Events & Retreats – 03.30.2022

Legacy of Agriculture at Sinsinawa: 175 Years of Farming, 1847-2022

Farming has been a way of life at the Sinsinawa Mound since 1847, when Father Samuel Mazzuchelli founded the order of Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. Sinsinawa Mound’s Horticulturist and Farm Coordinator, Laurana Snyder, will walk you through the past legacy of farming at Sinsinawa and explore where the future of farming is taking us on April 22 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The registration deadline for Legacy of Agriculture at Sinsinawa: 175 Years of Farming, 1847-2022, is April 18, and a freewill offering is appreciated. Be prepared to spend this time outdoors, weather permitting. Please register by contacting Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visiting our website at //www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.

Julien Dubuque & the Meskwaki

While many Indigenous groups encountered hostilities with whites and other tribes, one group established a long-standing friendship with a French Canadian who is the namesake of Iowa’s oldest city. Julien Dubuque and the Meskwaki (Fox) lived and worked together to forge a center for fur trading and lead mining in the Upper Mississippi River Valley in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Since very little written documentation exists about Julien Dubuque, especially his relations with the Meskwaki, one must sort through the legends and stories passed down through generations. On April 19 from 7 p.m.-8 p.m., Mike Gibson will provide the bits and pieces of documented evidence as well as the legends so you can better understand why so much of history remains a mystery via Zoom. The fee for Julien Dubuque & the Meskwaki is $10 per person, and registration ends April 18 by 4 p.m. Please register by contacting Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visiting our website at //www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.

Virtual Conversation

The Dominican Youth Movement USA is sponsoring a virtual conversation with Fr. James Martin, SJ, on “How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity.” Read more and register here.

Canvas Painting: Spring Bouquet

Join Sinsinawa Mound Center for a creative and enjoyable night out while painting. On April 26 from 6 to 9 p.m., Sarah Barnes, a local artist from Dubuque, Iowa, will guide you step-by-step on how to paint a spring bouquet on canvas. The fee for this event is $35 per person, and registration ends April 22. Please check our website for current COVID protocols. Register by contacting Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visiting our website at //www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.

Space Available for Private Retreats

Siena Retreat Center, located on Lake Michigan between Chicago and Milwaukee, is available for private retreats this spring and summer. The ADA-accessible building offers an on-site Bookstore, sitting rooms, a Creativity Room, and private bedrooms and bathrooms. Retreatants are invited to walk the outdoor labyrinth, sit by the lakeshore, or stroll through the restored prairie. Connect through www.SienaRetreatCenter.org or by calling (262) 898-2590.

Spirituality of the Bright Side of Imperfection

It’s easy to see the bright side when things are going well and all is right with the world. Then daily life’s challenges happen and you feel you just can’t get it right. Join Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer for a walk on the bright side of imperfection. More here.

Where is God in This Global Climate Crisis?

Starting with an understanding of our relationship with God’s creation, we will discuss the problem and consequences of our responses to this global reality.

Triduum Retreat

Thursday, April 14- Sunday, April 17

The Center at Mariandale in Ossining, NY will host an in-person Triduum Retreat April 14-17. Experience the fullness of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil as one rich and meaningful movement of transformation, from death through resurrection. Francis Gargani, CSsR will lead a team of presenters including guest homilists, dancers, and musicians. Gargani is an experienced spiritual director and retreat leader who has served in a variety of ministries as parish priest, campus minister, and retreat director, and currently serves in a ministry of social justice. The fee of $375 includes accommodations, meals, and materials for 3 days. Register here. 

Space is also available for pre-Triduum retreat days, for those wishing to slow down and prepare their spirit to celebrate the Holy Days. Accommodations and meals are available for $95 per day. Learn more and register by clicking here.

Heart Speaks to Heart: Biblical Women in Conversation

Sunday, May 15 – Friday, May 20

Nancy Sheridan, SASV and Nicki Verploegen, PhD will lead an in-person silent guided retreat, “Heart Speaks to Heart: Biblical Women in Conversation” at The Center at Mariandale in Ossining, NY.  Participants will be invited into heartfelt conversations with Biblical women across the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures through drama, reflection and ritual. There will be opportunity to meet daily with a spiritual director. The fee is $495 (all inclusive). 

Nancy Sheridan, SASV is a spiritual director, having spent many years on the staff of the Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, MA. Nicki Verploegen, Ph.D is co-founder of TATENDA International, served as Director of Spiritual and Ministerial Development and Visiting Professor at Weston Jesuit School of Theology, and currently teaches courses in spirituality around the US. Learn more and register here.

The Roots of Racism: In the Psyche and our Response to this Darkness

Saturday, June 11

Don Bisson, FMS and Boreta Singleton will present a hybrid in-person and virtual one-day retreat exploring the roots of racism and our response as Christians to this social sin. The $60 in-person fee includes lunch. The virtual option is $40. 

Don Bisson, FMS is a Marist Brother, known both nationally and internationally for his work as a retreat director and presenter in the area of spirituality and Jungian psychology.   Boreta A. Singleton is a Catholic school educator, a Candidate for the Sisters of Mercy, and the former Director of the Office for Black Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Register here.

Refreshing Summer Solitude

Sunday, June 26 – Friday, July 1

Join us at the Center at Mariandale for an onsite, in-person, silent directed retreat. Come and enjoy our 61-acre campus overlooking the majestic Hudson River, refresh your spirit, and experience greater intimacy with God. There will be opportunities to meet with an experienced spiritual director, ample time for personal prayer, rest, relaxation, pool time, walks, meditation and contemplation. Daily liturgy or communion service will be available. Learn more and register here.

Journey of the Universe: Educators Retreat

Thursday, July 7 – Sunday, July 10

What does it mean that the stars are our ancestors? Designed for a wide range of educators, this retreat will draw on the film Journey of the Universe and the legacies of Maria Montessori, Pierre Teilhard De Chardin, and Thomas Berry. It will combine contemplative practices with discussions of how we can orient young people to an animate and interconnected Earth community, and at a time of ecological crisis, offer hopeful strategies for the future. Presenter Sam King is the Project Manager for Journey of the Universe, a graduate student in Religion and Ecology at Yale Divinity School, and a Research Assistant for the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. The cost of $375 includes accommodations and meals. Learn more and Register here.