by Father Kevin Cullen, S.J.
It is ‘Summertime … and the livin’ is easy.’
Our hope is for a new rhythm to daily life. Our usual patterns and ways change. A big change is our move from being “inside” people to being people who live on the “outside.” Walking in the neighborhood, picnics in the park, riding bikes, yard parties, ball games, tending to gardens, and porch sitting are parts of our summer days. Sometimes, this change even allows us to journey somewhere else for a few days, to catch up with family or friends, and to take a fresh look at the world.
Summer is a reflective time. We celebrate the accomplishments of the past year and look forward to the year ahead with excitement. Nature is a place we go to rest, to be nourished, to be renewed. Watching a fountain bubble or a river flow, following clouds floating across the blue sky, and feeling a breeze around us – all these things move us to a new inner place. Our outer world brings us into our deepest self.
Marillac Retreat and Spirituality Center shifts its focus from programs for personal inner growth to providing our facilities and resources to outside communities and groups for their development and renewal. We also welcome individuals who enjoy time for private retreats.
Let yourself live in summer. Move from the inside out. Rediscover the movements of life in the natural world. And discover your place to sit, to gaze, to reflect, and to hope … for what is yet to come!
Consider joining us at Marilac Center for one of the following events:
The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees
September 8 & 22, October 6 & 20, November 3 & 17
2:30-3:45 p.m.
Facilitator: Sr. Susan Chase, SCL
The Christian ecumenical celebration of The Season of Creation begins September 1 with the World Day of Prayer for Creation and ends with the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron of ecology. Viewed through the Lens of Christian faith, Marillac Retreat and Spirituality Center invites you to attend the 6-part series examining the science and Spirit of the forest and explore the ancient wisdom trees offer us for deep connections with each other and Earth. You are invited to one or all the sessions as we explore
- How to survive and thrive
- The importance of living in community
- Loss, resilience, renewal, and gratitude
- Living in the light, dark and in-between times
Good Conversations: Enjoying Our Pilgrimage
September 11
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Marillac Assembly
Fr. Kevin Cullen, S.J.
A time to renew our pilgrimage in hope. How to do see the integration of my faith in my journey? Do I give witness to hope and respect for our creation? Do I bring healing into relationships? Do I trust in God’s love that transforms me and my world?
The Transformative Power of Prayer
September 12, 9 a.m. – September 14, 12 p.m.
Sr. Mary Pat Johnson, SCL
Although we are created in the image and likeness of God, who is Love, we are born into a broken world, and in varying degrees, the wounds suffered by that brokenness have alienated us from our true identity, persons who love as God loves. These retreat days will explore the ways fidelity to prayer gradually heals those wounds, transforming us into the persons we were created to be. Time for prayer, silence, and faith sharing will be included.
