness, honesty, courage and a commitment to engage with a creative process that pulls us into the unknown where we are often surprised at what surfaces. It’s a journey of discovery. And what can help are presence and prayer.
This writing retreat is structured for those currently working on a project, those who want to start one, or simply desire to spend time in beautiful surroundings playing with words. In addition to Centering Prayer sessions — Silence can be a portal to the Source of creativity and truth-telling — there will be ample opportunities to write, walk, think and just be.
Please see the link below for more information and to register.

8-Day Intensive/Post-Intensive Retreat
2021-08-16 15:00 - 2021-08-23 10:00 UTC | Mt. Angel, Oregon
Hosted by Contemplative Outreach of Portland (COOP) and Contemplative Outreach of Willamette Valley (COWV).
Dual-track Centering Prayer retreat, silence and sits, Spiritual Journey videos. Includes 7 nights in a private room, private bath, all meals, at recently remodeled St. Benedict’s Guesthouse, Mt. Angel Abbey. Opportunities abound to pray with the monks, walk the stations of the cross in the park-like grounds, or simply soak in expansive views of the Willamette Valley in silence.
The guesthouse is in compliance with State of Oregon Covid-19 prevention recommendations regarding face masks and social distancing. COOP and COWV expect all retreatants to be fully vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to retreat. Elevator and one ADA room available.
Pre-requisites: daily Centering Prayer practice for 6 months; fully vaccinated for Covid >2 weeks prior.
To register, contact Patricia Lacy. $100 deposit due at time of registration ($50 non-refundable); balance by July 15. Partial scholarships available!

5-Day Centering Prayer Retreat
2021-08-16 15:00 - 2021-08-20 10:00 UTC | Mt. Angel, Oregon
Hosted by Contemplative Outreach of Portland (COOP) and Contemplative Outreach of Willamette Valley (COWV).
Experience Deep Silence at recently remodeled St. Benedict’s Guesthouse, Mt. Angel Abbey. Retreat includes 4 nights in a private room, private bath, all meals. Opportunities abound to pray with the monks, walk the stations of the cross in the park-like grounds, or simply soak in expansive views of the Willamette Valley in silence.
The guesthouse is in compliance with State of Oregon Covid-19 prevention recommendations regarding face masks and social distancing. COOP and COWV expect all retreatants to be fully vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to retreat. Elevator and one ADA room available.
Pre-requisites: daily Centering Prayer practice for 6 months; fully vaccinated for Covid >2 weeks prior.
To register, contact Patricia Lacy. $100 deposit due at time of registration ($50 non-refundable); balance by July 15. Partial scholarships available!

Present to Presence: A Silent Centering Prayer Retreat
2021-08-15 16:00 - 2021-08-18 12:00 UTC | Mercy by the Sea Retreat and Conference Center, 167 Neck Road, Madison, CT, 06443-0191, United States
August 15 – 18, 2021
Thomas Keating once posed the question: Why go on retreat? His response was “to experience the deepest silence” and “just … [to] be, opening uninterruptedly to God’s presence and to the enormous energy of love that creates and sustains us and the universe…”
Even in our covid world, it’s important to step away from daily life and turn our focus inward. During this retreat, silence will begin after Sunday night’s gathering and end after breakfast on Tuesday. In between, there will be periods of Centering Prayer, lectio divina and eco divina (listening to God in Nature), morning and evening prayer as well as personal time to walk, read, journal or simply gaze at the waters of Long Island Sound in a beautiful summer setting. Single rooms with private baths will be ready at 4 p.m. on Sunday. The program will begin after dinner. All meals from Sunday dinner through Wednesday breakfast are covered by the fee. Call the Center or visit the website to register (see below).
Come listen to the still small voice. Let the deep silence enfold you, embrace you.

Wisdom Overflowing: Contemplation and the Perennial Philosophy - via Zoom
2021-08-14 10:00 - 11:30 UTC | Internet – Online
Although the various religious traditions have conflicting beliefs and rituals, the mystics and contemplatives all point to the same universal truths — that God is present, every where, and at all times, in everyone and that our unique human invitation is to wake up to this Reality.
Join this workshop to explore the Perennial Tradition and contemplative prayer as a way of returning to the “original religious experience” shared by all the worlds contemplative traditions.
When: August 14th, 10:00-11:30am Eastern Time
Virtual Event via Zoom
Cost: Suggested $15 OR Pay-from-the-heart: Whatever is right for you.
Presenter: Keith Kristich, commissioned Centering Prayer presenter
Time Spent In:
– guided meditation
– contemplative teaching
– silent contemplative prayer
– community conversation.
Register below or email Keith@keithkristich.com

Introduction to Centering Prayer
2021-07-24 12:00 - 16:00 UTC | Unity Luthern Church, 12250 fort Street, Southgate, MI, 48195, United States
A four-hour workshop.

A Two-Session Introduction to Centering Prayer via Zoom
2021-07-21 18:00 - 2021-07-28 20:00 UTC | Internet – Online
Are you Interested in learning more about the method of Centering Prayer, or do you know someone who is?
In this two-part Zoom workshop, participants will learn the method of Centering Prayer and its conceptual background. There will also be two opportunities to experience the prayer, followed by time for Q & A. The workshop is open to beginners as well as those who wish to deepen their practice. It will cover:
• Prayer as Relationship
• The Method of Centering Prayer
• Thoughts and the Use of the Sacred Word
• Deepening our Relationship with God
Centering Prayer is a receptive method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer. Centering Prayer emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God and as a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Christ.
Space is limited, so please register now. The two sessions are on consecutive Wednesdays, July 21 and 28, 6:00-8:00pm via Zoom. The program is offered on a free-will donation basis, $25 suggested. To register, click here or contact Bill Epperly at bill@integralawakenings.com) for more information.
Following the two-session Introduction, a six-week program, “Deepening Your Practice,” will also be offered. Beginners and long-time practitioners of Centering Prayer are invited to join this six-week long program, with a one-hour Zoom session each Wednesday evening August 4 – September 8.
Centering Prayer is a simple practice. Simple, but not easy to master. Participants will benefit from weekly gatherings which will include: brief tips on practicing Centering Prayer, 20 minutes of prayer time with the group, and time for Q & A afterwards. The goal is that you come away from the program confident in your practice and experiencing Centering Prayer at a new, deeper level. Click here to register for “Deepening Your Practice,” or contact Bill Epperly (bill@integralawakenings.com) for more information.
About the presenters: Bill Epperly, PhD, is a research biochemist who left the lab in search of awakening. He is a workshop leader and spiritual director and is commissioned by Contemplative Outreach to teach the method of Centering Prayer. Bill is an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University where he teaches integral spirituality.
Sandy Janowski is a retired Social Worker, Addiction Counselor and Community College Adjunct Instructor. In 2009 she was commissioned by the Institute of Spiritual Companionship and has been a practitioner of Centering Prayer since 2001. Sandy serves on the Circle of Service for Contemplative Outreach Chicago. She is a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.

Introduction to Centering Prayer
2021-07-18 16:00 - 19:00 UTC | Gingrichs Mennonite Church, 100 Forney Rd, Lebanon, PA, 17042, United States
Mark Kutolowski will be facilitating this introduction to Centering Prayer. It includes both instruction and group practice in a method that fosters contemplative prayer.
Please see the link below to register.

Zoom Centering Prayer Facilitator Training - 12 Step Friendly
2021-07-18 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | Internet – Online
A Zoom Centering Prayer Group Facilitator Training (everyone is encouraged to take this training to be empowered to share these volunteer opportunities).
This Level 1 workshop consists of fundamentals of facilitating a Centering Prayer group including:
– the spirituality of facilitating a Centering Prayer group;
– the basics of facilitating a Centering Prayer group;
– use of Zoom in Centering Prayer groups.
Included are handouts that may be useful in facilitating a Centering Prayer group.
Visit the website below for more information and to register.

9th Centering Prayer and Enneagram Zoom Retreat
2021-07-17 09:30 - 15:00 UTC | Internet – Online
“Centering Prayer and Enneagram” retreat is meant for anyone who wants to advance in their contemplative prayer practice with a deeper knowledge of who we are and why we do the things we do. Knowing who we are is the first step into growing in wisdom. Enneagram personality types will show us what motivates us and why some of us can focus, learn, pray, and have a discipline of life better than others.
This online two-day retreat on zoom is a quick look into the Enneagrammic person in us. When we know what inspires us, then it will be easier for us to pray and play. When we pray well, we will play well, meaning, we will do whatever we do for living joyfully.
Set aside one day and take this program from the comfort of your home. Each session is about 20 minutes long with a 10 minutes break in between. You can interact with Fr. Jos while you are attending just like being in a classroom. You don’t need to download anything or call anyone. Just simply be home in your PJs and have a cup of coffee and relax, learn, and grow. Register now and you will be provided with a secure link for the Zoom Retreat. The seats are limited to a maximum of 75.
09:30 am Introduction and Prayer
10: 00 am Session 1
10: 50 am break
11: 00 am Session 2
11: 50 am Centering Prayer Session
12: 10 pm Lunch break
01: 00 pm Session 3
01: 50 pm break
02: 00 pm Session 4

Guard of the Heart, A Traditional Way to Enrich Your Contemplative Practice via Zoom
2021-07-10 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Internet – Online
“Guard of the Heart … disposes us to let go of personal likes and dislikes and to accept painful situations as they arise.”
“It deals with the whole of life. It expresses our ongoing intention to be with God in the present moment and sustains it.”
– Fr. Thomas Keating as told to Bob Mischke
Register here (scroll down to event date): https://contemplativeoutreachofmarylandandwashington.org/retreats-events/half-day-retreats-intro-workshops/

Six-Day Intensive/Post Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat
2021-07-07 - 2021-07-12 | Bethany Retreat Center, 1031 Germania Rd, Frenchville, PA, 16836, United States
Presenters: Sr. Ruth Ann Madera, Fr. Phil Billotte, Doug Laplante.
Rooted in the ancient Christian contemplative tradition, the goal of this form of Christian prayer is to foster a deeper intimacy with Christ through the silence and stillness of contemplative prayer.
Intensive: An in-depth retreat for those experienced in Centering Prayer. The retreat will facilitate entrance into a more profound level of spiritual practice in an atmosphere of silence, solitude, and community.
Post-Intensive: An opportunity to spend extended time in deep silence in community to encourage a more intimate union with God. An Intensive Centering Prayer experience is a prerequisite of the Post-Intensive.

“The Cloud of Unknowing” via Zoom
2021-06-26 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Internet – Online
An anonymous Christian contemplative from the middle ages wrote the classic work The Cloud of Unknowing. Centering Prayer, of course, is based on this seminal work of spiritual practice. The whole of The Cloud of Unknowing is about contemplation. The practice of contemplation goes beyond the mind. It goes into unknowing. The author is insistent on this point. Our minds cannot grasp God because God is transcendent mystery. Therefore, we must pray beyond the thinking mind.
In this half-day retreat, we will seek to learn how to deepen our practice of Centering Prayer from the mysterious author of The Cloud of Unknowing. There is deep teaching in this work concerning how we deal with thoughts, humility, intention, and growth in divine unity.
Led by LJ Milone
Having practiced Centering Prayer for 17 years, LJ Milone has gone deep into the Catholic tradition. His spirituality is greatly influenced by Francis of Assisi, Meister Eckhart, the Cloud of Unknowing, Thomas Keating, Richard Rohr, Anthony De Mello, and, ultimately, the teachings of Jesus. As a pastoral minister at a Catholic parish in Silver Spring, MD, he has served the faith formation needs of children, as well as adults since June 2007. A leader of many retreats, lectures, and classes on the topics of the teachings of Jesus, contemplative prayer, Centering Prayer, Christian mysticism, and contemporary spirituality, LJ is also a spiritual director receiving his training at the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction in Tucson, AZ.
Register using this link (scroll to event date) https://contemplativeoutreachofmarylandandwashington.org/retreats-events/half-day-retreats-intro-workshops/

The Enneagram and Contemplative Living via Zoom
2021-06-19 09:30 - 15:30 UTC | Internet – Online
THE ENNEAGRAM AND CONTEMPLATIVE LIVING
A Virtual Retreat from Contemplative Outreach of New Mexico
June 19, 2021
9:30-3:30 Mountain Time
The Enneagram offers a profound body of wisdom for psychological and spiritual healing. Based on the triadic nature of reality, it is intended to help us awaken to our truer nature. Understanding the Enneagram to be far more than a ‘typing’ system, we can discover often unconscious personality patterns that take us in the opposite direction of our soul’s yearning for unity. Rather than seeing the Enneagram personality ‘type’ as who we are, we learn who we are not.
In this day retreat, after a brief overview of Enneagram fundamentals, we will primarily focus on the Three Centers of Intelligence (belly, heart and head centers) inherent in the Enneagram symbol and important in personal inquiry. These are closely aligned with Fr. Thomas Keating’s three emotional centers of the false self.
The retreat will also include two periods of Centering Prayer, a lunch break and break during morning and afternoon sessions, short times of personal reflection and interpersonal inquiry. Having access to your zoom screen will be helpful as a few slides are shared.
Register via the link below or via the email address listed.
Facilitator: Roxanne Howe-Murphy, EdD Founder of the Deep Living Institute and author of “Deep Living with the Enneagram; Recovering your True Nature”

Presence, Prayer and Writing from the Heart One-Day Retreat
2021-06-12 09:30 - 15:00 UTC | Wisdom House, 229 East Litchfield Road, Litchfield, CT, 6759, United States
All of us have myriad stories to tell. Some focus on your family history, spiritual journey, experiences in Nature or a life-changing situation. These stories can take many forms but the most compelling are the ones written from the heart, those that touch and move us and sometimes transform both the writer and reader. Writing from the heart demands attentiveness, honesty, courage, and a commitment to engage with a creative process that pulls us into the unknown where we are often surprised at what surfaces. It’s a journey of discovery. What can help are presence and prayer. We’ll explore the link between both and the writing process, ever mindful that we are never closer to the Creator than when we are creating.
This writing retreat is structured for those currently working on a project, wanting to start one or simply wanting to spend time playing with words. In addition to a Centering Prayer/meditation session — Silence can be a portal to the Source of creativity and truth-telling — there will be time to write, walk, think or just be.
The fee includes lunch.

Contemplative Spirituality in a Contemporary Time
2021-06-10 08:00 - 2021-06-13 17:00 UTC | Bethany Retreat Center, 1031 Germania Rd, Frenchville, PA, 16836, United States
Presenter – Susan Komis
What is contemplation? In addition to exploring three stages critical to our spiritual journey relative to prayer and faith in ordinary life, this extended weekend retreat will include presentation and discussion on the dynamic of the many people who are beginning to experience and live a contemplative life in our contemporary time. We will explore awakenings that open the door to understanding contemplative prayer, transformation and union with God. Portions of this retreat experience invite interactive engagement of participants, but will include periods of Centering Prayer, silence, solitude, small group process and serene enjoyment of the beautiful Bethany Retreat Center.
Please register via the link below.

Spiritual and Physical Evolution: In Contemplative Hindsight of 2020
2021-06-05 08:30 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT, 6107, United States
Looking back on the Covid-19 evolution of 2020, we will reflect on our own evolving and devolving during the pandemic. We must encounter the unwanted to be able to recognize the wanted in times of change. How have we changed physically? How have we grown spiritually? What brought out the best in us? What brought out the worst in us?
Evolution is happening physically due to the pandemic. Our brains changed with each new experience. Did you have anything to say about which way your brain went? Our world changed daily in wonderful and horrifying ways. Our behavior changed daily as we woke up to the meaning of pandemic. What dark night did you encounter and where did it take you spiritually?
Presented by: Charlotte A. Tomaino, Ph.D. is a Clinical Neuropsychologist whose career has been dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of brain function. She is retired from clinical practice but has learned about the power of belief to access neuroplasticity to adapt brain function from the clients she treated for several decades. Her book, Awakening the Brain: the Neuropsychology of Grace gently weaves together the power of spirituality to alter perception of life events and access the path of recovery from trauma or growth in times of change. She is formerly a Maryknoll Sister.

Opening to Our Pre-Existing Union with God
2021-06-04 17:00 - 2021-06-06 17:00 UTC | Bethany Retreat Center, 1031 Germania Rd, Frenchville, PA, 16836, United States
Presenter: Keith Kristich
So many of us grow up with the message that God is the great, old Guy-in-the-Sky. This God loves the world, but is ultimately separate from it and separate from us. But the great contemplatives say otherwise, that God is the Heart of our hearts and the very Center of our souls. From the contemplative perspective, the spiritual journey isn’t one in which we get closer to God, but rather about waking up to the reality that we are already one! Join this weekend retreat as we explore Centering Prayer as a path of waking up to our pre-existing oneness with God. We are not ultimately separate from God, and we’ll explore the significance of opening to this reality through teaching, reflection, and Centering Prayer practice.
Please register using the link below.

Living the Beatitudes: Discovering the Mystical Truth of Jesus’ Words
2021-05-27 16:00 - 2021-05-31 12:00 UTC | Mercy Center Burlingame, 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame, CA, 94010, United States
Living the Beatitudes: Discovering the Mystical Truth of Jesus’ Words
Hybrid retreat: On site* at Mercy Center and Online
May 27-31, 2021
Begins Thursday at 4:00 p.m. and concludes Monday at 12 p.m. (Pacific Time)
$400 *on-site, $400 online (Learning grant funds available on request.)
“Consider that the [Aramaic] word Jesus uses, which we have traditionally translated as ‘kingdom,’ is related to the word for the ‘Great Mother’ in the Middle East; the word we translate as ‘daily bread’ means nourishment of all kinds and derives from the roots for the divine feminine and for Holy Wisdom or Sophia.” — Matthew Fox
Emergence from this very difficult year of pandemic can be seen with the eyes of the heart as a great birthing of a new world. How do we align ourselves with this vision, join in this “one great act of giving birth?” What could be better guidance than the Beatitudes, Jesus’ instructions for realizing the Kingdom of Heaven right here on earth. And when we revisit his teachings with the help of Neil Douglas-Klotz’s translations from Aramaic, Jesus’ own language, we are brought home to a transformed relationship with the cosmos.
Join us as we give ourselves―body, mind and emotion―to this labor of love.
How will the hybrid retreat work?
You are invited to join us from your own home OR AT MERCY CENTER in Burlingame as we practice integrating prayer with our life, in our circumstances as they are. Teaching sessions will include experiential, participatory, and embodied exercises to draw us more deeply into the healing, contemplative space. Breaks will be provided for further integration.
Program Features
• Live Online Centering Prayer Sessions – Join via Zoom (at Mercy Center or at home) at scheduled times or practice on your own.
• Live Online Teaching Sessions – Join us live via Zoom (at Mercy Center or at home) or view recordings at a later time.
• Live Online or in-person Small Groups – for experiential processing (not recorded).
There will be teachings on the Beatitudes by Catherine, Heather and Joy.
You can participate in one of three ways:
1) From home online. The retreat is designed so that you can choose as much or as little of it as fits in your life, on any given day.
2) In person* at Mercy Center, participating online from your laptop in your own room and enjoying the beauty and peace of the grounds.
3) In person* at Mercy Center attending in a spacious room together with masks and social distancing. Bring your laptop, reusable beverage container, a yoga mat (optional). We’ll meditate in that same room, so you can bring your meditation cushion if you like.
Meals will be served in eco-friendly containers and can be eaten in the conference room, in your room, or outside on the patio.
Everything will be on Zoom so we’ll all be sharing the retreat no matter where we are. Be met, trusting that God’s love surrounds all of it, all of us, exactly as we are.
*On-site participants must be fully vaccinated for COVID 19 and follow our onsite COVID protocol.
Optional reading: We will be presenting some material from the book “Prayers of the Cosmos: Meditations on the Aramaic Words of Jesus” by Neil Douglas-Klotz. You are welcome to purchase it ahead of time if you like, but it will not be necessary – we will provide supportive handouts for the retreat.
Catherine Regan, Ph.D. is a spiritual director, retired psychologist, and adjunct staff member at Mercy Center, primarily serving on the Centering Prayer team. She has a special interest in participating in the reclamation of the Christian Wisdom tradition and fostering the contemplative practices so urgently needed at this time in our world.
Heather Ruce, M.A. is a wisdom spiritual director with a background as a therapist and training in a neurophysiology based approach to trauma resolution. She loves working with individuals as well as facilitating groups and retreats focused on learning and practicing the Wisdom Tradition.
Joy Andrews Hayter, Ph.D. is a spiritual director, and Centering Prayer coordinator at Mercy Center. Joy is dedicated to fostering contemplative practices such as Centering Prayer and others within the Christian Wisdom tradition that help us become aware of God’s ever-present love. As a scientist (and dancer, writer, and hiker) she sees in the physical world an expression of that love.
Please register at www.mercy-center.org or telephone 650-340-7474
Registration closes May 26, 2021
