Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.

The Spiritual Journey Program for Young Contemplatives (weekly) - via Zoom
2024-08-03 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Internet – Online
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 and each Saturday after, 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.

Our Amazing Journey of Contemplative Prayer, Life and Growth
2024-08-08 - 2024-08-11 | Mercy Conference and Retreat Center, 2039 N. Geyer Road, St. Louis, MO, 63131, United States
“We wait patiently; in silence, openness, and quiet expectancy; motionless within and without. We surrender to the attraction to be still, to be loved, just to be.”
Fr. Thomas Keating
We invite all contemplatives to come celebrate Contemplative Outreach St. Louis 35th Anniversary with a four day retreat led by Patricia Johnson, who worked closely with Fr. Thomas Keating at St. Benedict Monastery in Snowmass, CO since 1984. From 1984 on Pat served retreats at the monastery and world-wide.
Pat recalls:
“Having access to Thomas Keating for so many years gave me a foundation that still has me in a state of awe and wonder. His humor, his brilliance, his humility, all have had a huge impact on my being. But…most of all, his humanness is what formed me.”
We joyfully welcome Pat to her first visit to St Louis to celebrate and to share her first-hand experiences of Fr. Thomas Keating.
This Centering Prayer Retreat is for those who wish to come together to celebrate our deepening relationship with the God of our understanding and to celebrate with those who have served to open the door to contemplative prayer and spirituality and all those who have been nourished along the way.
Long term practitioners and those new to the practice are welcome.
Throughout the weekend we will share daily Centering Prayer sessions and provide opportunities for silence interspersed with Pat’s reflections about the transformative movements of 40 years of Contemplative Outreach Ltd. and her observations of the growth, challenges, set backs and joys of the contemplative prayer journey. In addition, there will be offerings of yoga, a 12-Step meeting, private soul-friending sessions and time to explore the sacred spaces of the 72 acres of Mercy Retreat and Conference Center’s wooded campus.
Retreat Arrival: Thursday, August 8, 2024, between 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm.
Retreat Ends: Sunday, August 11, 2024 after 12:00 pm lunch
Celebration: Saturday Evening Contemplative Service 4:00 pm Dinner and Festivities 5:30pm-8:00 pm ($52 for dinner only)
Retreat Fee: $545 with discount for registration received before June 20th and discounts for shared bath accommodations.
Fee covers room and all meals including Saturday evening celebration dinner. See COSTL website for other room options and information on partial scholarships.
Nonrefundable deposit for all registrations: $125 with balance due by July 25.

Meet God in a New Way: An Introduction to Centering Prayer
2024-08-10 09:00 - 13:00 UTC | FL
Do you have questions about centering prayer and whether it is the right practice for you? Are you ready to begin a practice but need help getting started? Are you interested in deepening your current practice but would like a refresher and connection with other practitioners? Join us for “Meet God in a New Way: An Introduction to Centering Prayer,” as the next step in your journey of connecting with God through the practice of centering prayer.
Let praying without words, in deep silence and openness, draw you closer to God. Come to realize the beauty of holiness in using what modern contemplative Thomas Keating called “God’s first language.” This retreat follows the national Contemplative Outreach Ltd. approach, combining short presentations, two Centering Prayer practice sessions, and ample time for questions and discussion.
This retreat is open to anyone, whether you have a longtime Centering Prayer practice or have never tried this form of prayer. There’s enrichment and insight for everyone.
Doors open at 8:30 a.m. for coffee, tea, and bagels. Ample parking is available.

Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat
2024-08-11 15:00 - 2024-08-16 13:00 UTC | Bethany Retreat Center, 1031 Germania Rd, Frenchville, PA, 16836, United States
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.
A post-intensive retreat: 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.
This six-day retreat will be 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 with an opportunity to spend extended time in deep silence in community to encourage a more intimate union with God. An existing Centering Prayer practice is a prerequisite for attending this retreat.
Fr. Thomas Keating’s teaching on the Human Condition (videos) will be viewed. As we have experienced, these videos can be viewed over-and-over again as the spiritual journey continue at deeper levels.

The Way of the Heart: A Silent Wisdom Retreat
2024-08-23 12:00 - 2024-08-28 16:30 UTC | Mercy Center Burlingame, 2300 Adeline Drive, Burlingame, CA, 94010, United States
The Mercy Center Centering Prayer Wisdom Program presents…
The Way of the Heart: A Silent Wisdom Retreat
Starts with lunch at 12pm on August 23, ends at 4:30pm on August 28
Onsite at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California
“The heart is the place of our origin in which the soul is, as it were, coming from the hands of God and waking up to itself.”
– French Benedictine Henri Lassaux
The Way of the Heart is at the center of the Christian Wisdom tradition, a transformative pilgrimage of the soul. This immersive silent Centering Prayer wisdom retreat is an invitation to enter the cave of our hearts, to listen deeply to its rhythm, and open to the guidance we discover within. Engaging the timeless teachings of Christian mystics, teachers, and sages, we invite you to explore the depths of your being and cultivate a profound connection with the divine within and all around.
This retreat is ideal for seekers of all backgrounds who are drawn to the contemplative Christian Wisdom tradition and are yearning for a deeper connection with the divine. Whether you are new to contemplative practices or have been on the spiritual path for years, this retreat offers a sacred space for renewal, reflection, and inner transformation.
Join us in person at beautiful Mercy Center, Burlingame, CA where we will gather to explore the Way of the Heart through the teachings of mystics and the practices of Centering Prayer, chanting, Lectio Divina, guided meditation, and sacred gestures and movement; all held within the arms of the Great Silence. In this silent Wisdom retreat, there will be times of group sharing during teaching sessions.
Minimum of 25 participants needed.
Retreat 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. 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, having studied with her for over a decade. Find out more at heatherruce.com.
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.
Registration closes on August 9, 2024
Please see the link below to register.

Bi-monthly Tech Circle – ONLINE
2024-08-30 20:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Internet – Online
A space where we connect, explore questions and co-learn with a view to building our capacity to serve others in our community and beyond.
You’ll find dates for the reast of 2024 below. We meet alternately on a Saturday afternoon or Friday evening.
The remaining dates for the year are:
August 30th 8pm ET
Register for our next call here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYscu-gqj0sGdfXiJmpffULePmJvUyO33CX
October 26th 1pm ET
December 7th 8pm ET
If you are interested in attending these circles but have a question please email: matt@coutreach.org

Quiet Day with Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina – in German language (Zoom online event)
2024-08-31 09:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Berlin) | 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.
Wir werden einen ins deutsche übersetzten Text von Thomas Keating lesen aus der Publikation ‘That we may be one – Christliche Non-Dualität’.
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. [3:00 am until 6:00 am New York 🙁 ]
Registrierung erforderlich bis 12:00 Uhr einen Tag vor dem Event.
All times in CET

Contemplative Living I: Contemplative Practices in Daily Life - via Zoom
2024-09-01 08:00 - 2024-12-01 17:00 UTC | Internet – Online
I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.
– Ezekiel 36:26
“Contemplative life begins when we take the first step into the silence of our heart. It’s a pilgrimage—a journey that takes us first to the inner reaches of who we really are, and from there, into the life we were meant to live.”
– Julie Saad, Contemplative Life: Discovering Our Path Into the Heart of God
This four-month long online course is experiential, guiding participants to deepen their experience of the abiding presence of God by cultivating their contemplative capacities. Participants will learn and integrate contemplative spiritual practices into daily life within a community of seekers through monthly meetings, a weekly online prayer chapel, personal practices, and monthly Holy Listening Circles (group spiritual direction). Contemplative practices are the doorway into the gift of contemplative prayer where the journey that begins in the silence of our hearts leads us into the heart of God. As we cultivate contemplative practices in ordinary daily life, we begin to experience oneness with God and all creation.
The design of Contemplative Living I: Contemplative Practices in Daily Life:
Learning, cultivating and integrating into daily life the contemplative practices of

Centering Prayer – a silent Christian contemplative (meditation) practice.
Logging – a form of expressive writing designed to help you understand and deal with thoughts, memories, worries, commentaries, and afflictive emotions and the resulting behaviors.
Spiritual Reading – using a spiritual book, reading for formation rather than information, listening for how God is speaking to you in the passage.
The Active Prayer – a prayer phrase or sentence that you create or take from Scripture or another meaningful reading and repeat throughout your day.
Lectio Divina – praying with Scripture, allowing the meaning of the text and the experience of God to grow deeper.
The Welcoming Prayer – welcoming God into whatever you are experiencing in daily life—thoughts, emotions, body sensation, or commentaries.
Resting in God and Sabbath-keeping – resting is the state of interior silence that you experience in daily life through contemplative prayer. Sabbath-keeping awakens you to this inner state.
Holy Listening – Cultivating receptivity to attune to your inner wisdom, to God, and to the movement of the Divine in others.

Please see the link below to register.

Create Your Life. Write From Your Soul: A Contemplative Writing Retreat
2024-09-06 16:00 - 2024-09-08 14:00 UTC | Trinity Retreat Center, 79 Lower River Road, West Cornwall, CT, 06796, United States
Life is like a river, often flowing strong and constant and, at other times, hindered by obstacles, churned by storms, and diminished by drought. As we move through life, we gather experiences and stories that need telling. How do we communicate those stories with honesty, courage, imagination, and a willingness to be surprised by grace? This contemplative writing retreat will consist of Centering Prayer sessions, writing prompts, personal writing time, and space to walk along the Housatonic River and on woodland trails. It will be a time to deepen your connection to our Creator and the creative process.
The retreat will be facilitated by Anne Simpkinson, an award-winning journalist, editor, and writing coach. She has co-edited two anthologies — Sacred Stories and Nourishing the Soul — and co-wrote Soul Work: A Field Guide for Spiritual Seekers. While living in New York City, she rode the wave of media transformations — from websites to digital communications — in her positions with Beliefnet.com, Prevention magazine, WeightWatchers.com, and Guideposts. She also served as Communications Director for Mercy by the Sea Retreat Center for several years. Anne has been practicing Centering Prayer (CP) since 1996. She facilitates contemplative prayer and themed retreats in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Please see the link below to register.

Create Your Life. Write From Your Soul: A Contemplative Writing Retreat
2024-09-06 16:00 - 2024-09-08 14:00 UTC | Trinity Retreat Center, 79 Lower River Road, West Cornwall, CT, 06796, United States
“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.”
— Sue Monk Kidd
All of us have stories to tell. They can take many forms but the most compelling are the ones written from the heart, those that 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 you into the unknown where you are often surprised by what surfaces. It’s a journey of discovery. This retreat, through prayer, writing prompts, story sharing, walks along the river or on woodland trails, and time to simply rest, will provide a quiet environment to work on a current writing project, begin stories long thought about, or immerse yourself in silence to discover what needs to be voiced.
The retreat is facilitated by Anne Simpkinson, an award-winning journalist, editor, story midwife, and writing coach. She has co-edited two anthologies – Sacred Stories and Nourishing the Soul – and co-wrote Soul Work: A Field Guide for Spiritual Seekers. When living in New York City, she rode the wave of media transformations – from websites to digital communications – in her positions with Beliefnet.com, Prevention magazine, WeightWatchers.com, and Guideposts. She also served as Communications Director for Mercy by the Sea Retreat and Conference Center for several years. Anne has been practicing Centering Prayer (CP) since 1996. She facilitates contemplative prayer and themed retreats in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Please register using the link below.

Living Flame 2 Program
2024-09-07 | Internet – Online
September 7, 2024 @ 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Living Flame 2 Program (LF2) offers seven additional topics and is being offered globally on Zoom. Individuals and small in-person groups of five people or fewer are invited to participate. This program is hosted by Contemplative Outreach’s Living Flame Service Team.
LF 2 is open to everyone who has participated in LF 1 as well as to those who have had a daily Centering Prayer practice for a year or more and who have reflectively read Open Mind, Open Heart by Thomas Keating. This will support a more engaged participation and assimilation of the program content. Additional suggested resources are Keating’s Invitation to Love and Intimacy With God.
Living Flame is a seven-day in-depth spiritual formation program presented over seven months by commissioned presenters of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. It’s designed to heighten the awareness of the dynamics of Centering Prayer in the context of the spiritual journey. Registration and participation in the program is a commitment to all seven sessions. Topics for the Living Flame Program are noted in the Living Flame brochure
Each retreat-like day is facilitated in a five-hour scheduled format which includes: two periods of Centering Prayer; two presentations with Q&A; small group sharing; silent breaks and time for a meal.
Dates: 2024 – Sept. 7, Oct. 5, Nov. 2 2025 – Jan. 11, Feb. 1, Mar. 1, Apr. 5
Time: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST (-5 UTC)
Fee: $70 USD
Click here to register. Fee is due with registration. Scholarships are available.
Contact for the Living Flame Service Team: Judy Sharer jsharer@bbtel.com

Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop
2024-09-07 09:00 - 12:30 UTC | Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Road, Encino, CA, 91436, United States
Contemplative Prayer is God’s personal and unique gift to each of us. If we are open to this gift, it will profoundly affect our lives and relationship to God, others, and the world. Centering Prayer is a form of Contemplative Prayer. It is a method of prayer that opens us to interior transformation and deeper intimacy with God and others. The workshop includes four presentations and the practice of Centering Prayer.
Presenters: Marilyn Nobori and Contemplative Outreach Team
(Arrive by 8:45 a.m.)
For more information, please email Marilyn Nobori at centeringprayer@hsrcenter.com.
Register online at www.hsrcenter.com by September 3rd with a non-refundable deposit of $10.
(Photo by Jay Castor, Unsplash)

8-Day Centering Prayer Dual Track Intensive / Post Intensive
2024-09-07 14:00 - 2024-09-14 10:30 (America/New_York) | Holy Cross Monastery – New York, 1615 Route 9W, West Park, NY, 12493, United States
The Eight-Day Centering Prayer Dual Track Intensive / Post Intensive Retreat offered from Saturday September 7 to Saturday September 14, 2024, provides an opportunity to deepen the practice of Centering Prayer in an atmosphere of profound silence and community support. The Intensive track will follow the Contemplative Outreach guidelines for an Intensive Retreat including six 30-minute Centering Prayer periods daily plus viewing and faith sharing on Thomas Keating’s Human Condition teachings. The Post Intensive track provides an additional 30 minutes of Centering Prayer with time for daily solitude. Retreat leaders: Leslee Anne Terpay and Br. Bernard Delcourt are available for soul-friending. During the retreat, one will experience integrating as one wishes contemplation and action through silence, solitude, community and the rhythm of this Episcopal Benedictine monastic community’s worship and prayer life including daily Holy Eucharist. An established practice of Centering Prayer for at least 6-months is highly recommended.
Check-in is from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday. Vespers begin at 5:00. Dinner then follows. Orientation begins at 6:45. The retreat concludes with lunch on Friday. (Daily Holy Eucharist is available at 9:00 a.m.).
Cost for the retreat is $900. The price has been lowered by a $200 grant per retreatant from the Contemplative Outreach Divine Economy. The retreat fee includes a single room and all meals. Shared single occupancy bathrooms in the hallways. Register by e-mail or phone with our Guesthouse Manager, Donna Mallory at 845-384-6660 ext 1 or at guesthouse@hcmnet.org.
If you have questions about the retreat content or which track is best for you, please contact retreat leader: Leslee Terpay at co-leslee@comcast.net.
To find out more about Holy Cross Monastery, visit their website at: www.holycrossmonastery.com

Three-Centered Presence and Transformation of Consciousness: A Wisdom School with Heather Ruce
2024-09-08 17:00 - 2024-09-12 12:00 (America/Vancouver) | Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre, 1159 Passchendaele Road, Sorrento, British Columbia, V0E 2W0, Canada
“From time immemorial Wisdom Schools have emerged in times of global crisis or on the cusp of great leaps in human consciousness in order to help shepherd our planet through the transition. While there is academic teaching that goes on here, that is not the primary business of a Wisdom school; the primary business is to help anchor human wholeness and to work with the core practices that sustain the transformation of consciousness.”
— Wisdom Waypoints
We are indeed in a time of global crisis and amidst a shift in our current structures of consciousness. Drawing on the work of Cynthia Bourgeault, G.I. Gurdjieff, Gebser, and others, this Wisdom School led by Heather Ruce will focus on deepening presence in our three centers – intellectual, emotional, body – and how awakening in them can support us in the transformation of consciousness. We will also explore the practices of self-observation, self-remembering, conscious labor, and intentional suffering as a way of participating in what is needed for the whole right now.
Please join us in person at the Sorrento Retreat & Conference Centre in the beautiful Shuswap region of British Columbia, Canada. A ZOOM option will also be available for those who prefer on-line attendance. All participants will be invited to deepen your experience of the ‘wisdom way of knowing’ through a daily rhythm with periods of silence, Centering Prayer, teaching, conscious conversation, Gurdjieff exercises and Movements, chanting, mindful work, lectio divina, and contemplative free time.
When: Sunday – Thursday, 5pm of September 08 – 12 noon of September 12, 2024
Where: Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre
Deadline for Registration: August 25, 2024

Early Bird Rate is $395.00 CDN and will be in effect until August 1, 2024. This rate does not include meals and accommodations.
Regular Rate of $475 CDN will be in effect from August 2 – September 7, 2024. This rate does not include meals and accommodations.
Zoom Rate is $250.00 CDN.

Please see the link below to register.

9-Day Centering Prayer Intensive Retreat with Frs. Bill Sheehan and Vinny McKiernan
2024-09-11 15:00 - 2024-09-19 12:00 (America/Halifax) | Our Lady of The Pines Retreat Center, 1250 Tiffin St., Fremont, OH, 43420, United States
Come rest in the stillness and surrender to God’s presence and action within. This retreat offers an in-depth experience of silent prayer for those who already have an established practice of Centering Prayer of 6 months or more. It is an opportunity for deeper union with God through communal sharing of silence and stillness.
• For those making their first intensive retreat, the “Intensive” track will offer 3 sets of three 20- minute
periods of centering prayer daily. You will also view videos twice daily from The Spiritual Journey
series of talks by Fr. Thomas Keating.
• The “Post-Intensive” track is normally for those who have previously participated in two or more
Intensive Retreats. The Post-Intensive participants will have additional sessions of Centering Prayer
and no group education time.
The retreat will be facilitated by Contemplative Outreach staff who include Fr. Bill Sheehan, Fr. Vinny McKiernan, Marty Badgett, Bob and Kathleen Gorman.
• Fr. Bill Sheehan has been an integral voice for Centering Prayer since the founding of the movement
with Fr. Keating and others at Lama, New Mexico. Over the past four decades, he has continually
provided his wisdom and presence to the Centering Prayer community at countless retreats.
• Fr. Vinny McKiernan has led many retreats and introduced a legion of people to Centering Prayer
since he learned the method from the monks at St Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, MA in the 1970’s.
Details: Our Lady of the Pines Retreat Center, Fremont, Ohio 43420 is set among 68 lovely acres and is the perfect place to deepen your relationship with God. Arrival 3 p.m. September 11 and Departure 12 p.m. September 19.
The retreat center is 1 hour east of Toledo, 90 minutes west of Cleveland, 2 hours north of Columbus, 2 hours southeast of Detroit, 3 hours west of Pittsburgh, 4 hours northeast of Cincinnati and 4 hours east of Chicago. It
is also 10 minutes from the Ohio Turnpike (Exit 91 Fremont/Port Clinton).
Cost: $790 includes private room with hallway bath and all meals | $870 includes private room w/bath and all meals | $885 for Hermitage cabin with meals Nonrefundable deposit for all registrations is $100.
Register by mail with the form below or online at olprc.retreatportal.com. Email rbrtgorman@gmail.com with questions.
When registering by mail, please include a check payable to Our Lady of the Pines Retreat Center. Please print all information. Mail to 1250 Tiffin St, Fremont, OH 43420
Name ___________________________________ Address_____________________________________
Email ___________________________ Phone_______________ Check one: Intensive __ Post-Intensive __
Please describe ALL dietary restrictions/mobility limitations in the space below. A $3.00/person/meal upcharge that will apply to all vegan meals and gluten-free meals. Thank you!

Autumn Silent Saturday
2024-09-14 09:00 - 12:00 UTC | Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Road, Encino, CA, 91436, United States
As autumn approaches, join us for a quiet morning of Centering Prayer and silence. This day is open to beginners as well as those experienced in contemplative prayer or silent meditation. The day provides time for communal Centering Prayer, a contemplative walk, private journaling, and reflection, and ends with a period of Lectio Divina. All are welcome. A brief introduction to Centering Prayer will be offered for those new to the practice.
Facilitators: Silent Saturday Centering Prayer Team
A free will offering is gratefully appreciated.
For more information, please email Marilyn Nobori at centeringprayer@hsrcenter.com.
Registration online at www.hsrcenter.com is appreciated but not required.
(Arrive by 8:50 a.m.)
(Photo by Simon Berger, Unsplash)

Learn & Pray the Centering Prayer Way
2024-09-20 18:00 - 2024-09-21 12:00 (America/Denver) | Hope Center Covenant Church, 2275 Morello Ave, Pleasant Hill, 94523
Introductory Centering Prayer Workshop
When:
Friday, September 20, 2024 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm PST
and
Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 9:00am to 12:00pm PST
Please see the link below to register.

Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop
2024-09-21 08:30 - 12:30 UTC | Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT, 6107, United States
In this introductory workshop, you will learn the method and principles of Centering Prayer practice in a quiet, reflective atmosphere. We will cover the history, psychology, and theology of the practice. Two prayer sessions and a question-and-answer session are included.
Please see the link below to register.

Meet God in a New Way: An Introduction to Centering Prayer
2024-09-21 09:00 - 13:00 UTC | Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, 1725 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, D.C., 20036
Do you have questions about Centering Prayer and whether it is the right practice for you? Are you ready to begin a practice but need help getting started? Are you interested in deepening your current practice but would like a refresher and connection with other practitioners? Join us for “Meet God in a New Way: An Introduction to Centering Prayer,” as the next step in your journey of connecting with God through the practice of Centering Prayer.
Let praying without words, in deep silence and openness, draw you closer to God. Come to realize the beauty of holiness in using what modern contemplative Thomas Keating called “God’s first language.” This retreat follows the international Contemplative Outreach Ltd. approach, combining short presentations, two Centering Prayer practice sessions, and ample time for questions and discussion.
This retreat is open to anyone, whether you have a longtime Centering Prayer practice or have never tried this form of prayer. There’s enrichment and insight for everyone.
Doors open at 8:30 a.m. for coffee, tea, and bagels.
Please see the link below for more information and to register.

The Deserts Roots of Contemplative Prayer: Emptiness, Silence & Hiddenness of Self - in person and via Zoom
2024-09-25 17:30 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | Internet – Online
Belden C. Lane, Ph.D. has long been fascinated by the relationship between geography and spirituality—asking how the place we live has an effect on our perception of the spiritual life. The desert, for example, is a place of scarcity, silence, and the deep solitude of the heart. It’s what drew the Desert Fathers and Mothers to the Egyptian desert in the 4th century. This is where the practice of contemplative prayer had its beginnings. We’ll look at three themes in the stories told by the early desert monks: the simplicity of language, radical forgiveness, and hiddenness of the self.
This event is in person and via Zoom. It will include a time of Centering Prayer.
Please see the link below to register. Donations are welcomed!

Contemplative Outreach 40th Anniversary Conference
2024-09-26 - 2024-09-29 | The Conference Center at Emory University, 1615 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, United States
“Living into the Inspiring Legacy of Thomas Keating: Celebrating 40 years of Evolving Community”
The Conference Center at Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
September 26 – 29, 2024
Hosted by Contemplative Outreach and the 12-step service team, this 40th anniversary conference is intentionally located on the grounds of Emory University, the home of the Thomas Keating Archives, tangible evidence of his legacy and its future access for many generations.
You may view the conference speaker list here.
THE FOUR-DAY CONFERENCE IS FULL WITH WAITLIST ONLY. To be added to the waitlist, please email Donna at office@coutreach.org.
Or, you may register for the one-day option for Saturday September 28, 9am – 6pm. Cost $25 USD. More information and registration is here.
Some of the programming will be freely livestreamed and some of it will be recorded and posted on the Contemplative Outreach website after the conference. You do NOT need to register for to view the life stream of the conference.
If you have further questions, you may visit this FAQ page here.

A Morning of Peace and Refreshment – via Zoom
2024-09-28 08:45 - 23:45 (America/Denver) | Internet – Online
An online half-day Centering Prayer & Lectio Divina mini retreat. This event is open to all who have a silent practice.
There is no fee, but a free will offering to Contemplative Outreach, Ltd would be greatly appreciated. You may donate here if desired.
Times in Pacific (California) time zone.
Please email to receive the link: Philippa Currey, pbcurreysd@gmail.com.

Coming Full Circle: A Contemplative Enneagram Soul Journey
2024-10-04 15:00 - 2024-10-06 13:00 (America/New_York) | Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT, 6107, United States
Overnight Retreat – Enneagram Formation with Rev. Nhien Vuong, J.D., M.Div.
The nine personality types of the Enneagram are not static categories. Rather, seen from a spiritual perspective, they are portals into our own souls and represent starting points for our conscious evolution.
LEARN about the connecting lines, heart and stress points, wings, the Inner Triangle, the Inner Flow of the Enneagram, and the “Soul Child” within.
DISCOVER and deepen into contemplative practices, such as centering prayer, inner observer, and somatic inquiry, designed to support a life of greater authenticity, inspiration, and soul.
EXPLORE group processes as well as individual reflection practices, and an opportunity to “walk the Enneagram” as a symbol of wholeness and unity.
Rev. Nhien Vuong, J.D., M.Div., is an international Enneagram thought leader and keynote presenter who spiritually companions individuals around the globe using a contemplative, compassion-based approach to the Enneagram. An ordained Unity minister, certified Enneagram teacher, and accredited Enneagram Professional, Nhien is the founder of Evolving Enneagram, a community-based business whose interdisciplinary team offers transformational programming to seed and sustain our collective awakening. Nhien is the author of Enneagram of Soul, a 40-day inter-spiritual companion guide with 9 Principles, 9 Practices, and 9 Prayers (to be published by Hampton Roads 2025).
Please register using the link below.

Rest in The Silence – Six Day Silent Retreat
2024-10-08 13:00 - 2024-10-13 13:00 (America/Halifax) | Sisters of Charity Motherhouse, 5900 Delhi Road, Cincinnati, OH, 45233, United States
Contemplative Outreach of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky (COGCNKY) presents our annual Fall Retreat. This year we are focusing on deepening and resting in The Divine Silence Within. This will be an in-depth experience of Centering Prayer and Grand Silence , for those who already have an established practice.
Three weeks before our national election is a perfect time to take a break, get off topic, go within and Rest in The Silence. Let’s allow ourselves to decompress, tune out the noisy clutter, take some time with Nature and reconnect with our True Selves. See you there.
Retreat location:
Sisters of Charity Motherhouse
Mt. St. Joseph, OH 45051
Please see the link below, or email cogcnky@gmail.com for additional retreat and registration information.
Printable flyer is available at: https://co-gcnky.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oct_2024_retreat_flyer.pdf

Welcoming Prayer 2-Day Commuter Retreat
2024-10-11 08:00 - 2024-10-12 15:00 (America/New_York) | Church of Conscious Harmony, 7406 Newhall Lane, Austin, TX, 78746, United States
The Welcoming Prayer is an incarnational method of consenting to God’s presence and action in the physical and emotional reactions arising in daily life. This “consent-on-the-go” embodied practice deepens our relationship with God as we move through the ordinary activities of our day, helping us to stay in the presence of God and the present moment. This workshop/retreat will cover the human condition and the basics of the practice. There will be guided practice sessions as well as time in Centering Prayer.
The cost of the retreat is $25. For more details and to register, please use the link below.

A Three-Day Centering Prayer Retreat: The Hospitality of Welcome
2024-10-11 10:00 - 2024-10-13 12:00 UTC | St. Vincent Seton Cove Spirituality Center, 2025 Dugan Drive, Indianapolis, 46260, United States
Drawing on the idea of hospitality we will consider the twin aspects of Centering Prayer and Welcoming Prayer as ways we may welcome God, self, and others more deeply into our lives. As we release thinking and afflictive thoughts, we create space within to be more welcoming. Using the Mary and Martha story (Luke 10:38-41) we will consider how Mary’s desire to sit at the feet of Jesus links to Centering Prayer and how Martha’s approach to inviting Jesus into her home and preparing a meal links to the Welcoming Prayer.
There will be time for silence, lectio divina, videos with short discussion, opportunities to add thoughts and found objects to a community art table, and contemplative and Taize music. Participants may also be actively involved in creating the retreat by volunteering for readings and/or assisting in preparing simple meals.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT https://coindianapolis.org/

Silence and Contemplation: A Path to Inner Freedom
2024-10-11 17:00 - 2024-10-13 14:00 (Europe/Paris) | Sacred Heart Monastery, Missiezusters Klooster, 20, Steyl, Venlo, 5935 BX, Netherlands
11.10.2024, 17:00 Uhr – 13.10.2024, 14:00 Uhr
Weekend retreat with the method of Centering Prayer (IN SILENCE)
“It is as if in creating us God asked a question, and in awakening us to contemplation God answered the question, so that the contemplative is at the same time, question and answer.”
-Thomas Merton
In a world filled with noise and uncertainty, one’s soul thirsts for silence as a path to inner peace and freedom. Silence and contemplation belong together. More than technique, contemplation is a way of being, which is born out of the soul’s desire for the infinite. This weekend will be in silence and will include moments of input on Centering Prayer, sharing, and guided silent prayer together. Even if you are not a beginner, you are most welcome to make this experience of silence.
Please register by September 27th, 2024. Please see the link below.

Core Values of Sts. Francis and Clare: An 8-Day Dual-Track Silent Retreat
2024-10-11 17:00 - 2024-10-19 13:00 UTC | Shalom Spirituality Center, 1001 Davis Street, Dubuque, IA, IA, 52001, United States
Friday, October 11, 5:00 pm – Friday, October 18, 1:00 pm
Shalom Spirituality Center
Facilitators: Jeannine Kosman, Kathy Reardon, Kathleen Schiltz, and Mary Jo Pfeifer Wulf
This silent Centering Prayer (Intensive/Post Intensive) retreat provides an opportunity to deepen your established Centering Prayer practice in an atmosphere of silence and community, away from the busyness of daily life, with a focus on Franciscan values. It will allow your mind, body, and spirit to surrender to God’s presence and action. Before attending the retreat, you should have an established daily practice of Centering Prayer for at least six months. For those new to an 8-day retreat, there will be 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. All the readings used during the retreat will be from St. Francis, St. Clare, and other Franciscan sources.
No commuters.
Overnight Cost: $900; register on or before July 1, 2024, and receive a 5% discount on the full price.** A $75 non-refundable deposit is required.
DATE AND TIME DETAILS:
Friday, October 11-Friday, October 18
Arrive between 3:00-4:30 pm.
Supper is served at 5:00 pm.
The final session will conclude with a communal lunch at noon on Friday, October 18. Depart at 1:00 pm, following the meal.
Please register online using the link below, or at shalomretreats.org or by calling +1-563.582.3592 by Friday, September 20.
Jeannine Kosman has been a practitioner of Centering Prayer for over twenty years and a Dubuque Franciscan Associate since 2018. Before retirement, she served as a training professional and executive coach. She completed the PrairieFire Spiritual Director training program in 2015. Jeannine now serves as a spiritual director and retreat facilitator. She resides in Bondurant, IA.
Kathy Reardon retired in 2020 from the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center, where she worked as a spiritual director, holistic nurse, and Healing Touch Practitioner for twenty years. Kathy participated in creating and implementing PrairieFire, a two-year spiritual formation program with an optional practicum year for training as a spiritual director. She received a certificate in spiritual direction in 1999 and has been commissioned to teach the Christian practice of silence, known as Centering Prayer, since 2004. Kathy continues to provide spiritual direction and supervise persons training to become spiritual directors. She became a Dubuque Franciscan Associate in 2023. She resides in Des Moines, IA.
Kathleen Schiltz has been a practitioner of Centering Prayer since 2009 and a Dubuque Franciscan Associate since 1991. She was a teacher, director of religious education, and a school counselor. After she retired, she completed the PrairieFire spiritual direction training program in 2017. Besides hosting day-long or weekend retreats, she also loves participating in them. She resides in Des Moines, IA.
Mary Jo Pfeifer Wulf retired from her career in Mental Health Counseling with Catholic Charities in 2018. Mary Jo has been practicing Centering Prayer since 2007. She is a spiritual director and retreat facilitator. She has been a Franciscan Associate with the Dubuque Franciscans since 2014. She completed the PrairieFire spiritual director training program in 2015. Mary Jo loves to host Center Prayer Silent Saturdays, Silent Weekends, and now an 8-day retreat through Contemplative Outreach of Central Iowa. She resides in Ames, IA.

Abide in Me: Christian Mysticism and the Divine Indwelling - in person and online
2024-10-12 08:30 - 16:30 UTC | Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT, 6107, United States
Human experience is a search for God, and for ourselves. Searching for God, we must look within ourselves. Searching for ourselves, we must look to God. This reciprocal dynamic is the heart of the Christian mystical tradition. Join us to explore the mystical indwelling of God. See how Christian apophatic theology serves in this searching. Meister Eckhart, Dionysius the Areopogite, Centering Prayer, and contemporary theologians will be our guides. Christ bids us: “Abide in me, as I abide in you.” Can we abide in Christ’s call?
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.

A Journey into Contemplation
2024-10-12 09:00 - 13:00 UTC | Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD, 21210
Presented by Suzanne Farnham, founder of Listening Hearts Ministries
Nationally known retreat leader and author Suzanne Farnham will share her own experience of contemplation. By reflecting on her years-long path to contemplative practice, she hopes to awaken reflections in others of how God is at work in their lives. Suzanne emphasizes that she speaks not as a scholar but as a person who has strong spiritual yearnings. In other words, she is one of us.
Session 1: “The Jesus Prayer and Sacred Words”
Session 2: “From Jung’s Understanding of Consciousness to Cosmic Spirituality”
Please see the link below to register.
