Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center

8-Day Ignatian Directed Retreat
2026-07-25 16:00 - 2026-08-01 13:00 (America/New_York)
New in 2026: The 8-Day Ignatian Silent Directed Retreat will be the only group in-house at the Retreat Center during these dates!
The 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.
The “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.
This 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.
Please indicate your preference for a spiritual director in the “Special Needs” part of the online registration form.
Nancy 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.
Fr. 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.
Paul 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.
Dee 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.
Biographies for 8 additional directors will be added soon.

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

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

Silent Directed Retreat - August 2026
2026-08-09 16:00 - 2026-08-15 13:00
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.
This 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 after lunch on Saturday.
Please indicate your preference for a spiritual director in the “Special Needs” part of the online registration form.
Sr. 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.
Fr. 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.
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.
Amy 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.
Sr. 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.

Savoring Summer: A Self-Care Day for Women
2026-08-19 09:30 - 16:00
Late summer is nature’s soft exhale — a gentle pause between the outward energy of summer and the inward pull of autumn. It’s a season for centering, grounding, and savoring life’s simple abundance. In Chinese medicine, this “fifth season” invites us to come back to center, root into the present, and nourish ourselves deeply before the busyness of the next cycle begins. In this restorative one-day retreat for women, we’ll gather for guided meditation, reflective journaling, time in nature, art-making, and restful pauses. You will have space to breathe, listen inwardly, and replenish your energy — releasing the need to “do” and embracing the pleasure of simply “being.” Lunch is included. Guided by Michelle Lisenbee.
Michelle Lisenbee, RN, BSN, HNB-BC, LMT is a holistic registered nurse, a board-certified licensed massage therapist, and mixed media collage artist from Savage, MD. She received her bachelor’s degree in Nursing from George Mason University, her massage training at the Baltimore School of Massage, and her Board Certification from the American Holistic Nurses Association. Her training has included various bodywork and holistic therapies over the years. Michelle is also a self-taught mixed media artist who believes that connection is where healing happens. Exploring ways to cultivate space for connection both in her own life and the lives of others is her calling. She currently works at a small primary care practice in Montgomery County as well as offering workshops and retreats at various local venues. You can find out more at MichelleLisenbee.com.
Want to extend your retreat experience? With at least 48 hours’ notice (and subject to availability), Bon Secours offers “private retreats” with lodging and meals. Register for two back-to-back day retreats and add an overnight stay as a private retreatant for the night between. Call the Welcome Center at 410-442-3120 to inquire about booking a private retreat.

Holy Yoga Retreat
2026-08-20 09:30 - 16:00
Holy Yoga Flow: Movement & Meditation with the Divine in Mind
‘Come away with me’ says our Lord. We are meant to live and move and have our being in Him. Let’s take a break from the busy, roll out our mats, and lay our worries down before The One who sees, knows, and understands all. Bring your yoga mat, a bottle of water, comfortable loose clothes, and a journal to this time of gentle, intentional movement and mindful meditation with the Divine in mind. 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.

Jesus and the Chakras: Exploring Ancient Wisdom, Living Incarnationally
2026-08-21 16:00 - 2026-08-24 11:30
“The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” ~Luke 6:45 (NRSVUE Translation)
“Speak with integrity. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.” ~Don Miguel Ruiz
Have you been curious about or desiring to live Jesus’ teachings in a more embodied, incarnational way? Are you interested in exploring the deeper spiritual connections between Christianity and other faith traditions? If the answer within you is ‘yes,’ you are invited and encouraged to join us for a 3-night weekend retreat in which we will consider with deep intention the person and Gospel message of Jesus in light of what has been understood through time and human experience as ancient wisdom. Through prayer and meditation, writing prompts, group dialogue, and other contemplative and creative exercises, participants will spend time discerning how the words and example of Jesus converge with contemporary embodiment of the throat chakra.
Altogether, this retreat will highlight the transformative teachings of Jesus as participants are guided to ground them within the reality of striving to live in a more incarnational way, including how we experience and express our truth, speak up and out from this truth, engage in various other forms of communication, and connect with the spiritual dimension of life. A focus on deepening awareness of our intuitive abilities will be explored in addition to how to enact our propensity to create — from the level of conceiving ideas and blueprints to manifesting them into a meaningful reality. There will be ample time for personal and collective reflection in between presentations on Jesus’ embodied wisdom, engaging with the chakra system, and some Eastern spiritual practices. A yoga session attuned to the throat and other chakras will be offered as an optional weekend opportunity. An outdoor gathering with music is scheduled for Saturday evening, and participants are welcome to bring their own drums and instruments to play.
Please bring along an open mind and heart for this journey! A journal, yoga mat, and comfortable clothes and shoes will make great companions for this weekend. Structured and optional time in nature will be offered throughout the retreat. It is not a requirement to have participated in last year’s retreat on Jesus and the Heart Chakra to register or participate in this retreat. Guided by Gordon Creamer.
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 Monday.

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.

Growing Old for Heaven’s Sake
2026-08-27 09:30 - 16:00
Exploring Spiritualities of Aging
The path of holiness challenges us to be honest, vulnerable, and faithful. No matter the season of life we are in, we search for God — even in our doubts, fears, and disappointments. We desire to integrate our burdens and blessings into a holy prayer that brings us face-to-face with our loving and merciful God. Join us for a day of reflection as we explore the spiritualities of aging. Lunch is included. Guided by Sr. Sara Dwyer.
Sr. Sara Dwyer, ASC has been a member of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ, an International Congregation, for 55 years. Sr. Sara has served in various adult faith formation positions during those years. She was a member of her congregational Leadership Team and served as their Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation contact for over 10 years. Sara served eight years as the Director of the Washington Retreat House in Washington, DC. In January 2025, she accepted a ministry role within her community, where she continues to offer retreats and other faith formation programs. Sara holds a master’s degree in Theology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and a master’s in Education from Boston College. Sara enjoys interacting with people, reading, retreat ministry, and taking nature walks.

A Kaleidoscope of Holiness: Seeking an Authentic Spirituality
2026-08-28 16:00 - 2026-09-03 13:00
We look within and see our stories, events, feelings, and relationships tumbling and turning —our unique seasons unfolding in the fullness of time, with changes and challenges. Our stories reveal the beauty of light and darkness, loves and losses, laughter and tears. As we journey through all of this, we desire a life-giving spirituality that is both sustaining and contemplative, as well as attitudes, beliefs, and practices that will help us explore our true selves more consciously and deeply.
During this six-night retreat, we will have generous amounts of time to reflect with guides who have narrated their own experiences, including Parker Palmer, Richard Rohr, Joan Chittister, Pope Francis, Walter Brueggemann, Joyce Rupp, Maya Angelou, and other spiritual writers. Join us to ponder, probe, practice, and pray in the quiet of your heart and with your God. Guided by Sr. Sara Dwyer.
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 Thursday. Mass will be available Sunday-Thursday for those who wish to attend.
Sr. Sara Dwyer, ASC has been a member of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ, an International Congregation, for 55 years. Sr. Sara has served in various adult faith formation positions during those years. She was a member of her congregational Leadership Team and served as their Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation contact for over 10 years. Sara served eight years as the Director of the Washington Retreat House in Washington, DC. In January 2025, she accepted a ministry role within her community, where she continues to offer retreats and other faith formation programs. Sara holds a master’s degree in Theology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and a master’s in Education from Boston College. Sara enjoys interacting with people, reading, retreat ministry, and taking nature walks.

Women's Wellness 2026 - Early Arrival Option
2026-09-17 16:00 - 2026-09-20 13:00
Nurturing the Divine Within: A Journey of Self-Compassion

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

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

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

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

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