Contemplative Programs by Shalem Graduates
The programs listed here are offered by graduates of Shalem's extension programs and are provided as a service for people looking for spiritual formation opportunities. They are not sponsored by the Shalem Institute. Contact each event directly to find out more information or to register -- you cannot register for these events through Shalem.
If you would like to have your event added to this list, please email your listing to Monica Maxon, our Director of Communications and Marketing, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
For a directory of spiritual retreat and conference centers, go to http://www.findthedivine.com, integrated with http://www.seekaretreat.com, a directory of retreat events, retreat leaders and spiritual advisors.
Spiritual Directors International also has a resource list of global retreat centers at http://www.sdiworld.org/retreat_centers.html
Click on the locations below to view the offerings only in that area, or scroll down to review all the offerings listed here.
District of Columbia
Event: Christian Meditation: Silence, Stillness, Simplicity
Dates: Fourth Saturdays
Time: 10 - 11 am
Place: Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, DC
Cost: Free and open to the public
Details: Experience a rhythm of contemplative prayer that includes a reading fromm one of the great contemplatives, a period of silent meditation, and time for sharing and reflection.
Leader: Milo Coerper is a graduate of Shalem's Spiritual Guidance Program, Class of 1981 Local.
Contact: www.nationalcathedral.org/worship/prayer.shtml
Indiana
Event: The Life and Spirituality of Thomas Merton
Dates: April 17, June 12, July 17, August 21, September 18, and October 16, 2010
Time: 9 AM to 4 PM (The last session will be an overnight session.)
Place: John XXIII Retreat Center, 407 W McDonald Street, Hartford City, IN 47348
Cost: Each day is $22.00. The overnight is $60.00.
Details: Through this monthly retreat one will become more aware of Thomas Merton’s spiritual insights and contemplative practices. Through input, reading, reflection, videos and journaling one will come to a greater peace and a realization of the sacred in life. The retreat aims to help one come to some personal transformation and to begin or continue to work for justice in our society and our world. One of the books that is required reading is: A Retreat with Thomas Merton, Becoming Who We Are by Dr. Anthony T. Padovano.
Leader: This retreat will be facilitated by Sr. Joetta Huelsmann, PHJC, who has a love for solitude and contemplative prayer. Sr. Joetta also attended an Elder Hostel in Louisville, KY, for a week long learning of Thomas Merton and his spirituality. She is presently the director of John XXIII Retreat Center and is a graduate of Shalem's Spiritual Guidance Program.
Contact:
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Italy
Event: Pilgrimage in Italy
Dates: July 14-24, 2010
Place: Convent San Lodovico, Orvieto, Italy
Cost: $2100 single room/$1925 shared room (airfare not included)
Details: This pilgrimage retreat focuses on the lives and spiritual contributions of five contemplative saints - Benedict and his sister Scholastica, Francis, Clare and Bonaventure. The rhythm of the pilgrimage alternates with days of meditation on the lives and writings of the saints, followed by day trips to visit the cities where they lived - Norcia, Assisi and Civita di Bagnoregio.
Leader: The Rev. Susan Skillen, Director of Spiritual Formation for the Anglican Diocese in New England and Dr. Margaret Benefiel, director of Executive Soul. Both are graduates of the Shalem Spiritual Guidance Program.
Contact: For more information, email Susan Skillen at
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Maryland
Event: Labyrinth Walk Series
Dates: Tuesdays,
March 2, 9 & 16, 2010
Time: 7:00 - 8:00 PM
Place: Davis Library, Bethesda, MD
Cost: 3 one-hour sessions for $39; Pre-registration required. Additional $10 activity fee for those living outside Montgomery County.
Details: Labyrinths have been used for thousands of years as non-denominational tools for meditation, relaxation, healing, enlightenment and more. Anyone can experience benefits simply by walking the labyrinth's path. No meditation training is needed. We'll use an indoor labyrinth and start with brief instructions for walking, then a simple guided meditation, and finally participants can move onto the labyrinth at their own pace. Journaling materials will be available. Soft music and lighting are used to enhance the experience. Walk this ancient path to reflect, relax and find your center.
Leader: Joyce Rains is a graduate of Shalem's Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups & Retreats Program.
Contact: Register at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/rec; Click on picture of winter catalog and enter course #266271. For assistance in registering please call 240-777-6840
Massachusetts
Event: Living with God: Prayer and Presence
Dates: September 26, 2009 (9 AM-Noon), a day retreat on January 30, 2010 (9AM-3 PM) and a closing gathering in May 1, 2010 (9AM-Noon) plus weekly meetings, see below
Time: Weekly times vary; see below
Place: All Saints Church, Worcester, MA (2nd Wednesday mornings from 9-11 AM)
Boxborough UCC, Boxborough, MA; (3rd Wednesday evenings from 6-8 PM)
St. Francis Church, Holden, MA (1st Monday evenings from 6:30-8:30 PM)
Cost: The tuition for Living with God is $150 for the year; tuition may be paid $75 in September and $75 in January. Scholarships are available; if interested, please contact Nancy Elder-Wilfrid at the Kairos Center.
Details: The Kairos Spiritual Life Center, a ministry of All Saints Church in Worcester, MA, is offering a nine-month program, Living with God: Prayer and Presence. The focus of Living with God will be building spiritual community through intentional prayer practices in our daily lives and through shared prayer and reflection in ongoing small groups. Participants will meet monthly for two hours: the first hour will offer time for guided prayer and meditation; the second hour will be an opportunity to reflect together on our life with God. This is the fourth year that the Kairos Center will offer an ongoing program blending monthly small group gatherings for prayer with support for deepening individual prayer practice. We are offering Living with God at several times and locations. All participants will meet for an initial gathering on September 26,2009, a day retreat on January 30, 2010, and a closing gathering in May 1, 2010; these gatherings will be held at All Saints Church in Worcester, MA. Groups will be formed based on registration and final meeting times will be determined at the September meeting. Please register as soon as possible so that groups can be formed. Registration deadline is September 18th.
Leaders: Groups will be led by Nancy Elder-Wilfrid (Director, Kairos Spiritual Life Center, Clergy Associate at All Saints Church, ordained UCC pastor, spiritual director and graduate of Shalem's Spiritual Guidance and Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership Programs), Susie Allen (Associate Pastor at UCC Boxborough, spiritual director and musician), and Nancy Small (Director of Campus Ministry at Assumption College and spiritual director).
Contact: Center at
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, or 508-752-3766, ext. 19
New Jersey
Event: Fellowship in Prayer 60th Anniversary Conference : "Prayer, an answer to the twenty-first century"
Dates: June 24-27, 2010
Place: Princeton University campus
Cost: TBA
Details: We anticipate welcoming 500+ conference participants from various religious traditions and many walks of life who share a common interest in the interface between faith, spiritual practice and social engagement, and to disseminating conference information to thousands more through our publication and postings on our website. Our purpose for this conference is two-fold: to remember and celebrate the profound influence spiritual values and practices have had on world events over the last 60 years and to explore how we can more effectively address the critical issues facing us today and shape the future by drawing on the rich spiritual resources rooted in our diverse religious traditions.
Leaders: Rose Mary Dougherty, Shalem's senior fellow will be a featured workshop presenter, among many, many other presenters.
Contact: www.fellowshipinprayer.org/fip/PROGRAMS/Special%20Events/
New York
Event: Silent Music: A Day of Quiet Reflection
Date: Sunday, April 11, 2010
Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Place: The Priory Retreat House, 135 Priory Road, Chestertown, NY 12817
Cost: $40 Please pre-register two weeks in advance.
Details: During this quiet retreat day in the beautiful Adirondack mountains, participants will have the option of experiencing various spiritual practices with the intent of enabling a deepening interior silence. The day will include Taizé-style prayer.
Leader: Pat Mousaw is a graduate of Shalem's Leading Contemplative Groups and Retreats program and the Spiritual Guidance Program. Pat is a free-lance spiritual director and retreat leader.
Contact: Register by calling 518-494-3733 or e-mail
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. Information about The Priory can be found at www.prioryretreathouse.org
North Carolina
Event: Contemplative Prayer Gatherings for Women
Dates: The 3rd Saturday of very other month (January, March, May, July, September, and November)
Time: 1:30 - 3:30 PM
Place: 5306 Villas Court, Winston-Salem, NC
Cost: Free
Details: We begin with a short welcome and introductions over tea, an opening prayer and a brief summary of the workings of the Spirit in each participant's life since our last gathering. This is followed by a short presentation for the day and 20 minutes of silence, journal writing and group sharing. We end with a selection of music and an intercessory prayer circle. This is an open group, so participants are free to join the gathering without having attended previous gatherings. Women of all religious denominations, those who are not affiliated with any denomination, and those who are seeking are welcome.
Leaders: Elaine Hartung is a graduate of Shalem's Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats and an experienced group and workshop leader.
Contact: Elaine Hartung, 336.776.0359
Pennsylvania
Event: Giving Over: Practices Supporting Contemplative Prayer
Dates: April 23-25, 2010
Time: Friday evening through Sunday afternoon
Place: Pendle Hill, 338 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford, Pennsylvania
Cost: $200 - $360, based on accommodations choice
Details: Join with others longing for a deeper communion with God. Explore a variety of practices that help us "give over" willing and let go of the busy activities of our minds. Prepare to enter the still, spacious place of encounter with the Divine called contemplative prayer. With guidance from early Friends and others, we will experiment with a variety of prayer practices including: Centering Prayer, walking prayer, chanting, extended worship, and sharing in small groups. This event is co-sponsored by Shalem Institute.
Leaders: Marcelle Martin, a member of Chestnut Hill Meeting, teaches Quakerism and spirituality at Pendle Hill and has written two Pendle Hill pamphlets, Invitation to a Deeper Communion (#366, June 2003), and Holding One Another in the Light (#382, February 2006). A graduate of the Shalem program in Spiritual Guidance, she is interested in teaching practices to help individuals and communities enter into a deeper relationship with the Divine. William Dietrich is a longtime spiritual director and retreat leader and a graduate of Shalem Institute's Spiritual Guidance Program and Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups & Retreats Program. Bill served Shalem for more than 20 years in various capacities on its Board and staff and was Shalem's Executive Director from 2003 to 2009. He continues to teach in several of Shalem's programs. Bill is a member of Bethesda (MD) Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).
Contact: www.pendlehill.org/workshops/spring-2010/233-giving-over-practices-supporting-contemplative-prayer or
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or 800-742-3150
Tennessee
Event: Keeping Faith: An Experience of Spiritual Deepening in Community
Dates: February 21-23; June 27-29; October 3-5, 2010
Place: St. Mary's-Sewanee, Sewanee, TN
Cost: $1,500 Applications are due by January 8, 2010.
Details: This is a nine-month program that will explore contemplative presence and practices, prayerful listening, discernment, spiritual community and contemplative activism. There will be three residential experiences at St. Mary's-Sewanee. During the program, participants are asked to be in spiritual direction, read and ponder four books, keep a journal, attend a two-day silent retreat on their own, and participate in a monthly group.
Leaders: Patience Robbins, Shalem staff member; Beth Hill, graduate of Shalem's Personal Spiritual Deepening Program; and Thomas Morris.
Contact: Thomas Morris, Director of St. Mary's-Sewanee at
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or 931-598-5342.
Texas
Event: Bridges to Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton
Dates: Part I - ENTERING THE SCHOOL OF YOUR EXPERIENCE: Thursdays, beginning January 21, to March 11, 2010 from 1 to 3 PM
Part II - BECOMING WHO YOU ALREADY ARE: Thursdays, beginning March 18, (not the 25th) to May 6, 2010 from 1 to 3 PM
Place: Tymen Hall at Oblate School of Theology Continuing Education, 285 Oblate Drive, San Antonio, TX
Cost: Please contact Oblate School of Theology
Details: Bridges is a small group experience that invites people into contemplative dialogue. This course uses a series of texts with the same name. The texts explore aspects of contemplation and the meaning of contemplative living. Each week a quote from Merton if reflected on, as well as quotes from other wisdom figures both Christian and non Christian. This series gently leads participants in a journey of spiritual transformation and a more contemplative and peace-filled life style.
Leaders: Rosalyn Falcon Collier
Contact: www.ost.edu or call Mario at 210-341-1366
Virginia
Event: Contemplative Prayer Drop-in Group
Dates: Third Monday of each month
Time: 7:30 to 9PM
Place: Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA
Cost: No charge; occasional donations.
Details: The time includes brief introductions, opening prayer, some relaxation movements, the evening's presentation, 15 minutes of silence, journal-keeping and small group sharing. There is a closing intercessory prayer circle to name our concerns aloud or silently.
Leaders: Ann Kulp is a spiritual director, retreat leader, member of the Shalem Institute's associate staff, and author of SPIRIT WINDOWS, A Handbook of Spiritual Growth Resources for Leaders.
Contact: Ann Kulp at 703-978-9078 or
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Event: Monthly Contemplative Prayer Drop-In Group
Dates: Third Sunday of each month (sometimes the fourth Sunday; please check with contact)
Time: 7:30-9:00PM
Place: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Rte. 50 and Woodlawn Avenue, Falls Church, VA
Cost: None
Details: Time for reflection and presence to God
Leader: Barbara Rosenbaum, graduate of Shalem's Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups & Retreats Program
Contact: Barbara Rosenbaum, 703-824-1947or
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Event: Group Spiritual Direction
Dates: Wednesday evening, September 30th, 2009 followed by 9 monthly Wednesday meetings, October 2009 - June 2010
Time: 7:30-10:00pm
Place: Missionhurst 4651 25th St. N.Arlington, VA 22207
Cost: Free Will Offering
Details: We spend the first half hour in silence after which we break into small groups of 3-5 people ending at 10:00pm. Each group has a facilitator trained in group spiritual direction. Participants should have some experience with the use of silence in prayer.
Leaders: Rhoda Nary is a former member of Shalem's associate staff, and Fr. Joe Giordano is a Roman Catholic priest of the Missionhurst order. Both have had many years experience with group spiritual direction.
Contact: Rhoda Nary, 703-538-6132
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West Virginia
Event: Seasonal Quiet Days
Dates: WINTER: Stillness and Listening Wednesday, March 3, 2010
SPRING: Awakening and Newness Wednesday, May 12, 2010
SUMMER: Delight and Abundance Wednesday, July 28, 2010
FALL: Trust and Surrender Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (Retreat House is available for overnight personal retreat time.)
Place: Rolling Ridge Study Retreat, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia (1 – 1-1/2 hrs from the Washington DC area)
Cost: No cost, donations welcome. Advance registration is necessary. Please bring a bag lunch.
Details: “Come away…and rest a while” Mk 6:31. What would happen if we took time aside from our ordinary busy weekday schedules simply to pray and reflect in a natural place apart? These four quiet days during the year offer us the opportunity to rest in the beauty of Creation’s varied seasons. They are a time apart to look and see, listen and hear in new ways. They are a chance to be nurtured by guided reflection around the seasonal themes, meditative walks in the woods, journaling and art, and the companioning presence of each other in prayer and sacred silence.
Leaders: Trish Stefanik, a resident of Rolling Ridge, is a graduate of Shalem’s Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats Program.
Contact: Trish Stefanik at
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or call 304-725-4301. Also see www.rollingridge.net for more information.
Event: Haiku as Spiritual Practice – A Meditative Arts Retreat
Dates: March 26 – 27, 2010
Time: 6:30 pm Friday – 6:30 pm Saturday (dinner through dinner; arrive at the Retreat House anytime after 4:00 pm on Friday with the option to stay until Sunday at 2:00 pm)
Place: Rolling Ridge Study Retreat, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia (1 – 1-1/2 hrs from the Washington DC area)
Cost: $75, which includes one night’s lodging, four meals, and program materials. (For an additional overnight at the Retreat House, the total cost is $95.) Advance registration is necessary.
Details: The process of writing haiku—a simple three line form of poetry with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5—helps us to experience a new awareness and to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the moment. It is an opportunity to realize our deep connection to the natural world, the Creator, and each other. It is a playful art form that awakens our senses, opens our mind and heart, and transforms the participant.
Leader: Trish Stefanik, a resident of Rolling Ridge, is a graduate of Shalem’s Leading Contemplative Prayer Groups and Retreats Program.
Contact: Trish Stefanik at
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or call 304-725-4301. Also see www.rollingridge.net for more information.