Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center

SoulCollage® for Beginners
2026-02-13 16:00 - 2026-02-15 11:30 (America/New_York)
Discover Your Inner Wisdom
Join Dawn for an immersive and transformative SoulCollage® weekend retreat designed specifically for beginners! This creative and introspective workshop introduces you to the SoulCollage® process, a powerful method of self-discovery through collaging. Using images, intuition, and imagination, you’ll create unique collaged cards that reflect aspects of your inner self, life experiences, and spiritual journey. No prior art experience is required — just an open heart and a willingness to explore!
Over the course of this weekend, you’ll learn the foundational principles of SoulCollage®, create your own deck of cards, and engage in guided exercises to deepen your understanding of your creations.
All supplies are provided, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in this nurturing and supportive environment. Whether you’re seeking personal growth, creative expression, or a meaningful connection with others, this retreat offers a safe and welcoming space to begin your SoulCollage® journey.
Please bring a pen, notepad/journal, and a favorite pair of scissors. A yoga mat, small pillow, and blanket are encouraged for use during the retreat. This retreat is for anyone who is seeking personal or professional growth through creative self-discovery and exploration. No artistic skills needed. Guided by Dawn Bero.
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.
Dawn Bero, a certified SoulCollage® facilitator, leverages her expertise as an ICF-trained executive coach to guide participants in exploring their inner landscapes through creative expression and reflective inquiry. As a holistic wellness educator and mixed media artist, Dawn blends her knowledge of mind-body wellness with her creative spirit to create nurturing and transformative spaces for personal growth. Learn more at Aligned-Outcomes.com.

Searching for the Sage Within
2026-02-11 09:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
We’re so sorry, but the presenter has canceled this retreat due to unforeseen circumstances. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment this may cause.

In-Person Centering Prayer Session
2026-02-10 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-13 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Retreat and Conference Center at Bon Secours, 1525 Marriottsville Road, Marriottsville, MD, 21104, United States
Held IN PERSON on the:

2nd and 5th Tuesdays of the month, 1-2pm and
4th Tuesday of the month, 7-8pm.

For these in-person sessions, registration is required in advance, due by the Monday before each in-person session.
(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.)
Centering 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.
Facilitation 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.

Quiet Mornings - In Person Session
2026-02-10 09:30 - 10:45, 2026-01-13 09:30 - 10:45 (America/New_York)
Quiet Mornings sessions are currently being held IN-PERSON on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.
(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.)
Please email Joanne at jmcahooneph3@gmail.com for the Zoom sessions invitation for Virtual sessions.
Quiet 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.
Each 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.
Joanne Cahoon, D.Min. – spiritual director, retreat leader, coach – facilitates the Quiet Mornings.

Grief Retreat
2026-02-07 09:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
The Revolution of Openness: Experiencing Grief and Loss in a New Era
The concept of grieving the loss of loved ones as a journey allows human beings to understand the healing process in stages, with accompanying tasks, and with needs that are both universal and unique. Yet there are many faces to grief and many ways of expressing it. Living in a post pandemic world, grieving as we know it has changed in innumerable ways. As we continue to emerge and move into this new era of living, our experiences of loss, change, and transitions — both as individuals and in communities — have been incredibly impacted. This compels us to intentionally recognize our emotions and reflect upon our experiences to heal and move forward in empowered ways. And, in solidarity with each other, we can bravely make steps toward openness to the powerful transformation these losses and our grief work can lead us to.
Join us for this one-day retreat as we gather together for deep listening, meaningful dialogue, and other contemplative exercises as a means of expressing our grief. Various resources will be offered to uplift participants on their journey as they consider their respective stories. Additionally, opportunities for considering some of the sacred tasks inherent to grieving the loss of loved ones and other significant transitions will be included. Please bring along a journal for use during the retreat. Lunch is included. Guided by Gordon Creamer.
Gordon Creamer, MA, creator of the Mission Bridge, currently serves as Program Director at Well for the Journey, a spiritual wellness center in Lutherville, MD. As a creative and contemplative builder, he has held leadership roles in healthcare programming and operations since 2001 at various assisted living, skilled nursing, and hospice communities. He earned a Master of Arts in Spiritual & Pastoral Care from Loyola University and a Master of Arts in Theology from the Ecumenical Institute of St. Mary’s Seminary & University. Currently, he is a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry Program at the Ecumenical Institute. Gordon has facilitated numerous retreats and workshops that focus on creating opportunities for participants to explore and enhance their spirituality and well-being through various media and formats. He also participates as a peer group leader in the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation’s Transforming Community Program. His passions include uplifting the journey of adults, individuals with memory impairment, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as fostering support groups and programs for caregivers and those who are grieving losses. Trained as a spiritual director/companion, end-of-life doula, and Reiki practitioner, Gordon welcomes all in discovering the spiritual life as a means of healing, expanding, and flourishing. For more information, visit TheMissionBridge.com.

VIRTUAL Continuing Education for Spiritual Directors - Feb
2026-02-07 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
God’s Recreation of the New Day: Morning Retreat on Zoom for Spiritual Directors
“I am in constant conversation with God, who is with me all the time. I just don’t have time in my schedule to make a retreat!”
The essence of God is love. We invite all spiritual directors to a morning of recreation and renewal. Through communal and personal prayer, we will create space and time to let God surround us with love. As part of the day, participants will be given the option to join in small groups to share how God lives and moves in our work and in our personal lives. The morning will include a guided meditation, centering prayer, and an opportunity for questions and discussion. Facilitated by Donna Bilek.

This is a virtual program, open to all spiritual directors. When registering for this virtual program, please provide the email address to which we should send the Zoom Meeting link. If you don’t receive the Zoom Meeting information by the day before the session, please contact the Welcome Center at 410-442-3120.
Donna Bilek, a 2018 graduate of the Bon Secours Spiritual Direction Institute, is a spiritual director and companion with over fifteen years’ experience. As an Associate with the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND), she serves on the Ongoing Personal Development in Community Committee for the SSNDs, presenting reflections and prayer on various topics, including grief and loss. Donna teaches and guides prayer at “earthwalk Center for Wholeness,” which she founded in 2005. For thirteen years, Donna taught Spirituality, Biblical Studies, and Death and Dying at Notre Dame of Maryland University. She has a master’s degree in Theology from St. Mary’s Seminary & University.

Friends Day of Prayer: Rev. Rich Gula, P.S.S.
2026-02-04 09:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Think, Thank, Pray, and Love
Spirituality is our way of living in relationship with God. We recognize our spirituality from the outside in. Spirituality on the outside refers to practices where we reach out to God and God can reach us. When we turn to spiritual practices, we are opening ourselves to whatever influence these practices have on our relationship with God, and in turn, on how we live the rest of our lives. This Friends Day of Prayer will examine four practices — think, thank, pray, and love — that can enable us to sustain an intimacy with God through our own suffering and through our role of caring for those who are suffering.
All are welcome to attend the Friends Day of Prayer retreats, held monthly on the first Wednesday of the month. It is not required to attend every month, so register for one or more sessions as your schedule allows. While the presenters and topics vary, each Friends Day of Prayer typically includes pastries and informal conversation at 9:30am, a morning presentation at 10am, an optional Mass, a delicious lunch, short periods of free time to enjoy the grounds or shop in the bookstore, and an afternoon presentation. Guided by Rev. Rich Gula.
Rev. Richard M. Gula, P.S.S. is a retired Sulpician priest. As a Sulpician, Rich dedicated himself to educating seminarians, priests, and lay pastoral ministers. After nearly four decades of teaching, he then served for eleven years as the Director of Personnel for the Sulpician Fathers, Province of the US. During his years of teaching, he published widely in moral theology, medical ethics, and spirituality, including The Good Life and The Call to Holiness from Paulist Press and The Way of Goodness and Holiness from Liturgical Press. His teaching and his publications were recognized as building bridges from academic theology to the practical interests of pastoral ministers and of the people in the pews. In his retirement, he serves as hospice volunteer and grief companion for Gilchrist within the Charlestown Senior Living Community.

Falling in Love with Creation
2026-01-30 09:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Responding to the Wonders and Cries of Mother Earth
13th-century mystic Hildegard of Bingen wrote: “If we fall in love with creation deeper and deeper, we will respond to its endangerment with passion.”
Come explore all the wonders freely offered to nourish our minds, bodies, and spirits…and return home with several concrete steps we can take to live in good relationship with our Mother Earth — giving and taking. As author Robin W Kimmerer says: “All flourishing is mutual.” The day will include time for presentation, small group sharing, journaling, and walking in the beauty of Bon Secours. Lunch is included. Guided by Annie Hisle.
Annie Hisle is a practicing psychotherapist and bereavement counselor and is a retired Montgomery Hospice grief counselor group facilitator. She is a spiritual companion, a home bound minister, workshop facilitator, and author of two books: My House Burned Down and Now I Can See the Stars and Remembering Smiles. She enjoys seven nearby grandchildren, yoga, movies, meals, long walks with her spouse and/or friends, as well as participating in her Shalem Centering Prayer Group, her bi-monthly women’s group, and a book group.

In-Person, Evening Centering Prayer Session
2026-01-27 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Held IN PERSON on the

2nd and 5th Tuesdays of the month, 1-2pm and
4th Tuesday of the month, 7-8pm.

For these in-person sessions, registration is required and preferred in advance.
(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.)
Centering 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.
Facilitation 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.

The Art of Noticing
2026-01-20 09:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
When we take the time to be aware of our thoughts, our inner and outer world shifts as the power of perspective transforms what we see and how we experience life. For real change to occur, we need awareness, dedication, and perseverance. Let’s come together to pause and be present; to “notice what we notice” and shift our attention to the things that will bring us into Divine alignment with Christ. Lunch is included. Guided by Sanyika Calloway.
Sanyika Calloway is a certified master yoga instructor with specializations in restorative yoga, vinyasa flow, yoga with weights, and yoga classes for all levels. Her classes are designed to accommodate beginners as well as advanced practitioners. She is passionate about helping participants move more freely and breathe easily, both on and off the mat. In addition to her yoga training and certifications, Sanyika holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and a master’s degree in Psychology.

Winter Directed Retreat, 6-night stay
2026-01-16 16:00 - 2026-01-22 13:00 UTC
Begin the new year by focusing on your path ahead and tuning into God’s voice. Our winter directed retreat consists of five days (6-night stay) of spiritual direction. Retreatants will meet with a spiritual director daily (or less if you desire) to reflect on God’s presence and movement in your life as revealed in prayer, the events and relationships in your 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 your awareness of and response to God.
Aside from the introductory session and your daily spiritual direction meetings, you will be on your own to experience a week of personal reflection. Mass will be available daily, except for Saturday. Guided by Sr. Bernadette Claps and Joanne Cahoon.
This is a silent retreat. Check-in begins at 4pm. There will be a brief welcome session at 5pm, followed by dinner at 6pm. The retreat begins after dinner at 7pm on Friday and concludes after lunch on Thursday.
Please indicate your preference for a spiritual director in the “Special Needs” part of the online registration form.
To register for the 3-Night Directed Retreat option instead, please click here.
Sr. 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.
Joanne 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.

Winter Directed Retreat, 3-night stay
2026-01-16 16:00 - 2026-01-19 13:00 UTC
Begin the new year by focusing on your path ahead and tuning into God’s voice. Our winter directed retreat consists of two days (3-night stay) of spiritual direction. Retreatants will meet with a spiritual director daily (or less if you desire) to reflect on God’s presence and movement in your life as revealed in prayer, the events and relationships in your 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 your awareness of and response to God.
Aside from the introductory session and your spiritual direction meetings, you will be on your own to experience a weekend of personal reflection. Mass will be available on Sunday and Monday. Guided by Fr. Jim McBurney, Amy Sorensen Kulesa, and Sr. Pat Mensing.
This is a silent retreat. Check-in begins at 4pm. There will be a brief welcome session at 5pm, followed by dinner at 6pm. The retreat begins after dinner at 7pm on Friday and concludes after lunch on Monday.
Please indicate your preference for a spiritual director in the “Special Needs” part of the online registration form.
To register for the 6-Night Directed Retreat option instead, please click here.
Fr. Jim McBurney is a priest of the Order of St. Augustine. He currently serves as Novice Director for the Augustinians, having previously done vocation and formation ministry for his community. In addition, he has served in parishes and province administration and has been engaged in retreat ministry and spiritual direction for many years.
Amy 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.
Sr. Pat Mensing is a Sister of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia and holds a master’s degree in Theology from St. Michael’s College in Colchester, VT, and a Certificate in Ignatian Spiritual Direction and Directed Retreats from Creighton University. She taught in elementary and secondary levels before serving in parish ministry in the fields of social justice and outreach in metro DC. Sr. Pat now lives in the Philadelphia area and works full time in spirituality ministry. She gives directed retreats, the 19th Annotation, days and evenings of reflection to parishes and schools, and offers individual spiritual direction both in-person and virtual formats.

From Aging to Saging
2026-01-14 09:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York)

Healthy Living with Saint Ignatius
2026-01-09 16:00 - 2026-01-11 13:00 (America/New_York)
Healthy Living with Saint Ignatius is a retreat rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, which focus on a whole person approach to being well: body, mind, and spirit. This retreat will provide you with tools to improve your health, deepen your faith, and enjoy life to the fullest — perfect for anyone eager to start the new year by making changes in their life, especially in the areas of prayer, diet, and exercise. Guided by Paul Gallagher.
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 after lunch on Sunday. Mass will be available Sunday morning for those who wish to attend.
Paul Gallagher, D.Min. is a longtime faith formation leader in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Paul used the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius to get his own health back on track and looks forward to helping you with your own transformation. Paul 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, www.makingallthingsnew.com, has been viewed by thousands of people all over the world, and through his retreats, blog posts and spiritual direction, he looks to help people transform their lives by integrating Ignatian practices into their daily routines.

Virtual Epiphany Retreat
2026-01-06 18:30 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
The lore surrounding the Magi has fascinated generations of believers and seekers for countless centuries. Couched in the mystique of the Christmas story, the role of these wise astrologers has evolved over time for individuals and communities as their personal meaning and contributions have been explored.
Join us on the Epiphany (or “Little Christmas” as it is known) for a mini retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. During our gathering together via Zoom, those present will consider information about these ancient figures and their legacy while applying the gift of their star-inspired journey to each participant’s respective story. Moreover, there will be opportunities to engage in prayer, contemplation, music, and other meaningful exercises for a deeper appreciation of how the Magi offer a unique spiritual treasure to our perennial celebration of Christmas and what it means to live life as a journey.
Please bring a journal for use throughout the virtual program. Participants are welcome to decorate their Zoom space before the program begins with sacred art, ornaments, or artifacts that personally symbolize the Epiphany or Magi for them.
This is a virtual program. When registering for this virtual program, please provide the email address to which we should send the Zoom Meeting link. If you don’t receive the Zoom Meeting information by the day before the session, please contact the Welcome Center at 410-442-3120. Guided by Gordon Creamer.
Gordon Creamer, MA, creator of the Mission Bridge, currently serves as Program Director at Well for the Journey, a spiritual wellness center in Lutherville, MD. As a creative and contemplative builder, he has held leadership roles in healthcare programming and operations since 2001 at various assisted living, skilled nursing, and hospice communities. He earned a Master of Arts in Spiritual & Pastoral Care from Loyola University and a Master of Arts in Theology from the Ecumenical Institute of St. Mary’s Seminary & University. Currently, he is a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry Program at the Ecumenical Institute. Gordon has facilitated numerous retreats and workshops that focus on creating opportunities for participants to explore and enhance their spirituality and well-being through various media and formats. He also participates as a peer group leader in the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation’s Transforming Community Program. His passions include uplifting the journey of adults, individuals with memory impairment, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as fostering support groups and programs for caregivers and those who are grieving losses. Trained as a spiritual director/companion, end-of-life doula, and Reiki practitioner, Gordon welcomes all in discovering the spiritual life as a means of healing, expanding, and flourishing. For more information, visit TheMissionBridge.com.

Virtual Caregiver's Support Group - January
2026-01-03 13:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Soul Care of Self for Caregivers: A Bi-Monthly Spiritual Support Group on Zoom
Scheduled for varying Saturdays every other calendar month (January, March, May, July, September, November), this two-hour online program is an invitation for caregivers of all types to converge and engage in a safe, sacred community and with various spiritual practices around a topic relevant to the caregiver experience. Each session will include time for a spiritual practice (including body prayer, silence, mantras, etc.), personal reflection, and group sharing.
The underlying focus for each gathering will be on creating meaning for each one’s respective journey while uncovering blessings and cultivating what each participant needs the most at that station in their caregiving. The topics explored will flow from what is expressed by participants during scheduled sessions and feedback. Various resources and materials for further consideration, connection, and support will be provided during and in between sessions.
Participants are not required to register for all bi-monthly sessions but are encouraged to attend as many as desire and availability allow. When registering for this virtual program, please provide the email address to which we should send the Zoom Meeting link. If you don’t receive the Zoom Meeting information by the day before the session, please contact the Welcome Center at 410-442-3120.
Gordon Creamer, MA, creator of the Mission Bridge, currently serves as Program Director at Well for the Journey, a spiritual wellness center in Lutherville, MD. As a creative and contemplative builder, he has held leadership roles in healthcare programming and operations since 2001 at various assisted living, skilled nursing, and hospice communities. He earned a Master of Arts in Spiritual & Pastoral Care from Loyola University and a Master of Arts in Theology from the Ecumenical Institute of St. Mary’s Seminary & University. Currently, he is a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry Program at the Ecumenical Institute. Gordon has facilitated numerous retreats and workshops that focus on creating opportunities for participants to explore and enhance their spirituality and well-being through various media and formats. He also participates as a peer group leader in the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation’s Transforming Community Program. His passions include uplifting the journey of adults, individuals with memory impairment, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as fostering support groups and programs for caregivers and those who are grieving losses. Trained as a spiritual director/companion, end-of-life doula, and Reiki practitioner, Gordon welcomes all in discovering the spiritual life as a means of healing, expanding, and flourishing. For more information, visit TheMissionBridge.com.

Bon Secours Studio Weekend
2026-01-02 16:00 - 2026-01-04 16:00 (America/New_York)
Kick-off the new year with a “séjour artistique” — a retreat-stay focused on art. Join fellow artists and makers of all types in a community space where you’ll have your own workstation from 4pm Friday through 4pm Sunday. That’s 48 hours of Bon Secours hospitality…so you have nothing to do but art! Optional sessions on helpful topics will be offered such as Color 101 and Visual Prayer. The weekend closes with an invitation to share your work. Open to all experience levels and all media except oil-based paints. Guided by Tara Mulder
Check-in begins at 4pm. There will be a brief welcome session at 5:30pm, followed by dinner at 6pm. Mass will be available Sunday morning for those who wish to attend. The retreat concludes at 4pm Sunday.
Tara Mulder realized she was an artist while painting a still life at the age of 15. Recreating the weathered wood grain of an old sled had such a joyful rightness about it that she knew art was what she wanted to do her whole life. An artist was who God made her to be. Fast forward through several years as a high school art teacher and a variety of creative day jobs, and Tara is still creating art with a sense of joyful rightness using a mosaic technique she developed. Her work, both faith-themed and non-objective, has been in several juried shows in Maryland and New York. In 2020 she completed a 24-foot-wide mural based on Romans 5:1-5 for a Christian ministry in St. Louis, Missouri. An extra panel from the mural hangs in the lobby at our Center. For more about Tara and her current body of work, visit TMulder.studio.

New Year’s Eve Retreat
2025-12-31 09:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Surprise Ahead!
What if we knew each morning, each start of a day (or a year) to be full of promise and good, and so we met each one with expectation and joy? What if we woke up and barreled into the new day like children hurrying to the tree on Christmas morning? Is that only for little ones? Can we hear God saying as we wake, “I have a gift for you, and I can’t wait for you to open it, to see it.” Imagine!
As we approach 2026, is it possible we can see and live this way? What gets in the way?
Before the night of fireworks, toasts, first footings, (or early bedtime!), spend the day with the Hope who holds you, who will help you hold fast to hope, wonder, and surprise. Lunch is included. Guided by Joanne Cahoon.
NOTE: At 4:00 pm on December 31, Bon Secours will offer a Vigil Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Holy Day of Obligation. All are welcome to attend.
Joanne 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.

Virtual Centering Prayer
2025-12-30 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Held VIRTUALLY on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays of the month, 1-2pm.
Centering 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.
Facilitation 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.
Register by emailing facilitator Amy Sorensen Kulesa at kulesa.neshama@gmail.com.
