Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.

Thomas Keating: The Making of a Modern Mystic — A Dialogue with Cynthia Bourgeault and David Frenette (via Zoom)
2024-12-10 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Internet – Online
Thomas Keating: The Making of a Modern Mystic — A Dialogue with Cynthia Bourgeault and David Frenette
Tuesday December 10, 2024
1-2pm Eastern Time (6pm GMT, noon CT, 11am MT, 10am PT) via Zoom
Free; $25 suggested donation
This event will be recorded
Available November 26, 2024, Cynthia Bourgeault’s new book, Thomas Keating: The Making of a Modern Mystic, is a much-anticipated portrait of Thomas Keating’s remarkable evolution during the last decades of his life into a fully realized modern-day Christian mystic. This book has rave reviews from Richard Rohr, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Rami Shapiro, Ilia Delio and others.
David Frenette said in his review: “As a close student and friend of Thomas Keating’s for thirty-five years, I was exhilarated reading this lively and profound exploration of his journey into unity consciousness, and grateful the world has the opportunity to glimpse the inner life, struggles, and spiritual evolution of this extraordinary soul. A must-read for Centering Prayer practitioners in navigating the farther, subtler terrain of their path and for anyone seeking a model of embodied Christian nonduality. Cynthia has given Thomas, and the world, a tremendous gift with this masterpiece of modern mysticism.” (author of The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God)
On the auspicious day of December 10, the 56th anniversary of Thomas Merton’s death, Cynthia and David Frenette will meet together on Zoom to discuss the book, the parallel lives and vision of Keating and Merton and the evolution of the Christian contemplative journey into unitive and nondual consciousness. This discussion celebrates the continuation of these teaching and practices in each of our lives and on behalf of the world.
Please register below for the Zoom link. Donations of any size are greatly appreciated.
Thomas Keating: The Making of a Modern Mystic by Cynthia Bourgeault is available for preorder on Bookshop (for those who prefer independent booksellers) or here on Amazon. Book will ship on November 26, 2024.
About Cynthia Bourgeault

Cynthia is a modern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, and theologian. She divides her time between solitude at her seaside hermitage in Maine and traveling globally to promote the rediscovery of the Christian contemplative path. She is a core faculty member emerita at the Center for Action and Contemplation and founding director of an international network of Wisdom Schools. Cynthia’s articles and essays have appeared in many journals and publications, and she is the author of numerous books, including Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, Eye of the Heart, The Wisdom Jesus, The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three, and The Heart of Centering Prayer. You can find out more about her teachings and events at wisdomwaypoints.org and cynthiabourgeault.org

About David Frenette
David Frenette is author of The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God, and a spiritual director/transpersonal counselor (now retired). He studied and worked closely with Father Thomas Keating for 35 years, and co-founded and co-led Chrysalis House, a Christian contemplative retreat community under Fr. Keating’s guidance. David has led Centering Prayer retreats at leading venues across the country, served as a trustee of Contemplative Outreach, on the faculty of Naropa University, and was involved with the founding of Ken Wilber’s Integral Institute. More info and teachings can be found at www.davidfrenette.com/.

Centering Prayer Half-Day Advent Retreat
2024-12-07 13:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Church of Conscious Harmony, 7406 Newhall Lane, Austin, TX, 78746, United States
Half-Day Centering Prayer Advent Retreat
Sat, Dec 7th from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm Central Time; offered by the Church of Conscious Harmony
There will be Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina, and Silence & Solitude. All are welcome to participate in this half-day retreat.
There is no cost. Donations are joyfully received. For more info and to register, select the link below.

Trusting in the Mercy of God
2024-12-07 09:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 127 Summer Street, Lynnfield, MA, 01940, United States
This day-long Centering Prayer retreat will be based on the themes explored in Cynthia Bourgeault’s book Mystical Hope – themes that are both timeless and eminently relevant today. Our time together will be marked by chanting, silence, teaching and Centering Prayer.

Encountering and Deepening Into God’s Inspiration: A Lectio-Inspired Advent Day of Retreat and Practice - in person and online
2024-12-07 08:30 - 16:30 UTC | Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT, 6107, United States
Spend an Advent day learning and experiencing how to encounter and deepen into God’s inspiration in sacred scripture and poetry, art, music, yourself, and your life. Our foundation will be Lectio Divina, the ancient method of reading, reflecting, responding, and resting in scripture, and we’ll apply that to poetry as well. We’ll continue with Visio Divina, praying with an icon created by a local iconographer. Lectio-inspired methods focused on music, body senses, and noticing God’s action in our daily lives will round out the day.
This program will be offered both in-person and online via Zoom. Information on how to access the program on Zoom will be sent to participants in advance.
Please see the link below to register.

Advent Retreat
2024-12-05 16:00 - 2024-12-08 13:00 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 use the link below to register.

Beyond Theology: The Interspiritual Wisdom of Roshis, Rebbes, and Holy Rascals - in person and online
2024-11-23 08:30 - 16:30 UTC | Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT, 6107, United States
From the moment theologians seek to tame God with names and adjectives, mystics step into the wilderness to reveal the God beyond naming, and the ethical challenge to which this God calls us. Drawing on the wisdom and practices of the Hebrew and Greek Bibles, Kabbalists and Hasidim, Zen Roshis and Holy Rascals, Fr. Michael Holleran and Rabbi Rami Shapiro invite you to accompany them into the wilderness to meet the One beside whom there is nothing else (Deuteronomy 4:35).
This program will be offered both in-person and online via Zoom. Information on how to access the program on Zoom will be sent to participants in advance.
This program will include a morning and an afternoon session of Centering Prayer.
Please see the link below to register.

Embracing - a Retreat at Prairiewoods
2024-11-18 14:30 - 2024-11-20 11:00 UTC | Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 Boyson Rd, Hiawatha, IA, 52233, United States
A Retreat for the Season leading into Christmas
Sponsored by Contemplative Outreach Northeast Iowa Chapter
Is it time to embrace
– the movement of the Spirit in your life?
– a difficult relationship?
– a path to inner and outer peace?
– all that has come to you?
– hope when hope is lost?
– change when what is seems so comfortable?
The “Embracing” retreat is an opportunity to spend “time away” in the company of other pilgrims. This event (Monday at 2:30 pm through Wednesday at 11:30 am) will include structured opportunities for
– Quiet prayer in the Presence;
– Sacred Reading of Scripture;
– Communal Sung Prayer;
– Communal meals; plus
Free time for
– Yoga or Tai Chi,
– a Nature walk,
– walking a labyrinth,
– hand massage, and more
Registration: To register online, the link below; OR send an email to us with your intent, and we will send you a form to return with a check for the registration fee. Online registration closes November 4 @ 9 am.
Fees:
Full Retreat with shared room: $175
Full Retreat with individual room: $215
Commuter: $145 (meals, no overnight room);
One day only (Tuesday) $75 (with no overnight)
Prairiewoods is at 120 Boyson Rd, Hiawatha, IA.
Photo by Grant Ritchie on Unsplash
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Will there be food provided?
A: Yes, there will be fruit, drinks (coffee, tea and water) and other snacks available throughout the event. Meals will be served by Prairiewoods staff, with the option to accommodate people with special dietary needs.
Q2: Will silence be a part of the event?
A: Yes, much of the retreat will include internal and external silence. However, there will some time for conversation with other retreatants.
Q3: Can I attend only part of the retreat?
A: Yes. We encourage people to attend the whole event; however, if you can only come for one day, you are welcome to do so. The related costs are listed above
Q4: Will I be expected to share many details of my life?
A: No. There will be time for introductions with other group members, but not extensive sharing. If extended sharing is desired, there will be opportunities to meet one-on-one with one of the leaders.
Q5: Is Prairiewoods handicap accessible?
A: Yes. The Center has all facilities on one level. While there are two levels withing the building for sleeping rooms, you may request a room on the floor level. Retreatants will need to assess whether the outdoor grounds are safe for them.
Q6: Is there anything else I might want to know about Prairiewoods?
A: Yes. Indoors, there is an onsite bookstore, an area for meals and snacks, a quiet prayer room, our meeting room, etc. Outdoors, the wooded grounds provide a space to commune in nature; with an outdoor labyrinth available.
Q7 If I cannot attend this event, can my registration be refunded?
Refunds are possible until 9 am November 4. However, thereafter we cannot provide refunds because of our contract with Prairiewoods. With this we guarantee the number of participants and associated fees. Refunds will be the full amount minus the Eventbrite processing fee if payment is made online.

One-Day Centering Prayer In-person Retreat
2024-11-16 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Church of Conscious Harmony, 7406 Newhall Lane, Austin, TX, 78746, United States
Sat, Nov 16th, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Central Time – offered by the Church of Conscious Harmony. Prayerful movement will be held in the Fellowship Hall. Periods of Centering Prayer will be held in the Sanctuary. All are welcome.
Bring a bag lunch. Donations are gratefully accepted. For more info and to register, select the link below.

Thomas Keating: Centering Prayer and Spiritual Transformation - via Zoom
2024-11-16 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Internet – Online
“The spiritual journey,” writes Thomas Keating, “ is not a career or a success story. It is a series of humiliations of the false self that becomes more and more profound. These make room inside us for the Holy Spirit to come in and heal. What prevents us from being available to God is gradually evacuated. We keep getting closer and closer to our center. Every now and then God lifts a corner of the veil and enters into our awareness through various channels, as if to say, “Here I am. Where are you? Come and join me.’”
– The Human Condition, p. 38
During this online retreat we will engage in Centering Prayer, watch Thomas Keating’s teachings on the emotional energy centers, and reflect on our own spiritual journeys.
Father Thomas Keating was a Cistercian monk, abbot, spiritual advisor, and founder of Contemplative Outreach Ltd. Through his writing and teaching he brought the practice of Centering Prayer to the contemporary world.
Please see the link below to register.

My Peace I Give You: A Centering Prayer Day with the Aramaic Jesus
2024-11-16 | Mercy Center Burlingame, 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame, CA, 94010, United States
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
— John 14:27
During this immersive day of Centering Prayer we will engage with our full embodied being in Centering Prayer as well as chanting, Lectio Divina (divine reading), and body prayers. In Lectio Divina will take a contemplative look at the words of Jesus through the Aramaic language that he spoke. Aramaic has far fewer words than many modern languages, and each word is rich with multiple meanings. We will explore and deepen some of his sayings and their meaning for us in our Centering Prayer and our lives just as we are in this moment. Come join us on the beautiful Mercy grounds for these sacred practices with others in a sacred circle.
Schedule (subject to change):
9:30 Grounding practices, introduction to the day and themes, and to each other
10:00 Centering Prayer
10:30 Break
10:45 Teaching and Lectio Divina: Aramaic Jesus
11:30 Centering Prayer
12:00 Lunch and Contemplative Free Time
1:30 Centering Prayer
2:00 Teaching and Lectio Divina: Aramaic Jesus
2:45 Break
3:00 Centering Prayer
4:00 Close
Leaders
Joy Andrews Hayter, Ph.D. is a spiritual director whose offerings include Centering Prayer and other contemplative practices of the Christian Wisdom tradition. She is the author of The Cosmic Web: Hope For Our World Through Science and Spirituality. Find out more at joyfulfillment.com.
Heather Ruce, M.A. is a Wisdom Spiritual Director who offers Wisdom Practice Circles, Retreats, and Wisdom Schools focused on the expansive Christian Wisdom Tradition. She works within the lineage of Wisdom Teacher Cynthia Bourgeault whom she has been a student of for over a decade. Heather weaves her Masters in Marital & Family Therapy and training in Somatic Experiencing, Organic Intelligence & Spiritual Direction into her teaching and guidance in various Wisdom practices, all in service of waking up and putting on the Mind of Christ. Find out more at heatherruce.com.
Catherine Regan, Ph.D.
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.
Please see the link below to register.

6 DAY (5 NIGHT) CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH INTENSIVE SILENT CENTERING PRAYER RETREAT
2024-11-10 16:00 - 2024-11-15 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | St. Placid Priory, 500 College Street NE, Lacey, WA, 98516, United States
This retreat, called an “Intensive Retreat” by Contemplative Outreach, provides an opportunity to deepen your established Centering Prayer practice in an atmosphere of silence and community, away from the busyness of daily life, and to allow your mind, body and spirit to surrender to God’s presence and action within. It has an educational component to immerse you both in the practice of Centering Prayer and, increasingly, in the conceptual background of the spiritual practice.
Each day there will be about three and a half hours of Centering Prayer, ranging from 20 to 30-minute periods of prayer, some back-to-back with a contemplative walk in between. In addition, participants will view videos from the Thomas Keating “Spiritual Journey” video series. Except for opening and closing times, silence will be observed throughout the retreat, including at meals. Participants can choose to remain in silence after the videos or participate in a short sharing session on the teaching.
Before attending the retreat, you should have an established daily practice of Centering Prayer with two 20-minute periods of prayer a day for at least six months to one year.
Please see the link below to register.

Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop
2024-11-09 09:00 - 12:30 UTC | Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church, 26001 Muirlands Blvd, Mission Viejo, CA, 92691, United States
Saturday, November 9, 2024. 9am – 12:30pm.
Registration is required. $25.00 per person includes light breakfast and snacks
Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop
Or contact Jill Yamada jillprays@aol.com 949 257-6002
The Introductory Workshop is a deep dive into the practice of Centering Prayer. If you’ve been practicing Centering Prayer for a while or are new to the practice and have never attended an introductory workshop, we believe it’s essential to your practice. If you’ve attended a prior workshop and would like a refresher, you are welcome as well.
We will learn the background and nuts and bolts of sitting, consenting, while taming your thoughts, allowing God to be God and how letting go to the Lord’s Spirit within is a miraculous work of God.

Quiet Day with Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina – in German language (Zoom online event)
2024-11-09 09:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Paris) | Internet – Online
An diesem Tag gönnen wir uns, einmal für ein paar Stunden scheinbar nichts zu machen, wir lassen einfach geschehen. Wir legen die Handys beiseite (falls wir es nicht zum Teilnehmen am Zoom Meeting benötigen), lassen den Alltag hinter uns und verbringen die Zeit weitgehend schweigend miteinander. Wir habe Zeit für stille Meditation (Centering Prayer oder eine andere Form des stillen Gebets), Meditation mit einem Text (Lectio Divina) und vielleicht auch eine Zeit abseits des Computers in der Natur oder der Umgebung, in der wir leben.
Es sind keine Vorkenntnisse erforderlich, es erfolgt allerdings keine Einführung in die stille Meditation.
Der gemeinsame Tag beginnt um 9:00 Uhr und endet gegen 12:30 Uhr CET.
Registrierung erforderlich bis 12:00 Uhr einen Tag vor dem Event.
All times in CET

Prayer for Healing and Wholeness in Our Post-Election World
2024-11-08 16:00 - 2024-11-10 12:00 UTC | Mercy by the Sea Retreat and Conference Center, 167 Neck Road, Madison, CT, 06443-0191, United States
No matter the outcome of this year’s US election, our nation will face tremendous challenges following months of divisive, wounding campaign rhetoric. During this weekend of intentional silence and stillness, we will seek to create a spaciousness within in order to nurture the enduring vision and experiences of the Sacred. This silent retreat will include periods of Centering Prayer; contemplative practices; simple body exercises; contemplative conversation; and quiet time for reflection, reading, and walking the grounds. We will be encouraged by the words and poetry of contemporary contemplative visionaries including Constance FitzGerald, ODC, Teilhard de Chardin, Ilia Delio, Thomas Keating, and Cynthia Bourgeault, who echo the ancient prophets’ trust that contemplative prayer, “can bring within the realm of possibility … the paradigm shifts and transformation required to invent a new kind of earth community.” (C. FitzGerald). While this retreat is intended for those with a Centering Prayer or other contemplative prayer practices, a very brief review of Centering Prayer will be provided on Saturday morning.
Please see the link below to register.

Half-Day Centering Prayer (In-person)
2024-11-06 12:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Church of Conscious Harmony, 7406 Newhall Lane, Austin, TX, 78746, United States
Half-Day Centering Prayer
Wed, Nov 6th 12:00 – 4:00pm CST – This half-day Centering Prayer retreat is offered by the Church of Conscious Harmony. Please join us for a special afternoon retreat at CCH. A light vegetarian lunch of soup, salad and bread will be served.
Donations are gratefully accepted. For more info and to register, select the link below.

Centering Prayer Retreat
2024-11-04 - 2024-11-08 | Subiaco Monastery, 405 N. Subiaco Ave., Subiaco, AR, 72865, United States
Consider giving yourself the GIFT of a Centering Prayer Retreat at Subiaco Monastery, November 4-8, 2024. The retreat will have ample periods of SILENCE, three prayer/meditation periods per day, and some teaching on the TRANSFORMATION of the false (or lower) self. A recommended book to read before the retreat is The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer. This is not a requirement but I will be sharing ideas from Michael’s material. The monastery/retreat center location is in a peaceful, pastoral setting in the Arkansas River Valley.
COST: private room- $450.00; shared room- $370.00; a $50.00 NON-refundable deposit is required at time of registration.
REGISTRATION: call Laura or Donna at the Coury House Retreat Center- (479) 934-1290 to reserve your place.
LEADER: Nicholas Cole M.D., who has staffed retreats in Colorado and Arkansas since 1993. He has been mentored by Thomas Keating, Cynthia Bourgeault, Richard Rohr, and ALL the retreatants he has served during these thirty plus years. If you have questions for Nick, he may be reached at (970) 275-1170 and/or: ngcole42@gmail.com
A retreat is a wonderful way to strengthen a meditation practice and thus bring more of the spiritual practice into our lives. Retreatants will be best served by having a daily practice of Centering Prayer/meditation prior to attending (please discuss with Nick if you have questions in this regard). Retreatants will be asked to commit to attending the entire retreat. You’ve thought about giving yourself this kind of GIFT…. if not NOW….when?
ARRIVAL: Between 3- 5pm on Monday, November 4, 2024. Supper at 6:00pm. Opening Circle at 7:00pm.
DEPARTURE: After lunch on Friday, November 8, 2024.

Various Silent Retreats - Prière de consentement Québec
2024-11-03 - 2024-11-12 | Granby Quebec, Granby, J2G-J2J, Canada
Prière de consentement Québec offers three silent retreats in Granby, Québec:
3 day retreat: November 8 at 5:00 p.m. to November 10 at 1:00 p.m. Cost is $295.85 Cdn
6 day retreat: November 3 at 5:00 p.m. to November 8 at 11:00 a.m. Cost is $754 Cdn
10 day retreat: November 3 at 5:00 p.m. to November 12 at 11:00 a.m. Cost is $1, 315.10 Cdn
The documentation, explanations and lectio divina will be in French. A moderate level of comprehension is needed.
For more information, contact Hélène Goulet, goulet.h@gmail.com

Integrating Mind, Body, Spirit with Centering Prayer - via Zoom
2024-11-02 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Denver) | Internet – Online
Presented by Dr. Christine O’Brien and Eric Peter – This session provides you with practical exercises to augment your Centering Prayer practice and maintain a reservoir of connection to oneself and the Divine Indwelling. Simple routines proven to calm the nervous system and focus on the heart can release past hurts and traumas that may exist beyond our awareness. You don’t necessarily have to re-live these events, or talk about them, to release them. Christine and Eric will explain the science of how and why these practices work. Then, we will perform them together so you will leave with practical techniques to help slow your reactionary false-self programs.
You will learn:
About post-traumatic growth
Active practices to integrate into your day to regain your center
How to achieve heart coherence and why it leads to inner security and stability
Vestibule practices to use before your centering prayer sit that may deepen your experience
This event will include a session of Centering Prayer.
Recording Note: This event will be recorded. All registrants will receive a copy of the Zoom recording within 2 weeks of the event.
About Dr. Christine (Travers) O’Brien
Dr. Christine O’Brien has been involved with Contemplative Outreach since 1992. As a doctor for 37 years, she has seen the powerful effects of spiritual belief on health. As a mother of seven children, she knows the challenges of nurturing a family with loving kindness and compassion. She was the Medical Director of Whole Health Program for the Cheyenne Veteran’s Administration, where she used research on neuroscience to validate and teach veterans about the human ability to transform mind, body and soul with contemplative practice.
About Eric Peter
Eric Peter is a practitioner and certified Level 11 instructor of Trauma Release Exercises (TRE). Eric studied directly under Dr. David Berceli, Ph.D. He has been teaching TRE to individuals, groups and organizations for several years. As a former active duty infantry Marine, he was initially inspired to serve fellow soldiers, friends and family members suffering from the effects of combat trauma. Along the path of service, he realized trauma and everyday stress are a natural part of life, and recovery is just as natural and includes the entire human family. Eric offers a unique and practical perspective in the recovery of trauma and the management of everyday stress from his rich practice of yoga and contemplative prayer. He also teaches the Creating Space for Change class.
Times listed are mountain time (Denver, CO)
Click the website link below to register. Scholarships are available.

A Morning of Peace and Refreshment - via Zoom
2024-11-02 08:45 - 11:45 (America/Denver) | Internet – Online
Join us for an online morning of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina.
Please refer to flyer for information and contact to receive link.
Times listed are Pacific (California) time.
RSVP for link to pcurreysd@gmail.com

Three or Five-Day Centering Prayer Retreat
2024-10-28 08:00 - 2024-11-01 17:00 UTC | Monastery of the Holy Spirit, 2625 Highway 212 SW, Conyers, GA, 330094, United States
Centering Prayer is a form of Christian silent meditation rooted in the self-emptying love that forms the heart of Jesus’ teaching and life. This retreat is an opportunity to learn Centering Prayer as a way to deepen one’s contemplative journey in the contemporary world. The retreat offers two tracks:

The three-day track is recommended for people who have not completed the introductory workshop and wish to learn to practice Centering Prayer.
The five-day track is recommended for people who have an established and regular practice of Centering Prayer.

Both the three- and five- day Centering Prayer retreat provide group experiences of silence, solitude, and space for optional prayer times with the monks, including Mass. Afternoons include time for walking in nature and soul friending with retreat facilitators. The retreat experience fosters an ever-deepening level of interior silence and may lead to an awareness of the presence of God in everyday life.
Schedule: The retreat starts for both the 3- and 5-day track on Monday, October 28 with check in at 2:00 PM. The 3-day track ends Wednesday, October 30th at noon, and the 5-day track ends Friday, November 1st at 10:00 AM.
Program Fee: $450 for the 3-day track and $700 for the 5-day track.
Please see the link below for more information and to register.

6-Day Silent Centering Prayer Retreat w/Father Bill Sheehan
2024-10-28 03:00 - 2024-11-03 23:00 UTC | Holy Cross Abbey, 901 Cool Spring Ln, VA, 22611, United States
Silence and Solitude
Transforming Silence
Centering Prayer Retreat with Father Bill Sheehan
Monday, October 28 – Sunday, November 3, 2024
Holy Cross Abbey (HCA)
www.virginiatrappists.org
Berryville, VA
• 5 Full Days & 2 Half Days of Silence and Solitude in a peaceful rural setting
• 3 plus hours per day of Group Centering Prayer
• Daily morning Centering Prayer sit begins at 5:30am
• Sunday morning Centering Prayer sit begins at 6:30am
• Comfortable single room with private bathroom/shower
• Opportunity to attend any or all of the daily Liturgy of the Hour prayers with the Trappist monks
• Eucharist celebrated with the Monks in the Abbey Monastery Chapel weekdays and Saturday
morning immediately following 7:00am Lauds
• Sunday morning Eucharist celebrated with Father Sheehan in the Retreat House Chapel
• Daily group conference Tuesday – Saturday offered by Father Sheehan
• Opportunity for two private individual conferences with Father Sheehan
Go to event website link below to access application form. Or contact martha@marthajohnston.com.

Enter the Silence: A 7-Day Retreat
2024-10-28 - 2024-11-03 | Twin Rocks Friends Camp & Conference Center, 18705 Hwy 101 N, Rockaway Beach, OR, 97136, United States
A 7-day traditional Centering Prayer intensive or post-intensive retreat, Monday afternoon to Sunday morning.
Twin Rocks Friends Camp is a Quaker conference center located in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. A short walk to the ocean, there will be plenty of time to stroll the wide sandy beach and savor the views. Those attending a longer retreat for the first time will be able to watch the original Spiritual Journey videos by Fr. Thomas Keating.
Prerequisite: established Centering Prayer practice for at least 6 months
$600 tuition includes a private room with private bath and all meals. A private dining room is provided for silent meals. A limited number of ADA rooms available. Twin Rocks can accommodate the following five special diet needs: non-celiac gluten free allergies, dairy allergies, nut allergies, vegetarian and vegan.
$150 deposit will hold a room. Balance due by September 1.
Partial scholarships available.
For more information contact event organizer, Benneth Husted, bhusted@easystreet.net
THIS EVENT IS CURRENTLY FULL. CONTACT BENNETH TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITLIST.

CENTERING PRAYER WEEKEND RETREAT: Evolutionary Cosmology and Centering Prayer
2024-10-25 16:30 - 2024-10-27 13:00 UTC | Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Road, Encino, CA, 91436, United States
Presenters: Rev. Canon Julian Bull, Headmaster of Campbell Hall Episcopal School and Katie DesJardins Bull, MSW, Facilitator of many contemplative practices
“The dynamic idea of God that evolutionary cosmology has provided … is a revelation of a higher power in which we are immersed and engulfed, and can never be separated from, because we really have no identity except what has emerged in the evolutionary process. Creation … is always happening, and in a sense, the being of God is always becoming.”
– Thomas Keating, Reflections on the Unknowable
All of the great religions and prophets speak to the notion that in order to live in evolutionary times, we must go within. Evolutionary spirituality invites each of us to use our contemplative practices as a way to go within and connect with God. Modern science reveals nature’s continued evolution to higher and more complex levels of consciousness. Using the Centering Prayer framework of Fr. Thomas Keating, and the work of Fr. Bernard Lonergan, we will relate the scientific notion of “emergent probability” to “falling in love with God.” This retreat will alternate Centering Prayer practice with a science-informed discussion of how we may live in this expanding nature and consciousness of God that the evolutionary process reveals.
We will be in silence for meals, breaks, and prayer time. Periods of Centering Prayer will be included in our time together. There will be discussion following each presentation. Soul-friending will also be available.
Pre-requisite: An established practice of Centering Prayer and a desire to grow in your contemplative practice.
Fee: $350 – all rooms are private ($50 non-refundable deposit required)
$250 commuters
For more information, please contact Marilyn Nobori at centeringprayer@hsrcenter.com or 818-815-4480.
Register online at www.hsrcenter.com by October 18th with a non-refundable deposit of $50.
(Silhouette Photography by Greg Rakozy, Unsplash)

3-Day Contemplative Retreat
2024-10-24 17:00 - 2024-10-27 14:00 UTC | Sacred Heart Monastery, Missiezusters Klooster, 20, Steyl, Venlo, 5935 BX, Netherlands
“CONTEMPLATION is the highest expression of a person’s intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being. It is gratitude for life, for awareness and for being.”
-Thomas Merton
The retreat aims to nurture the soul’s thirst for deepening the contemplative journey, as a path to transformation.
This 3-day experience in silence experience includes short daily input sessions to deepen the Centering Prayer method and foster growth in the contemplative path; various periods of Centering Prayer each day; opportunity for spiritual companionship and journaling; and personal time to enjoy the silence inside the monastery and in its surrounding nature.
If you have any further question about the retreat, please do not hesitate to contact through email. It is helpful to have attended a weekend Centering Prayer retreat or the one-day introductory workshop on Centering Prayer.
Please register by October 10th, 2024

The Spiritual Journey Program for Young Contemplatives (weekly) – via Zoom
2024-10-20 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | MN
Join the COL Young Contemplatives community for weekly gatherings exploring the essential teachings of Thomas Keating.
The Spiritual Journey program is a series of teachings structured in five parts. The program consists of 100 videos, all of which are accessible online.
These teachings provide a backbone for the contemplative life and the psychological background for the work of Centering Prayer in the formation of our spiritual lives.
Beginning Saturday, July 13th 2024, facilitators from our Young Contemplatives community will hold space for our 40s and under community to journey together through the program.
Each Saturday for one hour, 10:30am – 11:30am (Eastern Time US) a facilitator will guide a small group through the program. The hour will consist of a short Centering Prayer sit, viewing of the video teaching from the week’s session, followed by a time of faith sharing and discussion around the week’s themes.
These are open, drop-in meetings. No pre-registration is required. Anyone is welcome to join as often as possible! We recognize it may not be feasible to come every Saturday but do encourage you to follow along with the sessions, viewing the videos for the previous week(s) you may have missed.
We ask that those who join do so with their camera-on. The Zoom space will be monitored by the facilitator(s) to create a sacred and safe space. If you are not able to be fully present and participatory with your camera on we kindly ask that you complete the session on your own and join us another week!
Click here to join the Zoom sessions.

Cynthia Bourgeault: ​God ‘n Me: Thomas Keating’s Lifelong Love Affair with God - via Zoom
2024-10-19 09:00 - 15:00 UTC | Internet – Online
In her first teaching from her soon-to-be published book, “Thomas Keating: The Making of a Modern Christian Mystic,” Cynthia will guide us through Thomas’s evolving concept of God, illuminating Keating’s remarkable spiritual development in the final stages of his spiritual journey. Cynthia will be sharing from her perspective as a disciple of Keating’s teachings as well as her personal experiences and close study of his late works. Topics in her talk will include:
Keating’s increasing engagement with non-dual spiritual practice
His contributions to interspiritual dialogue
The evolution of his early teaching on the movement from “false self” to “true self,” to that from “true self” to “no self”
His final “dark night of the spirit” and passage through death
New evidence that he never left Christianity but carried it with him to new places
This talk will inspire your own spiritual journey as a modern mystic, at home and at peace in the universe.
This is a hybrid presentation being conducted both in person at The Center for Contemplative Living in Denver, CO and Online via Zoom videoconference.
Times listed are mountain time. (Denver, CO)
Click the website link below to learn more and register. Scholarships are available.

Weekend Silent Centering Prayer Retreat
2024-10-18 19:00 - 2024-10-20 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | St. Placid Priory, 500 College Street NE, Lacey, WA, 98516, United States
This in-person retreat is the perfect place for those new to Centering Prayer and silent retreats to begin, as well as for experienced practitioners to have a chance to sit with others and experience a weekend of silence and rest. We will gather on Friday night to set our intention for the weekend and then begin our silence after a Centering Prayer sit. We will sit together throughout the week-end, maintaining silence in between our sits and then end with a gathering on Sunday afternoon to share our experience. There will also be an opportunity to do a group lectio divina if you desire to.
The retreat fee, $270.00, includes a private room, meals and the opportunity to join the sisters in Liturgy of the Hours and mass on Sunday.
Please see the link below to register.

Intensive 8-day Silent Centering Prayer Retreat
2024-10-18 16:00 - 2024-10-25 16:00 UTC | St. Benedict Center, 1126 Road I, Schuyler, NE, 68661, United States
October 18-25, 2024
Saint Benedict Center,
Schuyler Nebraska
Central Time Zone
Living a contemplative life is not easy in our contemporary society. That’s why retreats can be a restorative practice, giving deep time in God’s presence nestled in community with silence, stillness, and serenity. Consider this a rendezvous of availability with God*, a place to let go of all ‘doing’ and relax in to ‘being’.
Centering Prayer sits will be offered back-to-back at the top or half hour of each hour from 7-7:30am, 9-11:30am and 2-5pm. You are encouraged to attend as many sits as you feel comfortable.
SBC is a beautiful setting with hotel-like accommodations. Private rooms, all meals and programing are provided. The grounds provide space for walking and connecting with nature, Stations of the Cross, a labyrinth and art to contemplate.
Cost $840.
Save $25.00 by paying with check
It is suggested you have a least a six month Centering Prayer practice and attendance at a couple of 3-day silent retreats (or longer) as a prerequisite to attend an 8-day retreat.
Registration:
~Paying through PayPal: Submit payment and send an email to cathy.c@cox.net with the following information: name, address, phone, email, explanation of your Centering Prayer practice (length -months and/or years of practice and experience in silent retreats).
~Paying by check: Send $815. check to Cathy Mann Christiansen 8415 North 52nd Ave, Omaha NE 68152. Email Cathy when check is sent, include information listed above. Payment must be received by Oct. 1st.
*This phase is used in the video, Tending the Fire Within, James Finley (YouTube -10 min. talk)

Welcoming Forgiveness and Centering Prayer
2024-10-17 17:00 - 2024-10-22 17:00 UTC | Bethany Retreat Center, 1031 Germania Rd, Frenchville, PA, 16836, United States
Welcoming Forgiveness. This retreat will be in silence with extended periods of Centering Prayer. We will explore the dance between the Welcoming Prayer practice and Forgiveness. Soul Friending will be available. Prior Centering Prayer experience required.
Facilitated by Mary Dwyer.
Please see the link below to register.

9-Day Intensive and Post Intensive Retreat
2024-10-16 15:00 - 2024-10-24 15:00 UTC | Mercy Center Auburn, 535 Sacramento Street, Auburn, CA, 95603, United States
This retreat offers two tracks simultaneously: Intensive I and Post Intensive. For everyone, there will be 3 sets of two 30-minute periods of Centering Prayer daily. The Intensive I retreat will watch video talks from Fr. Thomas Keating’s Spiritual Journey, focusing on “The Human Condition and the Spiritual Journey”. The Post Intensive retreat has no videos and an additional hour of Centering Prayer each day. You choose the track that works best for you. Any of the tracks may be repeated multiple times. If this is your first Centering Prayer retreat of this length, we suggest you choose Intensive I. We recommend Intensive I before Intensive II.
Lectio Divina and a contemplative Eucharist will be offered daily, as well as optional soul-friending with the staff. Throughout the retreat, we will be in silence.
Pre-requisite: A daily practice of Centering Prayer for 6 months or longer.
The retreat will be facilitated by Susan Turpin, Fr. Bill Sheehan, OMI, and Contemplative Outreach staff. Susan and Fr. Bill have served within the Contemplative Outreach network for many years and led numerous Centering Prayer retreats and workshops.
The retreat begins Wednesday, October 16 with registration from 3:00 to 5:00, an opening session at 5:00pm, and dinner at 6:00pm. We end on Thursday, October 24 at 11:00am (bag lunch optional).
For more information, contact Susan Turpin at 541-324-1207 or email her at slturpin@me.com.
If you are traveling by air, the Contemplative Outreach staff can arrange transportation from the Sacramento airport to the Mercy Center. Please book your arrival on the beginning day for 1:30pm or earlier and your departure on the ending day for 1:30pm or later. Let us know your flight information. A $25/one way, $50 round trip cash or Venmo contribution is appreciated.
Limited scholarship money is available to assist those who would otherwise be unable to attend. All of the scholarship money has been donated by former retreatants.
Single rooms with a sink in the room, shared bathrooms.
