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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260421T104500
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20251205T193811Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T210753Z
UID:12131-1776763800-1776768300@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Quiet Mornings - In Person Session
DESCRIPTION:Due to a scheduling issue\, this month’s In-Person Quiet Mornings session will be held April 21.\nQuiet Mornings sessions are currently being held IN-PERSON on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. \n(It is also held virtually on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday and 4th Saturday. Every virtual session is held from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon.)\nPlease email Joanne at jmcahooneph3@gmail.com for the Zoom sessions invitation for Virtual sessions. \nQuiet mornings provide an opportunity for quiet – for reflection\, prayer\, listening\, presence – in common with others. Perhaps you’d like to carve out time\, but could use the support of a structure that is also flexible? Most of us could! And there is encouragement and strength in coming together in this way. You are welcome whenever matches your schedule/desire/need. \nEach gathering is bracketed by an opening and closing prayer. The quiet hour at its heart is not scripted or guided. Each one enters the quiet and utilizes or follows it as she/he desires to do so. Some opt to journal\, read\, walk; to engage in meditation; imaginative prayer or centering prayer; art or collage; or physical movement. The commitment to enter the quiet with some regularity as an ongoing practice is the point. By doing so in companionship with others\, we support each other’s journey just by willingly being present in God’s presence together\, and hoping good for each other. In our closing prayer\, we pray a blessing for each other. Please feel welcome! Guided by Joanne Cahoon. \nJoanne Cahoon\, D.Min. – spiritual director\, retreat leader\, coach – facilitates the Quiet Mornings. 
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/quiet-mornings-in-person-session-27/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Daytime,Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2019/01/sunrise-by-pond-e1684934227592.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260428T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260428T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20251205T191443Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T191443Z
UID:12109-1777402800-1777406400@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:In-Person\, Evening Centering Prayer Session
DESCRIPTION:Held IN PERSON on the \n\n2nd and 5th Tuesdays of the month\, 1-2pm and\n4th Tuesday of the month\, 7-8pm.\n\nFor these in-person sessions\, registration is required and preferred in advance. \n(Virtual Zoom sessions will be the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 1-2pm. Register for Virtual Sessions by emailing facilitator Amy Sorensen Kulesa at kulesa.neshama@gmail.com.) \nCentering Prayer is a form of Christian contemplative prayer\, in which one abides in the Presence of God in interior silence. Centering Prayer emphasizes the indwelling Presence of the Holy Trinity within and among us\, and our openness\, through receptive silence and restful surrender\, to God’s action and healing grace. For our one-hour sessions\, we will gather to pray together in silence\, attentive to the stillness within\, and reflect together on readings related to our prayer life. The sessions are relaxed and informal. You are invited to dress comfortably and use a meditation cushion\, if you would like. \nFacilitation for each Centering Prayer session will be led by an experienced member of the group\, both staff and from the community. We follow a consistent format from week to week\, with variability each session in the reflective reading that is shared. Coordinated by Amy Sorensen Kulesa.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/in-person-evening-centering-prayer-session-28/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/04/hands-1926414_640-e1657224031120.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260512T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260512T104500
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20251205T193856Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T193856Z
UID:12133-1778578200-1778582700@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Quiet Mornings - In Person Session
DESCRIPTION:Quiet Mornings sessions are currently being held IN-PERSON on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. \n(It is also held virtually on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday and 4th Saturday. Every virtual session is held from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon.)\nPlease email Joanne at jmcahooneph3@gmail.com for the Zoom sessions invitation for Virtual sessions. \nQuiet mornings provide an opportunity for quiet – for reflection\, prayer\, listening\, presence – in common with others. Perhaps you’d like to carve out time\, but could use the support of a structure that is also flexible? Most of us could! And there is encouragement and strength in coming together in this way. You are welcome whenever matches your schedule/desire/need. \nEach gathering is bracketed by an opening and closing prayer. The quiet hour at its heart is not scripted or guided. Each one enters the quiet and utilizes or follows it as she/he desires to do so. Some opt to journal\, read\, walk; to engage in meditation; imaginative prayer or centering prayer; art or collage; or physical movement. The commitment to enter the quiet with some regularity as an ongoing practice is the point. By doing so in companionship with others\, we support each other’s journey just by willingly being present in God’s presence together\, and hoping good for each other. In our closing prayer\, we pray a blessing for each other. Please feel welcome! Guided by Joanne Cahoon. \nJoanne Cahoon\, D.Min. – spiritual director\, retreat leader\, coach – facilitates the Quiet Mornings. 
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/quiet-mornings-in-person-session-28/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Daytime,Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2019/01/sunrise-by-pond-e1684934227592.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260526T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260526T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20251205T191525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T191525Z
UID:12111-1779822000-1779825600@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:In-Person\, Evening Centering Prayer Session
DESCRIPTION:Held IN PERSON on the \n\n2nd and 5th Tuesdays of the month\, 1-2pm and\n4th Tuesday of the month\, 7-8pm.\n\nFor these in-person sessions\, registration is required and preferred in advance. \n(Virtual Zoom sessions will be the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 1-2pm. Register for Virtual Sessions by emailing facilitator Amy Sorensen Kulesa at kulesa.neshama@gmail.com.) \nCentering Prayer is a form of Christian contemplative prayer\, in which one abides in the Presence of God in interior silence. Centering Prayer emphasizes the indwelling Presence of the Holy Trinity within and among us\, and our openness\, through receptive silence and restful surrender\, to God’s action and healing grace. For our one-hour sessions\, we will gather to pray together in silence\, attentive to the stillness within\, and reflect together on readings related to our prayer life. The sessions are relaxed and informal. You are invited to dress comfortably and use a meditation cushion\, if you would like. \nFacilitation for each Centering Prayer session will be led by an experienced member of the group\, both staff and from the community. We follow a consistent format from week to week\, with variability each session in the reflective reading that is shared. Coordinated by Amy Sorensen Kulesa.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/in-person-evening-centering-prayer-session-29/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/04/hands-1926414_640-e1657224031120.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260607T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260613T113000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20250811T135623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T142508Z
UID:11576-1780848000-1781350200@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Silent Directed Retreat - June 2026
DESCRIPTION:An individually directed retreat focuses on the way God is active in the individual’s life\, and each retreat follows a uniquely personal path. Retreatants meet with a spiritual director once a day to reflect on God’s presence and movement in their life as revealed in prayer\, the events and relationships in their life\, and the response to God that is being made. The spiritual director may make suggestions (prayer forms\, Scripture\, reading materials\, etc.) to support and deepen the retreatant’s awareness of and response to God. Aside from the introductory session and daily spiritual direction meetings\, retreatants are on their own to experience a week of quiet\, peace\, and personal reflection in the Retreat Center and around our beautiful grounds. Mass will be available throughout the week. \nThis is a silent retreat. Check-in begins at 4pm\, and the retreat will begin with an orientation session at 5pm. Silence will begin after dinner. The retreat ends before lunch on Saturday. \nPlease indicate your preference for a spiritual director in the “Special Needs” part of the online registration form. \n  \nSr. Bernadette Claps\, MSW is a Sister of Bon Secours and provides spiritual direction and spiritual companionship at the Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center. She holds graduate certificates in Spiritual Direction\, Spirituality\, and Aging. She has done graduate studies in theology and received a Master of Social Work from New York University. \nNOTE: Fr. Phil’s directee schedule is full. Please select one of our other excellent directors.\nFr. Phillip Cover is an experienced retreat leader\, spiritual director\, pilgrimage leader\, and author. He has led retreats at Bon Secours for most of the past thirty years. He previously served at the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) in Washington\, DC and 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. \nFr. Patrick Bergquist\, M.Div.\, MFA.\, MATW — after nearly twenty years as a missionary priest along the Yukon River of Northern Alaska ؅— has turned to look into a wilderness far less charted\, but far more wondrous — that of the human heart and soul. Now a retired priest of the Missionary Diocese of Northern Alaska\, Fairbanks\, he spends his time as a spiritual and retreat director. He holds master’s degrees in Divinity\, Creative Writing\, and Theopoetics\, as well as two certificates in spiritual direction\, including the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. As a writer\, a poet\, and a priest\, he’s written for publications such as Spiritual Life and America Magazine\, as well as authoring a book\, The Long Dark Winter’s Night: Reflections of a Priest in a Time of Pain and Privilege. He is currently working on a spiritual memoir called Springtime Beneath the Snows: Confessions of a Priest-Turn-Poet. \nJoanne Cahoon\, D.Min. holds a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies\, master’s degree in Religion/Pastoral Ministry\, graduate certificates in spiritual direction and in spirituality studies\, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago\, where her specialization was spirituality and practical theology. Along the way\, Joanne has taught in elementary\, secondary\, undergraduate\, and graduate school settings. She has also served as youth minister\, high school campus minister\, consultant\, writer\, national trainer\, diocesan staff member\, staff member of a graduate school\, spiritual director\, facilitator of retreats\, and professional coach. Joanne has welcomed and worked with many individuals and groups\, serving them as they listen for God’s invitations in their personal and corporate lives. She finds it a privilege to be involved in spiritual and human formation — bringing deep listening\, presence\, creativity\, and a commitment to her own ongoing formation to her work. \nAmy Sorensen Kulesa\, OFS\, M.Div.\, MSW is a spiritual director\, retreat leader and certified Introspective Breathwork™ facilitator. She earned a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University. She is a graduate of the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality\, the Bon Secours Spiritual Direction Institute\, and One Breath Institute. Immersed in both the Bon Secours and Franciscan charisms\, Amy enjoys facilitating retreats in which participants have the opportunity to discern the narrative of their own lives within the larger story of God’s abundant healing\, grace\, and mercy. \nGinny Novak\, MA is an experienced spiritual director and retreat leader with a strong background in Ignatian spirituality. She is specifically trained in guiding the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. Ginny has directed several retreats at the Bon Secours Retreat Center and leads annual summer retreats at Loyola on the Potomac in Southern Maryland. She also serves as a Spiritual Reflector with the Ignatian Volunteer Corps and as a Spiritual Advisor for the Cursillo Movement in Washington\, DC. A widow\, mother\, and grandmother\, Ginny brings a deep reverence for God’s presence in each person’s life\, offering support\, active listening\, and quiet companionship to those she accompanies on retreat.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/silent-directed-retreat-june-2026/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Overnight,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2014/09/retreat_butterfly1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260612T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260614T113000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20250924T185616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250924T192939Z
UID:11836-1781280000-1781436600@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Calling Upon Sophia – A Weekend Silent Retreat
DESCRIPTION:“Wisdom calls aloud in the streets. She raises her voice in the public squares: She calls out at the street corners. She delivers her message at the city gates.” Proverbs 1:20-21 \nThere is a voice that rises above the noise of these uncertain and complex times. Hagia Sophia\, Holy Wisdom\, is crying out in the very heart of it all. \nIn Christian theology\, Sophia—the Greek word for wisdom — is often personified as a feminine divine figure representing God’s wisdom and creative power. She is sometimes associated with the Holy Spirit\, and in some traditions\, to Mary\, mother of Jesus. Sophia embodies the active\, loving presence of God in both creation and redemption\, offering insights into divine mysteries and inspiring righteous action. Her voice\, ancient and true\, still echoes through the streets and alleyways of our lives\, inviting us — almost desperately it seems—to turn\, to tune in\, and to listen. \nThis silent retreat weekend is an invitation to answer that call. Together\, we will step away from the noise of the world and gently enter into spacious silence — making room to encounter Sophia as she moves among us. In the soft unfolding of the weekend\, we will welcome Sophia as guide and companion — listening for her messages of love and hope in the whisper of stillness\, in the stirrings of the heart\, in the breath between words. We will gather for a time of welcome and introduction of the theme on Friday evening and then enter into silence for the weekend. Short reflections will be offered on Saturday morning and evening\, with an optional time for tea and music on Saturday afternoon. On Sunday morning\, we will gather to share out of the silence and gently gather the graces of the weekend. Come and rest. Come and listen. Come and be guided by the voice that sings at the city gates and the edges of your soul. Guided by Lorie Conway. \nCheck-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. \nLorie Conway\, MA\, Spiritual Companion has a passion for deep listening and accompanying others on their spiritual journeys through spiritual companionship\, contemplative small groups\, and spiritual retreats. Lorie received her certificate in spiritual direction from the Kairos School of Spiritual Formation and holds a master’s degree in Religion from Lancaster Theological Seminary and a master’s degree in Behavioral Management & Human Resources from Johns Hopkins University. Lorie is on the programming staff at Well for the Journey and is the director of the Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Spiritual Groups & Retreats program at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. Lorie’s spirituality is rooted in the Christ tradition and is welcoming of the many paths and unique journeys enfolded within Divine Mystery.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/calling-upon-sophia-a-weekend-silent-retreat/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Overnight,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/02/candle-in-winter-lantern-e1644329082200.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260623T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260623T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20251205T191604Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T191604Z
UID:12113-1782241200-1782244800@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:In-Person\, Evening Centering Prayer Session
DESCRIPTION:Held IN PERSON on the \n\n2nd and 5th Tuesdays of the month\, 1-2pm and\n4th Tuesday of the month\, 7-8pm.\n\nFor these in-person sessions\, registration is required and preferred in advance. \n(Virtual Zoom sessions will be the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 1-2pm. Register for Virtual Sessions by emailing facilitator Amy Sorensen Kulesa at kulesa.neshama@gmail.com.) \nCentering Prayer is a form of Christian contemplative prayer\, in which one abides in the Presence of God in interior silence. Centering Prayer emphasizes the indwelling Presence of the Holy Trinity within and among us\, and our openness\, through receptive silence and restful surrender\, to God’s action and healing grace. For our one-hour sessions\, we will gather to pray together in silence\, attentive to the stillness within\, and reflect together on readings related to our prayer life. The sessions are relaxed and informal. You are invited to dress comfortably and use a meditation cushion\, if you would like. \nFacilitation for each Centering Prayer session will be led by an experienced member of the group\, both staff and from the community. We follow a consistent format from week to week\, with variability each session in the reflective reading that is shared. Coordinated by Amy Sorensen Kulesa.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/in-person-evening-centering-prayer-session-30/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/04/hands-1926414_640-e1657224031120.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260712T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260718T113000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20250811T135111Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T225343Z
UID:11574-1783872000-1784374200@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Silent Directed Retreat - July 2026
DESCRIPTION:An individually directed retreat focuses on the way God is active in the individual’s life\, and each retreat follows a uniquely personal path. Retreatants meet with a spiritual director once a day to reflect on God’s presence and movement in their life as revealed in prayer\, the events and relationships in their life\, and the response to God that is being made. The spiritual director may make suggestions (prayer forms\, Scripture\, reading materials\, etc.) to support and deepen the retreatant’s awareness of and response to God. Aside from the introductory session and daily spiritual direction meetings\, retreatants are on their own to experience a week of quiet\, peace\, and personal reflection in the Retreat Center and around our beautiful grounds. Mass will be available throughout the week. \nThis is a silent retreat. Check-in begins at 4pm\, and the retreat will begin with an orientation session at 5pm. Silence will begin after dinner. The retreat ends before lunch on Saturday. \nPlease indicate your preference for a spiritual director in the “Special Needs” part of the online registration form. \nJoanne Cahoon\, D.Min. holds a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies\, master’s degree in Religion/Pastoral Ministry\, graduate certificates in spiritual direction and in spirituality studies\, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago\, where her specialization was spirituality and practical theology. Along the way\, Joanne has taught in elementary\, secondary\, undergraduate\, and graduate school settings. She has also served as youth minister\, high school campus minister\, consultant\, writer\, national trainer\, diocesan staff member\, staff member of a graduate school\, spiritual director\, facilitator of retreats\, and professional coach. Joanne has welcomed and worked with many individuals and groups\, serving them as they listen for God’s invitations in their personal and corporate lives. She finds it a privilege to be involved in spiritual and human formation — bringing deep listening\, presence\, creativity\, and a commitment to her own ongoing formation to her work. \nAmy Sorensen Kulesa\, M.Div.\, MSW is a spiritual director\, retreat leader and certified Introspective Breathwork™ facilitator. She earned a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University. She is a graduate of Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality\, Bon Secours Spiritual Direction Institute\, and One Breath Institute. Immersed in both the Bon Secours and Franciscan charisms\, Amy enjoys facilitating retreats in which participants have the opportunity to discern the narrative of their own lives within the larger story of God’s abundant healing\, grace\, and mercy. \nSr. Jo-Ann Flora\, a native Philadelphian\, is a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur and resides in the Washington\, DC area. She serves as a spiritual director\, meeting individuals in person and virtually\, and a retreat director. Originally trained by the Jesuits as a director of the Spiritual Exercises\, she has engaged in retreat ministry since 1980 in many spirituality centers\, parishes\, and schools. She is also a certified Music Imagery (MI) facilitator and Focusing facilitator. She served as Coordinator of Notre Dame de Namur Associates in the mid-Atlantic region for fifteen years. She holds a master’s degree from Georgetown University and a doctoral degree from the University of California. \nSr. Jean Marie Holup\, SS.C.M.\, a Sister of Saints Cyril and Methodius\, has previously ministered as the Director of St. Cyril Spiritual Center in Danville\, PA  for the past 20 years. Before that time Jean was on staff at Bon Secours Spiritual Center in Marriottsville\, MD from 1996 -1999. She is the proud recipient of a master’s degree in Christian Spirituality in 1995 from Creighton University\, Omaha\, NE\, and did her practicum at the Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth in Wernersville\, PA. Jean has the privilege of being a spiritual director involved in retreat work on the East Coast\, in several Mid-Western States\, and in Nova Scotia\, Canada. She has been giving retreats at Mercy Center in CT\, and Gonzaga Eastern Point Jesuit retreat house in Gloucester\, MA. An experienced spiritual director\, she has witnessed the profound insights discovered through the working of the Holy Spirit during each person’s spiritual journey. Jean is currently the Director of Formation for her Congregation. She enjoys singing\, dream work\, creating sacred life patterns with collage\, and taking walks in nature.  \nFr. Michael Schleupner’s schedule of directees is full. Please choose one of our other excellent directors. Fr. Michael Schleupner\, JCL was ordained in 1972 and has been a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore for fifty-three years. For the past eight years\, he has devoted himself to a ministry of spirituality. This includes spiritual direction\, some retreats or retreat days\, sacramental assistance at a parish\, and a weekly electronic spirituality column called Inbox Inspirations which one can receive at no cost (fathermikeinbox@gmail.com). Fr. Michael’s Sunday homilies are also available at www.fathermikeschleupner.blogspot.com. His weekend Mass schedule is on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FatherMikeSchleupner). Fr. Michael offers spiritual direction at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Parkton\, at the Caritas Counseling Center in Lutherville\, and at the Saint Luke Institute in Silver Spring. He is a graduate of the Bon Secours Spiritual Direction Institute. In recent years\, he has also done studies in spirituality and secularism.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/silent-directed-retreat-july-2026/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Overnight,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2022/06/Untitled-4.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260725T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260801T130000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20250723T053244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T144226Z
UID:11546-1784995200-1785589200@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:8-Day Ignatian Silent Directed Retreat
DESCRIPTION:New in 2026: The 8-Day Ignatian Silent Directed Retreat will be the only group in-house at the Retreat Center during these dates! \nThe Ignatian Directed Retreat will be privileged time for you to deepen your relationship with God. You will be assigned a trained spiritual director with whom you will meet briefly each day to discern the movements of God in your life as revealed through your prayer. \nThe “direction” of directed retreats is that of discovering and exploring your own journey in faith and life and what path better helps you go in the direction you seek and Jesus invites. Embedded in the tradition of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola\, your retreat is made with a retreat director who supports\, listens\, and has made the journey before. For those who are able\, daily walks with Ignatian teachings will also be available. Aside from these daily conversations and the time you set aside for your own personal prayer\, your retreat time is unstructured. Mass will be available throughout the week. \nThis is a silent retreat. Check-in begins at 4pm\, and the retreat will begin with an orientation session at 5pm. The retreat will end after lunch on Saturday. \nPlease indicate your preference for a spiritual director in the “Special Needs” part of the online registration form. \nJoy Aker\, MA is a spiritual director\, labyrinth facilitator\, and a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. She has a master’s degree in Spirituality from St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore. She was also trained in Ignatian Spirituality and the Ignatian Exercises at Ignatius Jesuit Center in Guelph\, Ontario. Her focus is on helping others to develop a holistic spirituality which looks to wholeness in body\, mind\, and spirit. Joy also has a great interest in assisting others as they deepen their relationship with God through individual spiritual direction and group retreats.   \nNancy Bickel has served as a hospice nurse and as a nurse in psychiatry. She has a master’s in Pastoral Care and Spirituality\, has studied Ignatian Spirituality\, and is a certified spiritual director. She has been serving as a spiritual director since 2004. Nancy is a member of the Secular Carmelite Order and is a wife\, mother to three daughters\, and grandmother to three teenagers. She enjoys living on a small farm in Maryland. \nFr. Patrick Bergquist\, M.Div. spent nearly 20 years as a missionary along the Yukon River in Northern Alaska\, but now explores a wilderness far less chartered — that of the human spirit and soul. A diocesan priest of Fairbanks\, he holds a Master of Divinity degree from St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore and Certificates in Spiritual Direction from the Heychia School in Tucson\, Arizona and the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University in Chicago\, where he specialized in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Additionally\, he earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Literary Arts from the University of Alaska Anchorage. He’s a poet\, a spiritual memoirist\, and the author of The Long Dark Winter’s Night: Reflections of a Priest in a Time of Pain and Privilege\, as well as various articles in publications such as Spiritual Life and American Magazine. \nPaul Gallagher\, D.Min. is a longtime faith formation leader in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is currently the Director of Faith Formation at Sacred Heart Parish in Glyndon. He received his doctorate at Catholic University of America\, focusing on the positive effects Ignatian Spirituality can have on a person’s health and well-being. His blog\, makingallthingsnew.com\, has been viewed by thousands of people all over the world. Through his retreats\, blog posts\, and spiritual direction\, he looks to help people transform their lives by integrating Ignatian practices into their daily routines. Paul used the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius to get his own health back on track and looks forward to helping you with your transformation. \nElaine Ireland\, MA is a spiritual director\, retreat leader\, and writer with over 20 years in Christian ministry. She has a Master of Arts in Spiritual and Pastoral Care from Loyola University and has led numerous people through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in Everyday Life\, as well as companioning others on their spiritual journeys. She writes weekly scripture reflections; for the past 17 years\, she has written Come and See in ordinary time and Provisions for the Journey during Advent and Lent\, both of which can be found on a Dominican website called Preacher (PreacherExchange.com/comeandsee.htm). She is passionate about world and indigenous faith practices\, inspirational poetry and music\, and how we are to live Christ’s calling in the 21st century. \nDee Papania\, D.Min. began her career in professional ministry over 23 years ago and continues to serve at St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Church in Woodstock\, Maryland. Previously filling roles as Pastoral Associate\, Director of Faith Formation\, Director of the Center for Ignatian Spirituality\, and coordinator for the parish’s Retreat Directors Team\, in September 2018 she was appointed Parish Life Director by Archbishop Lori. Her academic accomplishments include a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies\, master’s degrees in Theology and Church Management\, and a Doctor of Ministry degree. She is a trained Spiritual Director in the tradition of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. She has completed formation through the Jesuit/Lay Collaborative (now called the Office of Ignatian Spirituality) and has taught in the Archdiocesan Equip for Ministry Program.  \nThe Reverend Stephen Wade is a friend of Bon Secours of nearly twenty-five years\, as well a retired parish priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. During Steve’s tenure as Rector of Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill in Alexandria (1995 to 2006)\, a special interest in Ignatian spirituality arose out of the daily responsibilities of parish ministry. One outcome from that early Ignatian interest was to join Martha Campbell at Bon Secours to form a retreat team focused entirely on Ignatian prayer. Connections from that team led Steve to engage with staff at Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation (Bethesda\, MD)\, the Loyola House/Ignatian Jesuit Center (Guelph\, Ontario)\, and Loyola Retreat House (Faulkner\, MD). From that first Bon Secours team\, Marilyn Merikangus introduced Steve to the Ignatian Retreat Team at Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown\, where he continues to serve. On retiring from parish ministry in 2006\, Steve accepted an invitation from Bishop Peter Lee of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia to help form\, and then to lead\, a program on “Discernment for Leadership — Lay and Ordained” in the Episcopal Diocese. A native of St. Louis\, Steve has served parishes in the Dioceses of New York\, Connecticut\, Massachusetts\, Chicago\, and Virginia. He trained in the work of spiritual direction and retreat leadership at the Weston School of Theology (Cambridge\, MA) and Loyola House/Ignatian Jesuit Center (Guelph\, Ontario). Steve completed a 30-day retreat with Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises at the Eastern Point Retreat House (Gloucester\, MA) in 1999. He looks forward to returning to Bon Secours for the Ignatian Directed Retreat in July 2026. \nCathy Whitaker\, MS\, MSN\, RN\, is a student of Ignatian Spirituality and a trained Spiritual Director with strong listening and collaboration skills\, relevant experience\, and a deep sense of compassion. She is committed to accompanying individuals as they develop and deepen their relationship with the Lord. Cathy earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Gwynedd Mercy University and her Master of Science in Nursing from Villanova University\, in addition to a Masters of Applied Behavioral Science from Johns Hopkins University. Her interests include traveling\, gardening\, cooking\, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/8-day-ignatian-directed-retreat-2026/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Overnight,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2016/11/flower-in-full-bloom-e1645190808551.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260809T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260815T113000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20250811T134547Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T142149Z
UID:11571-1786291200-1786793400@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Silent Directed Retreat - August 2026
DESCRIPTION:An individually directed retreat focuses on the way God is active in the individual’s life\, and each retreat follows a uniquely personal path. Retreatants meet with a spiritual director once a day to reflect on God’s presence and movement in their life as revealed in prayer\, the events and relationships in their life\, and the response to God that is being made. The spiritual director may make suggestions (prayer forms\, Scripture\, reading materials\, etc.) to support and deepen the retreatant’s awareness of and response to God. Aside from the introductory session and daily spiritual direction meetings\, retreatants are on their own to experience a week of quiet\, peace\, and personal reflection in the Retreat Center and around our beautiful grounds. Mass will be available throughout the week. \nThis is a silent retreat. Check-in begins at 4pm\, and the retreat will begin with an orientation session at 5pm. Silence will begin after dinner. The retreat ends before lunch on Saturday. \nPlease indicate your preference for a spiritual director in the “Special Needs” part of the online registration form. \nSr. Ann Belmonte is a Dominican Sister of Hope and former elementary school teacher who has ministered for the past 33 years as a Pastoral Associate in West Virginia and Virginia. She now uses her gifts as a spiritual director and a leader of Days of Reflection and study. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education from Mount St. Mary’s College\, a master’s degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from Hunter College\, and a master’s degree in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University. Her ongoing formation includes workshops in spirituality\, sacred scripture\, hospice care\, caregiving\, and issues of justice and peace. \nFr. Patrick Bergquist\, M.Div. spent nearly 20 years as a missionary along the Yukon River in Northern Alaska. Now he explores a wilderness far less chartered — that of the human spirit and soul. A diocesan priest of Fairbanks\, he holds a Master of Divinity degree from St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore and Certificates in Spiritual Direction from the Heychia School in Tucson\, Arizona and the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University in Chicago\, where he specialized in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Additionally\, he earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Literary Arts from the University of Alaska Anchorage. He’s a poet\, a spiritual memoirist\, and the author of The Long Dark Winter’s Night: Reflections of a Priest in a Time of Pain and Privilege\, as well as various articles in publications such as Spiritual Life and American Magazine. \nJoanne Cahoon\, D.Min. holds a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies\, master’s degree in Religion/Pastoral Ministry\, graduate certificates in spiritual direction and in spirituality studies\, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago\, where her specialization was spirituality and practical theology. Along the way\, Joanne has taught in elementary\, secondary\, undergraduate\, and graduate school settings. She has also served as youth minister\, high school campus minister\, consultant\, writer\, national trainer\, diocesan staff member\, staff member of a graduate school\, spiritual director\, facilitator of retreats\, and professional coach. Joanne has welcomed and worked with many individuals and groups\, serving them as they listen for God’s invitations in their personal and corporate lives. She finds it a privilege to be involved in spiritual and human formation — bringing deep listening\, presence\, creativity\, and a commitment to her own ongoing formation to her work. \nAmy Sorensen Kulesa\, M.Div.\, MSW is a spiritual director\, retreat leader and certified Introspective Breathwork™ facilitator. She earned a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University. She is a graduate of Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality\, Bon Secours Spiritual Direction Institute\, and One Breath Institute. Immersed in both the Bon Secours and Franciscan charisms\, Amy enjoys facilitating retreats in which participants have the opportunity to discern the narrative of their own lives within the larger story of God’s abundant healing\, grace\, and mercy. \nSr. Mary Elizabeth Looby\, GNSH began her training as a retreat and spiritual director at Bon Secours Spiritual Center in 1983. She later followed up with a master’s degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling\, with an emphasis in Spiritual Care from Neuman University in Aston\, PA. She currently lives in Philadelphia and is involved in spiritual direction and retreat ministry. She has directed retreats in Rhode Island\, Connecticut\, New Jersey\, New York\, Texas and Pennsylvania. Her background includes education\, educational administration\, and congregation work in the areas of formation ministry\, associates\, spiritual animation\, and congregational leadership. 
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/silent-directed-retreat-august-2026/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Overnight,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/08/tim-cooper-RmLSBjS5diE-unsplash-scaled-e1692728128962.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260825T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260825T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20251205T191647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T191647Z
UID:12115-1787684400-1787688000@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:In-Person\, Evening Centering Prayer Session
DESCRIPTION:Held IN PERSON on the \n\n2nd and 5th Tuesdays of the month\, 1-2pm and\n4th Tuesday of the month\, 7-8pm.\n\nFor these in-person sessions\, registration is required and preferred in advance. \n(Virtual Zoom sessions will be the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 1-2pm. Register for Virtual Sessions by emailing facilitator Amy Sorensen Kulesa at kulesa.neshama@gmail.com.) \nCentering Prayer is a form of Christian contemplative prayer\, in which one abides in the Presence of God in interior silence. Centering Prayer emphasizes the indwelling Presence of the Holy Trinity within and among us\, and our openness\, through receptive silence and restful surrender\, to God’s action and healing grace. For our one-hour sessions\, we will gather to pray together in silence\, attentive to the stillness within\, and reflect together on readings related to our prayer life. The sessions are relaxed and informal. You are invited to dress comfortably and use a meditation cushion\, if you would like. \nFacilitation for each Centering Prayer session will be led by an experienced member of the group\, both staff and from the community. We follow a consistent format from week to week\, with variability each session in the reflective reading that is shared. Coordinated by Amy Sorensen Kulesa.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/in-person-evening-centering-prayer-session-31/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/04/hands-1926414_640-e1657224031120.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260908T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260908T104500
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20251205T194021Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T194021Z
UID:12135-1788859800-1788864300@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Quiet Mornings - In Person Session
DESCRIPTION:Quiet Mornings sessions are currently being held IN-PERSON on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. \n(It is also held virtually on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday and 4th Saturday. Every virtual session is held from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon.)\nPlease email Joanne at jmcahooneph3@gmail.com for the Zoom sessions invitation for Virtual sessions. \nQuiet mornings provide an opportunity for quiet – for reflection\, prayer\, listening\, presence – in common with others. Perhaps you’d like to carve out time\, but could use the support of a structure that is also flexible? Most of us could! And there is encouragement and strength in coming together in this way. You are welcome whenever matches your schedule/desire/need. \nEach gathering is bracketed by an opening and closing prayer. The quiet hour at its heart is not scripted or guided. Each one enters the quiet and utilizes or follows it as she/he desires to do so. Some opt to journal\, read\, walk; to engage in meditation; imaginative prayer or centering prayer; art or collage; or physical movement. The commitment to enter the quiet with some regularity as an ongoing practice is the point. By doing so in companionship with others\, we support each other’s journey just by willingly being present in God’s presence together\, and hoping good for each other. In our closing prayer\, we pray a blessing for each other. Please feel welcome! Guided by Joanne Cahoon. \nJoanne Cahoon\, D.Min. – spiritual director\, retreat leader\, coach – facilitates the Quiet Mornings. 
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/quiet-mornings-in-person-session-29/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Daytime,Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2019/01/sunrise-by-pond-e1684934227592.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20251205T191734Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T191734Z
UID:12117-1790103600-1790107200@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:In-Person\, Evening Centering Prayer Session
DESCRIPTION:Held IN PERSON on the \n\n2nd and 5th Tuesdays of the month\, 1-2pm and\n4th Tuesday of the month\, 7-8pm.\n\nFor these in-person sessions\, registration is required and preferred in advance. \n(Virtual Zoom sessions will be the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 1-2pm. Register for Virtual Sessions by emailing facilitator Amy Sorensen Kulesa at kulesa.neshama@gmail.com.) \nCentering Prayer is a form of Christian contemplative prayer\, in which one abides in the Presence of God in interior silence. Centering Prayer emphasizes the indwelling Presence of the Holy Trinity within and among us\, and our openness\, through receptive silence and restful surrender\, to God’s action and healing grace. For our one-hour sessions\, we will gather to pray together in silence\, attentive to the stillness within\, and reflect together on readings related to our prayer life. The sessions are relaxed and informal. You are invited to dress comfortably and use a meditation cushion\, if you would like. \nFacilitation for each Centering Prayer session will be led by an experienced member of the group\, both staff and from the community. We follow a consistent format from week to week\, with variability each session in the reflective reading that is shared. Coordinated by Amy Sorensen Kulesa.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/in-person-evening-centering-prayer-session-32/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/04/hands-1926414_640-e1657224031120.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261013T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261013T104500
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20251205T194102Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T194102Z
UID:12137-1791883800-1791888300@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Quiet Mornings - In Person Session
DESCRIPTION:Quiet Mornings sessions are currently being held IN-PERSON on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. \n(It is also held virtually on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday and 4th Saturday. Every virtual session is held from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon.)\nPlease email Joanne at jmcahooneph3@gmail.com for the Zoom sessions invitation for Virtual sessions. \nQuiet mornings provide an opportunity for quiet – for reflection\, prayer\, listening\, presence – in common with others. Perhaps you’d like to carve out time\, but could use the support of a structure that is also flexible? Most of us could! And there is encouragement and strength in coming together in this way. You are welcome whenever matches your schedule/desire/need. \nEach gathering is bracketed by an opening and closing prayer. The quiet hour at its heart is not scripted or guided. Each one enters the quiet and utilizes or follows it as she/he desires to do so. Some opt to journal\, read\, walk; to engage in meditation; imaginative prayer or centering prayer; art or collage; or physical movement. The commitment to enter the quiet with some regularity as an ongoing practice is the point. By doing so in companionship with others\, we support each other’s journey just by willingly being present in God’s presence together\, and hoping good for each other. In our closing prayer\, we pray a blessing for each other. Please feel welcome! Guided by Joanne Cahoon. \nJoanne Cahoon\, D.Min. – spiritual director\, retreat leader\, coach – facilitates the Quiet Mornings. 
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/quiet-mornings-in-person-session-30/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Daytime,Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2019/01/sunrise-by-pond-e1684934227592.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261027T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261027T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230549
CREATED:20251205T191935Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T191935Z
UID:12119-1793127600-1793131200@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:In-Person\, Evening Centering Prayer Session
DESCRIPTION:Held IN PERSON on the \n\n2nd and 5th Tuesdays of the month\, 1-2pm and\n4th Tuesday of the month\, 7-8pm.\n\nFor these in-person sessions\, registration is required and preferred in advance. \n(Virtual Zoom sessions will be the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 1-2pm. Register for Virtual Sessions by emailing facilitator Amy Sorensen Kulesa at kulesa.neshama@gmail.com.) \nCentering Prayer is a form of Christian contemplative prayer\, in which one abides in the Presence of God in interior silence. Centering Prayer emphasizes the indwelling Presence of the Holy Trinity within and among us\, and our openness\, through receptive silence and restful surrender\, to God’s action and healing grace. For our one-hour sessions\, we will gather to pray together in silence\, attentive to the stillness within\, and reflect together on readings related to our prayer life. The sessions are relaxed and informal. You are invited to dress comfortably and use a meditation cushion\, if you would like. \nFacilitation for each Centering Prayer session will be led by an experienced member of the group\, both staff and from the community. We follow a consistent format from week to week\, with variability each session in the reflective reading that is shared. Coordinated by Amy Sorensen Kulesa.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/in-person-evening-centering-prayer-session-33/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/04/hands-1926414_640-e1657224031120.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261029T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261029T160000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230550
CREATED:20260316T120849Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T120849Z
UID:12406-1793266200-1793289600@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Hermit Day
DESCRIPTION:Day of Quiet at Bon Secours \nDo you… \n\nneed a day of quiet and solitude to rest\, reflect\, be?\nneed at least one of these each year?\nsense that God may be inviting you to enter silence and reorient?\n\nOctober 29th might be just for you\, as it is the annual celebration of National Hermit Day. \nAlthough its origins are not firmly known\, many attribute Hermit Day’s origin to the 18th century and suggest a connection to the Irish Hermit Saint Colman. It gives us an opportunity to join the many others who — throughout Christian history — have entered silence and solitude to remember what is most important: to listen\, to pray. A day like this has the potential to initiate or strengthen a regular practice. \nSince 2014\, Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center has hosted Quiet Morning events that are also opportunities for shared silence. This day will follow a similar pattern. We will begin and end together in simple prayer\, have lunch in shared silence\, and spend the day on our own in prayer or other quiet activities such as walking\, doing art\, reading\, journaling — whatever you feel inclined to do. The Center’s daily Mass at 11:00 am will be available to you\, if desired. This is mostly a silent retreat. Lunch is included. Guided by Joanne Cahoon. \nJoanne Cahoon\, D.Min. holds a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies\, master’s degree in Religion/Pastoral Ministry\, graduate certificates in spiritual direction and in spirituality studies\, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago\, where her specialization was spirituality and practical theology. Along the way\, Joanne has taught in elementary\, secondary\, undergraduate\, and graduate school settings. She has also served as youth minister\, high school campus minister\, consultant\, writer\, national trainer\, diocesan staff member\, staff member of a graduate school\, spiritual director\, facilitator of retreats\, and professional coach. Joanne has welcomed and worked with many individuals and groups\, serving them as they listen for God’s invitations in their personal and corporate lives. She finds it a privilege to be involved in spiritual and human formation — bringing deep listening\, presence\, creativity\, and a commitment to her own ongoing formation to her work.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/hermit-day/
LOCATION:Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center\, 1525 Marriottsville Road\, Marriottsville\, MD\, 21104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Daytime,Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2015/11/nick-reading-outside-e1654100569445.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261110T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261110T104500
DTSTAMP:20260417T230550
CREATED:20251205T194146Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T194146Z
UID:12139-1794303000-1794307500@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Quiet Mornings - In Person Session
DESCRIPTION:Quiet Mornings sessions are currently being held IN-PERSON on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. \n(It is also held virtually on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday and 4th Saturday. Every virtual session is held from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon.)\nPlease email Joanne at jmcahooneph3@gmail.com for the Zoom sessions invitation for Virtual sessions. \nQuiet mornings provide an opportunity for quiet – for reflection\, prayer\, listening\, presence – in common with others. Perhaps you’d like to carve out time\, but could use the support of a structure that is also flexible? Most of us could! And there is encouragement and strength in coming together in this way. You are welcome whenever matches your schedule/desire/need. \nEach gathering is bracketed by an opening and closing prayer. The quiet hour at its heart is not scripted or guided. Each one enters the quiet and utilizes or follows it as she/he desires to do so. Some opt to journal\, read\, walk; to engage in meditation; imaginative prayer or centering prayer; art or collage; or physical movement. The commitment to enter the quiet with some regularity as an ongoing practice is the point. By doing so in companionship with others\, we support each other’s journey just by willingly being present in God’s presence together\, and hoping good for each other. In our closing prayer\, we pray a blessing for each other. Please feel welcome! Guided by Joanne Cahoon. \nJoanne Cahoon\, D.Min. – spiritual director\, retreat leader\, coach – facilitates the Quiet Mornings. 
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/quiet-mornings-in-person-session-31/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Daytime,Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2019/01/sunrise-by-pond-e1684934227592.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261111T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261111T160000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230550
CREATED:20260316T124153Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T124153Z
UID:12424-1794389400-1794412800@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Welcoming Divine Love: A Quiet Day with Poetry
DESCRIPTION:“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. \nKathleen 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.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/welcoming-divine-love-a-quiet-day-with-poetry/
LOCATION:Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center\, 1525 Marriottsville Road\, Marriottsville\, MD\, 21104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Daytime,Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2020/06/Bible-and-heart.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261124T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261124T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230550
CREATED:20251205T192016Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T192016Z
UID:12121-1795546800-1795550400@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:In-Person\, Evening Centering Prayer Session
DESCRIPTION:Held IN PERSON on the \n\n2nd and 5th Tuesdays of the month\, 1-2pm and\n4th Tuesday of the month\, 7-8pm.\n\nFor these in-person sessions\, registration is required and preferred in advance. \n(Virtual Zoom sessions will be the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 1-2pm. Register for Virtual Sessions by emailing facilitator Amy Sorensen Kulesa at kulesa.neshama@gmail.com.) \nCentering Prayer is a form of Christian contemplative prayer\, in which one abides in the Presence of God in interior silence. Centering Prayer emphasizes the indwelling Presence of the Holy Trinity within and among us\, and our openness\, through receptive silence and restful surrender\, to God’s action and healing grace. For our one-hour sessions\, we will gather to pray together in silence\, attentive to the stillness within\, and reflect together on readings related to our prayer life. The sessions are relaxed and informal. You are invited to dress comfortably and use a meditation cushion\, if you would like. \nFacilitation for each Centering Prayer session will be led by an experienced member of the group\, both staff and from the community. We follow a consistent format from week to week\, with variability each session in the reflective reading that is shared. Coordinated by Amy Sorensen Kulesa.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/in-person-evening-centering-prayer-session-34/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Silent
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/04/hands-1926414_640-e1657224031120.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261207T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261207T160000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230550
CREATED:20260316T190610Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T190610Z
UID:12452-1796635800-1796659200@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Advent Day of Prayer
DESCRIPTION:“The Lord will come and he will not delay.” (Cf. Habakkuk 2:3)  \nAdvent is about waiting and preparing for the coming of Jesus\, commemorating his birth/first coming and also anticipating the second coming of Christ. But our Christian faith tells us that God is with us\, already and still. This holy season invites us to encounter God in the present\, in the day-to-day of our lives. Set aside some personal time and join us for a quiet day of prayer this Advent\, a season of both hopeful waiting and encountering God who is ever present. \nThe day will begin with reflective input by Sr. Bernie\, followed by time for private prayer and reflection\, lunch in silence\, the option of walking the labyrinth or beautiful grounds\, journaling\, or just relaxing with God. The atmosphere for the day will be reverent silence\, which allows us to encounter God and be attuned to God’s promptings. There will be the opportunity to attend Mass if you wish. The day will close with us coming together to name the blessings of the day and for a closing prayer. Lunch is included. This will be a day of silence. Guided by Sr. Bernie Claps. \nSr. Bernadette Claps\, MSW is a Sister of Bon Secours and provides spiritual direction and spiritual companionship at the Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center. She holds graduate certificates in Spiritual Direction\, Spirituality\, and Aging.  She has done graduate studies in theology and received a Master of Social Work from New York University. 
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/advent-day-of-prayer-4/
LOCATION:Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center\, 1525 Marriottsville Road\, Marriottsville\, MD\, 21104\, United States
CATEGORIES:Daytime,Just Added,Silent
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261208T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261208T104500
DTSTAMP:20260417T230550
CREATED:20251205T194224Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T194224Z
UID:12141-1796722200-1796726700@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:Quiet Mornings - In Person Session
DESCRIPTION:Quiet Mornings sessions are currently being held IN-PERSON on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. \n(It is also held virtually on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday and 4th Saturday. Every virtual session is held from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon.)\nPlease email Joanne at jmcahooneph3@gmail.com for the Zoom sessions invitation for Virtual sessions. \nQuiet mornings provide an opportunity for quiet – for reflection\, prayer\, listening\, presence – in common with others. Perhaps you’d like to carve out time\, but could use the support of a structure that is also flexible? Most of us could! And there is encouragement and strength in coming together in this way. You are welcome whenever matches your schedule/desire/need. \nEach gathering is bracketed by an opening and closing prayer. The quiet hour at its heart is not scripted or guided. Each one enters the quiet and utilizes or follows it as she/he desires to do so. Some opt to journal\, read\, walk; to engage in meditation; imaginative prayer or centering prayer; art or collage; or physical movement. The commitment to enter the quiet with some regularity as an ongoing practice is the point. By doing so in companionship with others\, we support each other’s journey just by willingly being present in God’s presence together\, and hoping good for each other. In our closing prayer\, we pray a blessing for each other. Please feel welcome! Guided by Joanne Cahoon. \nJoanne Cahoon\, D.Min. – spiritual director\, retreat leader\, coach – facilitates the Quiet Mornings. 
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/quiet-mornings-in-person-session-32/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Daytime,Just Added,Silent
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261222T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261222T200000
DTSTAMP:20260417T230550
CREATED:20251205T192057Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T192057Z
UID:12123-1797966000-1797969600@bonsecoursrcc.org
SUMMARY:In-Person\, Evening Centering Prayer Session
DESCRIPTION:Held IN PERSON on the \n\n2nd and 5th Tuesdays of the month\, 1-2pm and\n4th Tuesday of the month\, 7-8pm.\n\nFor these in-person sessions\, registration is required and preferred in advance. \n(Virtual Zoom sessions will be the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 1-2pm. Register for Virtual Sessions by emailing facilitator Amy Sorensen Kulesa at kulesa.neshama@gmail.com.) \nCentering Prayer is a form of Christian contemplative prayer\, in which one abides in the Presence of God in interior silence. Centering Prayer emphasizes the indwelling Presence of the Holy Trinity within and among us\, and our openness\, through receptive silence and restful surrender\, to God’s action and healing grace. For our one-hour sessions\, we will gather to pray together in silence\, attentive to the stillness within\, and reflect together on readings related to our prayer life. The sessions are relaxed and informal. You are invited to dress comfortably and use a meditation cushion\, if you would like. \nFacilitation for each Centering Prayer session will be led by an experienced member of the group\, both staff and from the community. We follow a consistent format from week to week\, with variability each session in the reflective reading that is shared. Coordinated by Amy Sorensen Kulesa.
URL:https://bonsecoursrcc.org/event/in-person-evening-centering-prayer-session-35/
LOCATION:MD
CATEGORIES:Just Added,Silent
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