Events & Retreats – 4.26.23

Lands of the Bible

For more than thirty years, CTU has had the privilege of leading special overseas tours to the Lands of the Bible.

We are preparing once again to trace the footsteps of St. Paul and other courageous early missionaries as they established the Church in Greece and Turkey. As the Acts of the Apostles testifies, Paul himself blazed a trail through some of the most fascinating parts of the ancient Mediterranean world, planting Christian communities wherever he went. This is a journey you should not miss.
Our tour will be led by Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, President of Catholic Theological Union and world-renowned scripture scholar, who will provide biblical background and context for the inspiring places we’ll visit together.
Entitled The Birth of Christianity, scheduled for September 30 – October 15, 2023, this program will explore historical sites in Greece and Turkey made sacred by the presence of the Apostle Paul but also by the Evangelists John, Matthew and Luke, and other early Christian leaders. No other area in the world can match the natural beauty and spectacular archaeological and historical sites connected with the first traces of the early Church as it moved out beyond the boundaries of Israel into the wider Gentile world.

We invite you to browse the trip itinerary and learn more about this and other CTU Lands of Bible trips on our travel website.

Revolution of the Heart: The Witness of Dorothy Day

The Maryknoll Mission Institute invites you to join this exciting program, “Revolution of the Heart: the Witness of Dorothy Day” Presented by Robert Ellsberg, the Editor in Chief of Orbis Books. Robert spent five years with Dorothy Day at the Catholic Worker and served for two years as Managing Editor of the Catholic Worker Newspaper. He is a Founding Member of the Dorothy Day Guild and was appointed by the Archdiocese of New York as a member of the Historical Commission to prepare Dorothy Day’s cause for Canonization. He has edited five volumes of her writings, diaries and letters. Click here for more.

Being Human in an Emerging Universe

Racine Dominicans invite you to this in-person opportunity to spend a day with Niamh Brennan, PhD. Dr. Brennan is coming to us from Ireland. Her morning presentation will give us the opportunity to contemplate and reflect on what it means to be a ‘human being” in the light of the Universe story,  as articulated through contemporary science.

Through the medium of input, discussion and reflection, we will look at the implications of this story for both our ecological understanding and our spirituality, and the manner in which both are intertwined.

Niamh Brennan, PhD., is a writer and educator. For the past ten years she has been engaged in research and teaching in the area of eco-cosmology and the environmental humanities. Her research focuses on the ecological crisis, whose effects are growing in our daily lives and raising concerns about the future of all life. She underscores the role philosophy and spirituality play in ecological thinking. 

Click here for more information.

Sinsinawa Mound Market

Join us at Sinsinawa Mound on Wednesday, May 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. for our first market of the season. The market is held at our farm at 2551 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, WI 53824. The vendors at the market will include Collaborative Farmers, Sandhill Farms, City Girl Farming, The Mound’s Farm, Sinsinawa Bakery and Sinsinawa Book & Gift Gallery. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. 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.

Spring Forest Bathing

Join us at Sinsinawa Mound for a spring Forest Bathing experience on May 25 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 2 to 4 p.m. where we bathe in the good medicine of Mother Earth. Nature and Forest Therapy, also called Forest Bathing, is a slow, sensory focused walk with the land. You will be guided through a series of invitations that help you connect with your interior self as well as the world around you. Please register by May 24 and the fee is $25 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. 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.

Talk on ‘Understanding Gender’

The rights and needs of members of the LGBTQ+ community have received a great deal of discussion over the past few years. Socorro Sevilla, a fully licensed clinical social worker, will address the topic Understanding Gender from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at the Weber Retreat and Conference Center Auditorium.

“This is such an important issue because as we move forward trying to build relationships, we have to give space for voices that have been muted or silenced in this country,” said Kevin Hofmann, Director of the Office of Racial Diversity and Cultural Inclusion for the Adrian Dominican Sisters, who organized the event. “Mother Teresa said we belong to each other. For us, that means we have a responsibility to make sure others’ voices are welcome among us and heard.”

Socorro is the owner and operator of Hilltop Counseling in Adrian and the Founder and President of The M Society, a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote the wellbeing of Lenawee County’s LGBTQIA+ community. 

Understanding Gender is a free and is open to the public. It is also live streamed at adriandominicans.org/Live-Stream for those who wish to participate virtually.

Weber Center is on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse, Adrian, Michigan. Traveling east on Siena Heights Drive, pass the Adrian Rea Literacy Center and turn left just before the solar panel-covered parking lot. Follow the signs to Weber Center. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.

Summer Lunch and Learn Series Explores Pet Therapy, Telescopes, and Sustainability

The Summer 2023 Lunch and Learn Series offered by Weber Retreat and Conference Center offers you the opportunity to learn about a variety of topics – from pet therapy to telescopes – all while enjoying lunch with your neighbors.

Lunch and Learn is held monthly on Wednesdays from 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Dates and topics are as follows:

  • May 10, 2023 – Pet Therapy: Representatives of Miracle Meadows Ranch bring an animal or two as they speak about the wonderful way that animal-assisted activities enhance the lives of human beings.
  • June 7, 2023 – Everything You Wanted to Know about Telescopes: Chris Miller, consultant for PlaneWave, speaks of the company’s work as a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-tech research and observatory class telescopes.
  • July 19, 2023 – Doing our Part to Reduce Carbon: Brad Frank, Director of Sustainability for the Adrian Dominican Sisters, shares ways that each of us can reduce our carbon footprint and bring healing to our planet.
  • August 16, 2023 – Toledo Zoo: Representatives speak about new programs, exhibits, and fun things to see and do at the Toledo Zoo.

No registration is required for guests who bring their own lunch. Drinks and dessert are available for free. Another option is to order your lunch from Weber Center: your choice of egg salad, turkey salad, or chicken salad on a croissant with chips for $7. Those who order lunch are asked to register at least two days in advance. Registration is available at www.webercenter.org; click on “programs.” You can also register by calling 517-266-4000 or emailing webercenter@adriandominicans.org.

Weber Center is on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse, Adrian, Michigan. Traveling east on Siena Heights Drive, pass the Adrian Rea Literacy Center and turn left just before the solar panel-covered parking lot. Follow the signs to Weber Center. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.

Mindfulness Community

Weber Retreat and Conference Center invites the mindfulness community – and all who hope to begin a mindfulness practice – to monthly Days of Mindfulness, held in person on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sister Esther Kennedy, OP, a Dominican Sister of Adrian and a retreat leader and spiritual director, leads the sessions. 

Upcoming sessions are as follows:

  • May 13, 2023 – Don’t flinch. The heart of meditation is awareness of and staying with whatever arises within. We just stay. As the mind begins to ease, a taste of compassion arises.
  • June 10, 2023 – Be kind to yourself. Many people tend to belittle themselves or make light of their feelings, but what would it be like if each of us relates to our vulnerabilities, fears, difficulties, and insecurities from a place of tenderness? This could place us on the path of healing and transformation.
  • July 15, 2023 – Keep your heart ready. When our heart-mind is suffering and troubled, we long for an inner quiet. The practice of mindful breathing helps us to look deeply within, to be at ease in a flow of kindness and compassion.

Each session is limited to 30 participants. The cost of $35 per session includes lunch. Registration is required and is available at www.webercenter.org; click on “programs.” Registrations may also be made by calling 517-266-4000 or emailing webercenter@adriandominicans.org. Limited scholarships are available.

Weber Center is on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse, Adrian, Michigan. Traveling east on Siena Heights Drive, pass the Adrian Rea Literacy Center and turn left just before the solar panel-covered parking lot. Follow the signs to Weber Center. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.

Labyrinth Retreat: Scattering Loving-Kindness; Here, There and Everywhere

On Saturday, June 3, Sinsinawa Mound will be hosting a Labyrinth Retreat from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We remain in an on-going time when the peoples of our world struggle with uncertainty in meeting basic needs of food, water, air and shelter. In the face of escalating cruelty, violence, bigotry and the destruction of our natural world, we can feel inadequate to make a difference. With intention, we will plant seeds of compassion to nurture and grow in a posture of loving kindness as we walk the labyrinth using the Metta prayer as a focus and companion for the day. Sister Stella DeVenuta, OSF, will be leading this retreat. Please register by May 29 and the fee is $75 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. 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.

Forest Ecology Hike

Join us to hike and learn all about forest ecology in our little slice of the Driftless at Sinsinwa Mound on Saturday, June 3, from 10 to 11 a.m. Laurana Snyder, Sinsinawa Mound’s Horticulturist and Farm Coordinator, will be leading the hike. This is an outdoor activity, and we will be hiking on and off trail so be sure to bring sturdy hiking boots and weather appropriate clothing. Please register by June 1 and the fee is $10 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. 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.

Spring Sacred Seed Retreat ~ A Contemplative Journey into Creation (Online & In-Person)

Friday, April 28 – Sunday, April 30, 2023

This soul-soothing retreat will help unearth guidance from nature to enable you to gently quiet everyday distractions and access deep spiritual tranquility. Dominican Center, in collaboration with Plainsong Farm, invites you to let your senses be revitalized by nature. Take part in an experience that will cultivate your ability to become silent and still, as you deeply listen and rest in God’s presence. While you nurture and attend your inner garden it is our hope that you discover solitude in nature as a meaningful spiritual practice. In silence, we learn to listen — to ourselves and to God. In silence, we come to know ourselves and the reality of our lives more deeply. Allow prayerful silence to seed sacred spiritual growth for your journey.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/spring-sacred-seed-retreat/

Healing, Wholeness and the Power of Love with Sr. Illia Delio (Online)

Saturday, April 29, 2023 • 10:00 am – Noon

“We have the capacity to wrap the Earth with a new mantle of compassionate love and peace. But do we have the vision?” writes theologian and author Ilia Delio in one of her many books. “Love is the most universal, formidable and mysterious of cosmic energies,” wrote Teilhard de Chardin. His teachings lead us to inquire about how our individual and communal stories shape our lives in the larger order of the universe. Sr. Ilia Delio leads us in studying Teilhard’s vision of a relational, divine view of the world. Dominican Center Marywood at Aquinas College in collaboration with the Center of Mariandale in Ossining, NY is pleased to invite you to join a live stream webinar with Ilia Delio, OSF. How do our individual and communal stories shape our lives in the larger order of things? What holds us together despite our differences? Join a community of seekers to examine the God-world relationship, a deeply relational and unfolding process of Divine-created life. In this world view, a larger story which includes care for the human spirit, diversity and difference allows our local and personal stories to thrive. Learn how the powerful energies of Love help us access healing and wholeness.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/we-have-the-capacity-to-wrap-the-earth-in-ompassionate-love-and-peace-but-do-we-have-the-vision/

JOY Retreat ~ A Morning of Rest and Renewal (In-Person)

Saturday, May 6 • 9:00 am – Noon

In this life, there is Just One You — JOY!– You are a co-creator and the subject of your creation is your joyful life experience. Dominican Center Marywood on the campus of Aquinas College invites you to explore a variety of guided prayerful practices in a gentle in-person retreat that will serve to enliven your unique gifts. The ability to know your gifts and nurture them provides clarity in identifying where God is calling you to live a joy-filled life. On this morning of renewal, you will find a supportive spiritual space to practice sacred self-care. Take part in prayer-infused offerings and centering experiences that are certain to encourage self-compassion and reignite the joyful qualities you notice in yourself when you are aligned with God’s deepest desires for your spiritual journey.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/joy-retreat/