“Real change begins with the simple act of people talking about what they care about… It only takes two or three persons to notice that they are concerned about the same thing – and then the world begins to change … When we think about beginning a conversation, we can take courage that this is a process we all know how to do. We are awakening an ancient practice, a way of being together that all humans remember” (Margaret J. Wheately). The Spirituality Centre offers space for conversation in small groups who are comfortable without “expert” leadership. CALL THE SPIRITUALITY CENTRE TO ARRANGE YOUR CONVERSATION or inquire about the following Conversations that have room for more:

The New Universe Story: Small groups are learning how science’s revelations about our place in the cosmos affect our understanding of what it means to be human and give deep spiritual foundations to the ecological issues of our time. What changes when we learn that we are inseparably one with Nature? Call the Centre for dates & times.  Gratitude offerings.

Living on the Edge of Dying: Accompanying a Loved One Through Terminal Illness. In 1992 Paul Phelan was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given 3-5 years to live. Now after 18 years he and his wife Lillian will share their experience and insights about the tasks and questions of dying. How can you really live when you realize you are dying? How to deal with the fear of the unknown. Use of the physical body for research. Keeping control. Real palliative care. This is not a support group but sharing experience and insights.
3 Mondays, Feb. 4, 11 & 18      7 –  8:30 p.m.          Gratitude offerings .

Mary Klein Ph.D., M.A.M.S is a spiritual director with a background in clinical psychology. She leads retreats and workshops on healing and spiritual growth and is the director of ARISE, a nonprofit group working with faith communities to facilitate learning about abuse.
Saturday, January 19, 2008    9:30 – 4:00 p.m. Lunch included.     Suggested Fee: $50

UNDERSTANDING & TRUSTING YOUR BELIEF STORY.  Many of us have not been taught to take ownership of what we believe in an adult way.  “Belief education” gives a framework for thinking about our religious beliefs. It is a way to know our own faith story. (It is recommended to take both sessions).

Blair Sawa, M.Ed. is a secondary school teacher. He has used this belief narrative context with adult faith development groups and in his own classroom. His previous Mysticism: Becoming Aware of Your Spiritual Self was very well received at the Spirituality Centre in 2007.

2 Wednesday evenings         Jan. 23 & Jan. 30        7 – 9 p.m.        $20 for the 2 sessions

ENNEAGRAM & RELATIONSHIPS – The focus is on the way we relate to ourselves and others based on the Enneagram Personality Types. The key to relationships in family and work is knowing how we are formed and sustained by our self-perceptions and our perception of others and the efforts we make to grow as persons.
Prerequisite: Enneagram Part 1.

Facilitator:  Marjorie Myles M.Ed. MDiv.  has been an educator in Canada and abroad. She is back by popular demand with her dynamic style of presenting the wisdom of the Enneagram.

February 8 – 10.         Fri., 7-9 p.m., Sat., 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Sun., 9 – 10:45 a.m.
Note: overnight accommodation is no longer available at the Spirituality Centre. We can provide a list of local accommodations upon request.  Suggested Fee: $90, Sat. lunch included.
$25 DEPOSIT REQUIRED PLEAS

THE PASSION OF THE SOUL: The Stations of the Cross as My Personal Journey - The Lenten devotion of the Stations of the Cross can bring meaning to our personal “passion of the soul”experiences, such as intense suffering, depression, loss of meaning, and bodily ailments. We will explore and discuss their rich symbolism and psychological meaning through brilliant images of the Stations sculpted by German artist, Helmut Lutz.
                       
Facilitator:  Karen Kurtz, M.Sc. is a Jungian Analyst with her Diploma in Analytical Psychology from the C.G. Jung Institute in Switzerland. She has a private practice in Toronto and is a mother and grandmother.

 

Friday, February 22, 7 – 8:30 p.m. in the Chapel at Mt St Joseph          Suggested Fee: $10

THE CRYSTAL JOURNEY: David Hickey Singing Crystal Bowls & Paiste Gongs. A post-Easter experience of sound and guided meditation . David’s luminous music entwined with inner reflection in silence will create a unique and healing ambience of prayer in the beautiful sacred space of the Mt St Joseph Chapel.

David Hickey is Canadian born and raised in Hamilton, ON. He has performed for hospices, hospitals, support groups, conventions as well as private and group healing sessions and has made several recordings which will be available for purchase.

Friday,  March14                    7 – 9 p.m.                                            Suggested Fee:  $20

"LET GOD BE GOD IN YOU”- In our continuing effort to bring mysticism back to ordinary people, the Centre presents Meister Eckhart.  Bob Carter's engaging, witty style will introduce us to this 13th Century mystic who told us to empty our souls, to make them like nothing and thereby to create places for God to arise within us.  Eckhart takes us on a remarkable journey back to religion as an inner experience, self-transformation and self-realization by means of the loss of our ego-self.

Dr. Bob Carter taught at Trent University in the Philosophy Department for 30 years. He was visiting professor in Japan and at the University of Hawaii. He has published 11 books and over 80 articles and reviews.

2 Monday evenings            April 7 & 14, 2008            7 p.m - 9 p.m.            $10 per evening

SABBATH LIVING : Walking the Ecological Talk.  This workshop will prayerfully explore the multi-faceted sense of  Sabbath that calls to us from the human heart, from nature and scripture and that answers a deep need of our times for an alternative way of being in our world  with gratitude and celebration. Mary Rowell, csj has a PhD in Theology and Bioethics, has acted as consultant to major hospitals and mental health facilities and is passionate about environmental ethics to guide daily living.

Saturday, April 12                 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.                     $40  Lunch included.

HOPE IN THE AGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE: with Stephen Scharper
The engaging and irrepressible Stephen Scharper will lead us into a meaningful look at environmental hope at this present “diagnostic moment”, to come to grips with our ecological, cultural, social, and economic realities to move constructively forward. This means resisting despair, denial and paralysis and finding resources for realistic, joy-driven, action and faith. Hope in this sense is different from optimism and is a Divine gift, like faith and love.

Stephen Scharper PhD is Associate Professor of Religious & Environmental Studies at the U of T’s Centre for Environment and Dept. of Anthropology (UTM). He writes a faith and ethics column for the Toronto Star and is author of Redeeming the Time: A Political Theology of the Environment and co-author with Hilary Cunningham of The Green Bible.
Saturday, May 3   9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.                       Suggested fee: $50 Lunch included
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED before Apr.25.

THE FEMININE SACRED: From the mystical heart of spiritual ways ancient and new, she is returning to women's consciousness to meet the needs of our planet today. A women’s retreat.
Anne Kathleen McLaughlin GSIC has an MA in Religious Communication, is a marvelous story-teller and author of the novels A Place Called Morning and Planted In the Sky.

May 23 - 24, 2008        Fri., evening, 7 - 9, Sat., 9:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. Lunch & dinner included.  $95.
PRE-REGISTRATION  AND $25 DEPOSIT REQUIRED PLEASE before May16, 2008

In transitional times what kind of leadership is called out of us in the edge habitats of our lives and community, that place in between two ecosystems where there is both great abundance and the vulnerability of sudden change? We will reflect on our own edges, explore the Gospel edge habitat of Samaria and spend some time in Peterborough's edges.

2 opportunities:  Wed., September 17, 3.30--8.30 p.m.
 or 
Sat., September 20, 10 a.m.-3.00 p.m.                                             Fee:  $30 

NOTE:  to register for this event, please call (705) 745-2303.
Do not call The Spirituality Centre.

BOOK SERIES: A Children’s Book for a Spiritual Hunger of Our Times
How often have children’s books that moved us by their insight or spirit? The child’s perspective may be just what our world needs more than ever. Two people each evening will share the child’s book most dear to them for what it says to a hunger of our times.Click here in the Spring FOR LIST OF BOOK TITLES AND PRESENTERS.

4 Wednesdays: Sept. 24, Oct. 1, 8 and 15   7 - 9 p.m.     $8/evening or $28 for the series

DOCS IN THE DAYTIME – for those who are free during the day, we offer screenings of documentary films (“docs”) with guided discussion on 3 Thursday afternoons.

Thur., Sept. 25, Rumi: Turning Ecstatic. The journey to healing of a Canadian woman through the mystical poetry of 14th century Sufi poet Rumi.

Thur., Oct. 2, Acting in Faith. 3 women - a Buddhist, a Hindu and a Muslim - show how you can be both a person of faith and a social justice activist.

Thur., Oct. 9,  Scared Sacred.  An award-winning doc that goes to the most tragic world trouble spots to find amazing stories of hope, transformation and resistance.

1:30-3:30 pm                          Suggested fee: $10 per film or $25 for the series of 3

“ON THE EDGE OF THE INSIDE”: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BELIEVE TODAY? A Day Retreat with Paul Hansen.  At its deepest, the Judeo-Christian tradition is about right practice, not correct ideas. The very values of the tradition call us to critique it. Can our own authentic experience and a position "on the edge but not outside" transform systems of exclusion to communities of belonging? This retreat may appeal to toilers in the work of social justice, those barely hanging on to their tradition, those feeling marginal in their community.

Paul Hansen CSsR has spent his life working for justice, peace and the integrity of creation. He has chaired the Kairos-Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, is part of the Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition (ISARC) and a consultant to his religious community's work in Thailand. Paul has travelled all over the world where struggles for justice go on.
Saturday, Sept. 27                 9 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.       Suggested Fee:  $50.  Lunch included.
 PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED before Sept. 19 PLEASE.

“THE FIRES THAT BURN WITHIN US”: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF MOUNT ST JOSEPH.  Before the Spirituality Centre leaves the historic building of Mount St Joseph and moves to its new location, we invite the community to a celebration in song of the many “fires” that have burned to light the paths of so many in the Peterborough area and beyond. The heavenly acoustics of the Chapel will ring with the music of the PCVS Ladies Choir, Fr Paul Massel, the Peterborough Unitarian Fellowship’s Resonance, soprano Eleanor James and Taize Chants with Theresa Foley & Peter Brown.  Reception to follow.
Saturday, Oct. 25     7 – 9 p.m.                                       Gratitude offerings welcome

Contemplation, time alone for prayer, reading, liturgy, spiritual accompaniment – these are some of the “spiritual practices” that nourish the life of the soul. The Spirituality Centre offers the following opportunities:

DAYS OF STILLNESS
Individuals who desire a peaceful time alone for prayer may have a private room and use of the Chapel and library; spiritual direction/companionship optional.  Call in advance to arrange a time.   Suggested fee (incl. lunch): $25

SPIRITUAL DIRECTION/COMPANIONING – by appointment
For persons wanting to grow spiritually with companionship on the journey by a director or guide who assists you to listen and respond to a self-communicating and loving God. Confidentiality assured. Suggested fee:  $25-30/session.

LENDING LIBRARY/READING ROOM
Borrow books from our collection or spend quiet time reading, listening to tapes or CDs or viewing films in the comfortable Library. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.