“Love bade me welcome, but my soul drew back” writes the poet George Herbert. We know we are invited to love God, but we don’t always find it easy to receive or even to experience God’s love for us. The words of poetry can help us to move into our hearts, to listen, and to respond to the love that always surrounds and blesses us. This one-day silent retreat will use poetry, Scripture, and other creative media to invite and deepen our meditations on what it means to love and to be loved, in the embrace of the Holy. Lunch is included. Guided by Dr. Kathleen Henderson Staudt.
Kathleen Henderson Staudt, PhD works as a teacher, poet, spiritual director, and retreat leader in the greater Washington, DC area. She serves as adjunct faculty in theological studies at Virginia Theological Seminary and has taught frequently in the Bon Secours Spiritual Direction Institute. A poet and writer, Kathy has published four volumes of original poetry, including her recent title, Viriditas: New and Selected Poems. She has published two books and many articles on the British Catholic artist and poet David Jones, as well as writings on Christian spirituality and practice, most recently Shaping a Faithful Life: Discernment and Discipleship for Young Adults. Kathy is a Companion in the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross (SCHC). Her website is KathleenStaudtPoet.com.