Andrea Springer is a regular face at Bon Secours and her words regularly appear on our blog. Today we are sharing her thoughts of Joan Chittister's book, Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope. Let us know in the comments: are you like Andrea, and need the reminder to loosen your grip? Or does that come naturally to you? The last few weeks, I’ve spent a lot of time with Joan Chittister’s book, Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope. If you haven’t…
At the end of August, we are welcoming Lori and Robert Fontana for a Christian Marriage Retreat. But before they arrive at the Retreat and Conference Center, they will spend the summer in El Paso, TX serving at the Annunciation House. The "A-House" serves the homeless poor and those in need of food, shelter, clothing and medical attention that are waiting for asylum paperwork to be processed. They will spend their summer cleaning, doing laundry, making meals for those in…
For our local friends, you likely know that there is major construction unfolding near our campus. While the outcome will make for smoother travel to and from Rt. 70, the two-month long road work can pose significant stress. So today we are sharing a prayer from Rev. Terry Stokes and his book Prayer for the People, Things We Didn't Know We Could Say to God to help us navigate the traffic challenges. For those not impacted by this particular road work, save…
What do you call God? Do you have a special way of referring to the Divine? Have you even thought out giving God a different name? Linda Mastro, a regular retreat presenter, shares this exercise to create a deeper bond with God. Linda will be at the Center for a weekend retreat June 21-23 for a women's retreat: Re-imagining Prayer. The weekend will include conversation, silence, movement, and contemplation, all of which create an environment for deep listening and heartfelt…
Today we have a special edition Wednesday blog post to share by one of our presenters, Carl McColman. Carl will be leading a day retreat, Saturday, June 8 about Christian Spirituality and Gender Diversity. Today's blog will give us some insights into what the retreat will dive into! Find out more about Joan of Arc to Pauli Murray: A Day of Reflection on Christian Spirituality & Gender Diversity by clicking here. What Pronouns Would God Prefer? The wisdom of a medieval…
This week's blog post is written by Sr. Sara Dwyer, a regular retreat presenter at the Center. She will be leading a week-long retreat in August and this post is a little snapshot of what the week will hold. You can learn more about the retreat and Sr. Sara by clicking HERE. Whispers of Grace I chose “Whispers of Grace” as the title for a weeklong retreat because that’s how I generally experience grace in my life. Grace is the…
Today's blog is brought to us by Brent Anderson, a new (to us) retreat presenter. Brent will be leading From Conflict to Connection: Contemplative Practices that Heal Families & Organizations June 14 to 16 at our Center. His blog is a brief sample of what our guests can expect to gain from his weekend retreat. You can register for the retreat by clicking HERE. **Additionally, please note that as of May 1, our blog will be posted once a week on…
We've mentioned before the wonderful book published by Nature Sacred, Bench Talk: Wisdoms Inspired by Nature, the wonderful collection of reflections from sacred spaces across the country. Nature Sacred installed our labyrinth in 1999 and has lovingly built over 100 green spaces to encourage people to find peace, tranquility, and well-being in the midst of busy lives. Each sacred space has a blank notebook, where visitors can leave their reflections and thoughts. Last year, Nature Sacred created a book sharing some…
The Sisters of Bon Secours have many ministries. One of which is the Justice, Peace and Integrity for Creation Ministry, or JPIC. Below is a note from our Director of JPIC, USA, Simone Blanchard about a special month-long scavenger hunt: The JPIC USA Team invites you to celebrate creation with us this spring. Starting on Earth Day and concluding at the end of Laudato Si' week in May, we will slow down to enjoy nature, showing reverent curiosity for the non-human…
Today's blog is from Andrea Springer, one of our regular retreat presenters and blog contributors. Andrea is leading our Embracing Balance retreat Friday, May 3 through Sunday, May 5. If this blog resonates with you then you will love the retreat! Life is a Teeter Totter The image of a teeter totter keeps coming to mind. Fond childhood memories of the up and down, the freedom of the rise and the landing with feet touching the ground. And then, there is…
