Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center

Healing Through History
2026-02-20 09:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Wellness, Reflection, and Resilience
In celebration of Black History Month, this immersive experience honors the resilience and spiritual strength of communities who lived under extreme disadvantage from the 1600s through the 1800s. Through practices of meditation, sound healing, journaling, storytelling, and quiet rest, participants will be guided to uncover the wisdom these communities left behind. As we reflect on their legacy, we will be invited to recognize and nurture the gifts within ourselves. This workshop is both an act of remembrance and a call forward. Together we will explore how to carry our own strengths with intention…and how to use them for healing and purpose in today’s world. Lunch is included. Guided by Teara Booker.
Teara Booker, MPH, CD, E-RYT 300 is a seasoned wellness practitioner and maternal health expert with over 20 years of experience in public and maternal health. She holds degrees in health, dispute resolution, and behavioral management and is extensively trained and certified in a variety of movement and restorative practices. Teara has dedicated her career to supporting individuals and communities through education, empowerment, and holistic wellness, blending her deep understanding of health with evidence-based practices and intuitive guidance. A passionate interdisciplinary educator, Teara is trained in Ashtanga, Yin, Vinyasa, Restorative Yoga, and Yoga Nidra, creating workshops that cultivate mindfulness, healing, and self-awareness. Her approach integrates movement, meditation, and somatic practices to help participants connect with their bodies, release tension, and nurture overall well-being. Through her workshops, Teara inspires individuals to embrace balance, cultivate resilience, and harness their inner strength for lasting wellness.
Want to extend your retreat experience? With at least 48 hours’ notice (and subject to availability), Bon Secours offers “private retreats” with lodging and meals. Register for two back-to-back retreats and add an overnight stay as a private retreatant for the night between. Call the Welcome Center at 410-442-3120 to inquire about booking a private retreat.

Sacred Worth
2026-02-21 09:30 - 16:00
Embracing Our Intuition, Releasing Our Gifts
We are thrilled to welcome back the amazing Renee Harrison for another engaging day as we explore the past to see how enslaved people, guided by their intuition, harnessed their power and shared their gifts to create change in American history during the 17th–19th centuries. How did they persevere during uncertain times? How did they navigate through chaos and trauma, using their talents to inspire themselves and others? What lessons can we learn from their ingenuity, and how does exploring this creativity motivate us to use our own gifts today? This workshop will include storytelling, self-discovery activities, group affirmation, and connecting our talents to what we will define together as the greater good. We end the day with an indoor “treasure hunt” and an imaginative gift-giving ritual. Don’t miss one of our most popular retreats of the year!
Please wear warm, comfortable clothes. There will be minimal indoor walking and no outdoor activities. Also, please bring a small item from your home that reminds you of your gifts, dreams, or talents.
Renee K. Harrison, a Professor of African American and US Religious History at Howard University, earned her PhD in Religion from Emory University with an interdisciplinary focus on History, Philosophy, African American Studies, and Black Feminist/Womanist Thought. Her recent book, Black Hands, White House: Slave Labor and the Making of America, documents and appraises the role enslaved women, men, and children played in building the United States, especially the nation’s capital. She is currently working on a project about Native Americans’ contributions, tentatively titled Smudging Our Way Through Broken Treaties: Native American Spirituality and American Genocide. Dr. Harrison is also the author of Enslaved Women and the Art of Resistance in Antebellum America and co-author of Engaged Teaching in Theology and Religion with Dr. Jennie Knight (UVA). She is known for her creative works, speaking engagements, teaching, healing workshops, and rituals. A native of Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Harrison is a retired 11-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department and the former executive director of A Leap of Faith Productions, a non-profit community-based theater group in Los Angeles. She is also an artist, poet, and playwright.
Want to extend your retreat experience? With at least 48 hours’ notice (and subject to availability), Bon Secours offers “private retreats” with lodging and meals. Register for two back-to-back retreats and add an overnight stay as a private retreatant for the night between. Call the Welcome Center at 410-442-3120 to inquire about booking a private retreat.

Triduum Retreat
2026-04-02 16:00 - 2026-04-05 13:00
Were You There: Following Jesus from the Upper Room to the Empty Tomb
During the three days of the Triduum retreat, we will follow Jesus’ journey of crucified love through imaginative, prayerful reflections and liturgical celebrations. In the Upper Room, he teaches us how to be a servant leader. In the Gethsemane Garden, he guides us in the way of yielding to his Father’s desire, “Thy will be done.” Through the streets of Jerusalem to Mount Calvary, he shows us the blueprint of ‘no greater love’ as we observe the sufferings of a man crowned with thorns, beaten and assaulted, while carrying the cross of his own crucifixion. Throughout this retreat experience, we will personally encounter Jesus in these events as we prayerfully enter the biblical narrative. Ultimately, we will embrace a deeper level of comprehending the teaching that “No one shows greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends.” Our time together will culminate on Easter Sunday morning, when everything is turned upside down in the unprecedented event of the resurrection.
This is a silent retreat. Silence is kept from after dinner on Thursday until after the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening. The retreat will begin on Thursday at 4:30pm and will end with lunch after Mass on Easter Sunday.
A COMMUTER OPTION is also available. The commuter option costs $255 and includes everything except for lodging and breakfast. Call the Welcome Center at 410-442-3120 to register for the Triduum Retreat Commuter Option.
Fr. Phillip Cover is an experienced retreat leader, spiritual director, pilgrimage leader and author. He previously served as the Assistant Executive Director in the Department of Religious Education for the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) in Washington, DC. He also served as an adjunct staff member for the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. He is co-author of Journey with Purpose, Through Exile into the Heart of God and The Inner Work of Lent.
Sr. Carole Rybicki, MA is a Baltimore Franciscan. She is a board-certified chaplain and has served in hospital ministry for over 25 years. She worked with those in need through a number of inner-city programs for Catholic Charities and parish ministry, and she was also a teacher in pre-school through high school. She received her Certificate in Spiritual Direction through Loyola University of Maryland. Her foundation for spiritual guidance is “seeing and finding God in all things.”

African American Mystics: Bowman, Murray, Thurman
2026-06-14 16:00 - 2026-06-20 13:00
“Hope Is a Song in a Weary Throat”
…Hope is a song in a weary throat.
And a world where I can sing it.
Give me a song of faith
Give me a song of hope
And a people to believe in it.
Give me a song of kindliness
And a country where I can live it.
Give me a song of hope and love
And a brown girl’s heart to hear it.
~An excerpt from Pauli Murray’s poem, Dark Testament Verse 8
The concept of mysticism invites exploration, particularly within the framework of African American spirituality — a tradition shaped by both the profound challenges of racial injustice and the deep assurance of knowing that you are a cherished child of God. Within this context, African American mysticism reflects the inner experience of Divine hope and Divine love that is filtered through the struggle to survive in a system that devalues the body, mind, and soul. As Pauli Murray eloquently states, “Hope is a song in a weary throat.”
This week-long retreat focuses on the mystical experiences of three African American faith leaders: Thea Bowman (Roman Catholic Nun, Mystic, and Teacher), Howard Thurman (Preacher, Theologian, Mystic, and Prophet), and Pauli Murray (first female African American Episcopal Priest, Mystic, Poet, Civil Rights Lawyer). Participants will engage with the perspectives and experiences of these individuals through their autobiographies, poetry, music, prayer, and meditation. Participants will learn how African American spirituality and mysticism intersects with Black cultural distinctives. Activities will include music, poetry, journaling, prayer, solitude, and opportunities for creative expression. Guided by Rev. Joan Crawford.
Check-in begins at 4pm. There will be a brief welcome session at 5:30pm, followed by dinner at 6pm. The retreat begins after dinner at 7pm on Sunday and concludes after lunch on Friday. Mass will be available Monday-Friday for those who wish to attend.
The Reverend Joan Crawford is a Spiritual Director, Deacon and Benedictine Oblate. Joan has an ecumenical background and inclusive vision. She received a Master of Theology from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard Illinois; and a Certificate in Spiritual Guidance from the Siena Dominican Center in Racine Wisconsin. Her ministry now includes workshops to promote interracial healing and dialogue. Joan brings spiritual awareness, insightful humor, and tender seriousness to her presentations. Her candor, sensitivity, and deep listening will help instill the building blocks for better understanding between the African American and Anglo-American communities.
Testimonials:
“Joan is an educator and minister who serves from a heart of hope while sitting comfortably with the complex set of issues facing our world. She values and recognizes the importance of engaging across differences.”
“… deeply emotional material. Hard to walk away without being touched.”
“It was great. Thank you…for opening your heart and life to us. I never realized the depth of fear,
pain, death and danger in the history of African Americans.”
“Joan was an excellent presenter and engaged people…you could feel the energy in the room
open up.”
“…participants felt a personal connection and warmth while hearing challenging things…”
“I especially liked the integration of music and the arts!”
“Marvelous, meaty, intelligent and fearless.”

Hidden Treasure Retreat for Couples
2026-08-07 16:00 - 2026-08-09 11:30
Christian Marriage Is Hard…and Beautiful
Robert and Lori Fontana, relationship educators, return to Bon Secours to help couples discover the amazing gift of married love (even if that love has been frayed a bit).
The retreat begins with The Marriage Jackpot Date Night on Friday evening, where you will meet Murphy the Marriage Salesman, do the “how well do you know your spouse” quiz, sing old love songs, meet other couples, and enjoy great snacks and spirits.
The retreat continues into Saturday and Sunday, building on the insights and fun from Friday night. You will reflect on the beauty and challenges of Christian marriage; strengthen skills in communication, active listening, and self-awareness; explore together emotional needs for intimacy, affection, fun, and sexual fulfillment; and have an opportunity to bring healing and forgiveness to relationship hurts. This is a participatory retreat with opportunities during each session for spouses/partners to separately complete relationship inventories related to the topic, share their answers with each other, and dialogue. Guided by Robert & Lori Fontana.
Check-in begins at 4pm. There will be a brief welcome session at 5:30pm, followed by dinner at 6pm. The retreat begins after dinner at 7pm on Friday and concludes before lunch on Sunday. Mass will be available Sunday morning for those who wish to attend.
The price of $570 is per couple. Please place BOTH NAMES within the name field (i.e First Name: John&Jane, Last Name: Doe/Smith). For single rooms or commuter options, please email Doris.Gallagher@BonSecoursRCC.org.

Lori and Robert Fontana have been married since 1978. They have six children and seven grandchildren. Together they direct Catholic Life Ministries NW (CLM), a non-profit educational and counseling outreach.
Lori was primarily a home mom. She has a certificate in Spirituality and Theology and taught elementary school for 12 years. Robert has a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and has a clinical counseling practice in Seattle. Robert also has a Doctorate in Ministry and has worked professionally at the parish and diocesan levels in the Catholic Church, and now for CLM. Robert has taught throughout Washington State and in Catholic parishes around the country, as well as internationally in Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Haiti, and Belize, Central America.

Women's Wellness 2026 - Friday Arrival Option
2026-09-18 16:00 - 2026-09-20 13:00
Nurturing the Divine Within: A Journey of Self-Compassion

So often we search outside ourselves for peace, love, and belonging. We hope that by doing enough, taking enough meals to help others, praying enough we will feel that connection with the Divine. Yet in Luke 17:20-21, Jesus reminds us that “the kingdom of God is within you.” During our Women’s Wellness Weekend, you will be invited to turn inward and recognize the sacred presence already alive in your own heart. Through reflection, prayer, and gentle practices, we’ll explore what it means to embrace the Divine within, to walk in friendship with our true self, and to live more fully from that place of inner holiness.
Please check back for additional retreat details to be added soon.
This is the Friday Arrival Option. An Early Arrival Option is also available.
About the Presenter
Paula Jilanis, MA has facilitated retreats and workshops since 1995 and has been involved with Bon Secours since 2009. She is a graduate of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, now Notre Dame of Maryland University, with a Bachelor of Arts in both psychology and religious studies and a Master’s Degree from Tai Sophia Institute, which is now part of the Notre Dame of Maryland University. As a massage therapist for 30 years and as a spiritual and life coach, Paula works holistically to bring people more deeply into their spiritual journey. She is an author creating the book A Guide to Creating Your Wellness Center.

Sacred Earth Sacred Soul - Celtic Wisdom 3
2026-10-09 16:00 - 2026-10-11 13:00
In 2016 John Philip Newell began the Earth & Soul initiative, including a series of retreats (now called Celtic Wisdom) to help reawaken awareness of the sacred in all things through the recovery of Celtic wisdom for today and to help translate this awareness into compassionate action in our lives and world.
Celtic Wisdom 3 is the third of a three-part series of annual retreats led by the Celtic teacher John Philip Newell and his colleague Cami Twilling in which we explore the sacredness of the imagination, the sacredness of compassion, and the sacredness of reshaping the world.
The teachings of this retreat are based on John Philip’s award-winning book Sacred Earth Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom for Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World (especially Chapters 5, 8, and 9 drawing on the wisdom of Alexander John Scott, George MacLeod, and Kenneth White).
The essential text for the three-year Celtic Wisdom program is John Philip Newell’s Sacred Earth Sacred Soul. The shared prayer book for this program is Sounds of the Eternal: A Celtic Psalter.
Celtic Wisdom 3 can be taken as a stand-alone retreat or in conjunction with Celtic Wisdom 1 and Celtic Wisdom 2 which can be attended in any order and at any of our retreat centers across the country or online.
Check-in begins at 4pm. There will be a brief session at 5:30pm, followed by dinner at 6pm. The retreat begins after dinner at 7pm on Friday and concludes after lunch on Sunday. Mass will be celebrated in the Chapel on Sunday morning for those who would like to attend.
Please click here if you’d like to register for the Commuter Option for this retreat instead.
John Philip Newell is a Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. Canadian by birth and also a citizen of Scotland, he resides with his family in Edinburgh and works on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2016 he began the Earth & Soul initiative and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland. His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over fifteen books, including his award-winning publication, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, which was the 2022 Gold Winner of the Nautilus Book Award for Spirituality and Religious Thought of the West. His new book, also with HarperOne (and published in the UK by Wild Goose), is The Great Search (August 2024), in which he looks at the great spiritual yearnings of humanity today in the context of the decline of religion as we have known it. Newell speaks of himself as ‘a wandering teacher,’ following the ancient path of many lone teachers before him in the Celtic world, seeking the wellbeing of the world. He has been described as having ‘the heart of a Celtic bard and the mind of a Celtic scholar,’ combining in his teachings the poetic and the intellectual, the head as well as the heart, and spiritual awareness as well as political and ecological concern.
Cami Twilling, based in Colorado, is the Director of Earth & Soul, a Celtic initiative of study, spiritual practice and compassionate action inspired by the teachings of John Philip Newell. As well as heading up the overall work of Earth & Soul, she facilitates the spiritual practice component of the Earth & Soul Annual Retreats. Previously she was the head of Contemplative Spirituality and Youth Ministry at Trinity UMC in Denver. She has studied meditation in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition of Shambhala and received Spiritual Direction certification from the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to leading mountain and urban retreats, she has led international pilgrimage groups to Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland and work teams to Guatemala to build houses in communities that have suffered from political strife and economic hardship. Cami is passionate about the relationship between spirituality and action and believes that spiritual vision and practice can play a vital role in helping to heal and transform our lives both individually and together.

Commuter Option Sacred Earth Sacred Soul - Celtic Wisdom 3
2026-10-09 16:00 - 2026-10-11 13:00
In 2016 John Philip Newell began the Earth & Soul initiative, including a series of retreats (now called Celtic Wisdom) to help reawaken awareness of the sacred in all things through the recovery of Celtic wisdom for today and to help translate this awareness into compassionate action in our lives and world.
Celtic Wisdom 3 is the third of a three-part series of annual retreats led by the Celtic teacher John Philip Newell and his colleague Cami Twilling in which we explore the sacredness of the imagination, the sacredness of compassion, and the sacredness of reshaping the world.
The teachings of this retreat are based on John Philip’s award-winning book Sacred Earth Sacred Soul: Celtic Wisdom for Reawakening to What Our Souls Know and Healing the World (especially Chapters 5, 8, and 9 drawing on the wisdom of Alexander John Scott, George MacLeod, and Kenneth White).
The essential text for the three-year Celtic Wisdom program is John Philip Newell’s Sacred Earth Sacred Soul. The shared prayer book for this program is Sounds of the Eternal: A Celtic Psalter.
Celtic Wisdom 3 can be taken as a stand-alone retreat or in conjunction with Celtic Wisdom 1 and Celtic Wisdom 2 which can be attended in any order and at any of our retreat centers across the country or online.
This registration form is for the COMMUTER OPTION. The Commuter Option does not include lodging and does not include breakfast. Please click here to REGISTER FOR THE OVERNIGHT OPTION INSTEAD.
Check-in begins at 4pm. There will be a brief session at 5:30pm, followed by dinner at 6pm. The retreat begins after dinner at 7pm on Friday and concludes after lunch on Sunday. Mass will be celebrated in the Chapel on Sunday morning for those who would like to attend.
John Philip Newell is a Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. Canadian by birth and also a citizen of Scotland, he resides with his family in Edinburgh and works on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2016 he began the Earth & Soul initiative and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland. His PhD is from the University of Edinburgh and he has authored over fifteen books, including his award-winning publication, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, which was the 2022 Gold Winner of the Nautilus Book Award for Spirituality and Religious Thought of the West. His new book, also with HarperOne (and published in the UK by Wild Goose), is The Great Search (August 2024), in which he looks at the great spiritual yearnings of humanity today in the context of the decline of religion as we have known it. Newell speaks of himself as ‘a wandering teacher,’ following the ancient path of many lone teachers before him in the Celtic world, seeking the wellbeing of the world. He has been described as having ‘the heart of a Celtic bard and the mind of a Celtic scholar,’ combining in his teachings the poetic and the intellectual, the head as well as the heart, and spiritual awareness as well as political and ecological concern.
Cami Twilling, based in Colorado, is the Director of Earth & Soul, a Celtic initiative of study, spiritual practice and compassionate action inspired by the teachings of John Philip Newell. As well as heading up the overall work of Earth & Soul, she facilitates the spiritual practice component of the Earth & Soul Annual Retreats. Previously she was the head of Contemplative Spirituality and Youth Ministry at Trinity UMC in Denver. She has studied meditation in the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition of Shambhala and received Spiritual Direction certification from the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction in Tucson, Arizona. In addition to leading mountain and urban retreats, she has led international pilgrimage groups to Iona in the Western Isles of Scotland and work teams to Guatemala to build houses in communities that have suffered from political strife and economic hardship. Cami is passionate about the relationship between spirituality and action and believes that spiritual vision and practice can play a vital role in helping to heal and transform our lives both individually and together.
