April 23, 2024

Events & Retreats – 4.24.24

Dominican Sisters of Peace offer a “Mission for Peace” Event in Columbus

The Dominican Sisters of Peace will be hosting a “Mission for Peace” experience at the Columbus Motherhouse for Catholic single women ages 18 – 45 contemplating consecrated religious life. The event will be held May 31 through June 4. The program is a time when those who want to explore or discern a religious vocation can experience the lifestyle of the Congregation.

Sr. Mai Dung Nguyen, Vocation Minister and Mission for Peace Coordinator says, “This special encounter allows participants to learn about the Sisters’ life and mission. Participants also receive some hands-on experience volunteering with our Sisters.”

Those who attend will have the opportunity to participate in one of three Congregational ministries in Columbus. Shepherd’s Corner, an ecological and spiritual center currently constructing a wetlands habitat, the Columbus Motherhouse, home to more than 60 Sisters in volunteer or paid ministry, or the Mohun Care Center, a 75-bed licensed health center for vowed and ordained religious.

The volunteer activities range from gardening, cutting fabric or making quilts for a women’s shelter, helping nursing home residents, or putting in time at a local soup kitchen. Participants will also have the opportunity to listen to our Sisters share their life stories, learn more about religious vows, experience time for reflection, and join as a community for prayer, meals, and

social time. Participants will have meaningful opportunities to interact with our Sisters and their peers and have questions answered.

Those attending will come to a deeper understanding of the four pillars of Dominican life: prayer, study, community, and service and how the Sisters live out these pillars.

“The purpose of the occasion is interacting with each other and truly understanding the Gospel mission of the Dominican Sisters of Peace. We are called to be peace, build peace, and preach peace. We hope this event will provide an enlightening encounter but there is no obligation to reach any decisions. Primarily, this is an opportunity to come and experience what life is like

with the Dominican Sisters of Peace,” adds Sr. Mai-Dung.

Sr. Pat Twohill, Prioress, Dominican Sisters of Peace says, “The five-day program offers women interested in religious life the chance to understand the joys of Dominican Life and learn more about our ministries through volunteering in an area of their choosing while living in community. It is a wonderful relational experience.”

The cost of room and board is covered for attendees and some scholarship money is also available for traveling purposes, granted according to the need.

Participants can register here: Mission for Peace | Dominican Sisters of Peace (oppeace.org). or may contact Sr. Mai-Dung Nguyen, OP at 405-248-7027 or mai-dung.nguyen@oppeace.org. If you know someone who seems to have a calling to religious life, please encourage them to attend this event. The Dominican Sisters of Peace Motherhouse in Columbus is located at 2320 Airport Drive, Columbus, OH 43219.

For more information about the Dominican Sisters of Peace, please visit their website at Home page | Dominican Sisters of Peace (oppeace.org)

The Dominican Sisters of Peace currently have seven women in formation for consecrated religious life.

Days of Mindfulness Focus on Honesty, Wonder, and Uncertainty

All are invited to join the mindfulness community at Weber Retreat and Conference Center to gather monthly in an effort to deepen their understanding of and commitment to a daily meditation practice. Days of Mindfulness are in person from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

Upcoming Days of Mindfulness are as follows:

May 4, 2024, Learning to Be Honest – By sitting mindfully, we can learn to be gentle and to love with open-hearted awareness, whatever energy arises.

June 1, 2024, Thirsty for Wonder – Have you ever been stunned by the beauty of nature? When we pause and turn inward, we are more available to experience the sacred.

August 3, 2024, Welcome Uncertainty – Instead of wanting to secure ourselves on the path and hoping to transcend the struggles of life, we can move toward them. Through meditation, we can discover the warmth and tenderness of our aching hearts.

Days of Mindfulness are facilitated by Sister Esther Kennedy, OP, a Dominican Sister of Adrian, a retreat leader, and a spiritual director. The cost is $35 per session and includes lunch. Each session is limited to 30 participants.

Registration is required and available at www.webercenter.org; click “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.

Exhibit Showcases Artwork of Sisters and Associates

INAI: A Retrospective, showcasing the artwork of Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates, is open to the public from Friday, April 26, 2024, through Sunday, July 28, 2024. The artists will gather for a reception with the public from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, April 28, 2024.

INAI: A Retrospective features a variety of media used by Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates, including painting, sculpture, quilting, weaving, and photography. “The creative contributions of Dominican Sister and Associate artists have a long history and have enriched the local community, Siena Heights University, Weber Center, residents, and all who visit the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ campus,” said Sister Suzanne Schreiber, OP, Coordinator of INAI.

INAI (pronounced in-EYE and meaning “within” in Japanese) is a ministry of Weber Center on the Motherhouse Campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 E. Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan. Enter the campus in the eastern driveway by the solar parking lot and follow the signs for Weber Center/INAI. INAI Gallery is next to Weber Center. Watch for the bright green door.

INAI is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or by appointment. Contact Sister Suzanne Schreiber, OP, at 517-266-4090 or inaispace@adriandominicans.org.

As part of a campus transformation, the INAI building will be used for another purpose after this exhibit, but plans are in the process of developing a new space that can continue to offer a place of reflection, art, and beauty.

St. Catherine of Siena Environmental Summit

Join us at Mariandale on Saturday, April 27, from 9:30am to 2pm, as we summon college and university students and other leaders to an Environmental Summit of education and advocacy. Karenna Gore, founder and executive director of the Center for Earth Ethics, will serve as our keynote speaker. Her topic is Earth Ethics for Our Time: “As the Sea is in the Fish”: Drawing from Ancient Wisdom to Forge Earth Ethics for Our Time.

The day will include ample opportunities for networking, planning, prayer, reflection, and collaboration. Karenna Gore will address both the theoretical meanings and practical applications of earth ethics, including: how we live, eat, care for earth and relate to one another across species.

Schedule:

9:30am: Arrival, Check in, Meet and Greet
10am: Prayer, Introduction, and Keynote Presentation
10:50am: Q & A and Networking
11:30am: Reflective engagement outside
12 noon: Lunch
1pm: Now What? Discuss: Actions, Steps and Advocacy!

Registration Fees:

Adult Fee: $40 (on site; includes lunch)
Student Fee: $20 (on site; includes lunch)
Keynote Address Only: (10 to 11:30am on site): $20
Virtual Only Fee: $15 (10 to 11:30 am)

Click Here to Register.

JOY Retreat ~ Nourishing Your Soul (In-Person)

Saturday, Apr 27 • 9:00 am – Noon

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –In this life, there is Just One You — JOY! — You are a co-creator in your life experience with God. We at Dominican Center Marywood invite you to come nourish your soul through a sampling of our contemplative offerings and nurture what you and God are growing in your life. In this morning retreat, you will find a supportive spiritual space to practice sacred self-awareness and intention. Come learn, experience, pilgrimage, and pray with us as we focus on blessing and planting to reignite the joyful qualities you notice in yourself when you are aligned with God’s deepest desires for your spiritual journey. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

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

Deepening the Call of Spiritual Direction: Self-Awareness in the Supervisory Process (In-Person)

Saturday, May 4 • 9:15 am – 4:00 pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –Spiritual directors not only listen to the Spirit and directees, but also to themselves. It is in this place of awareness that we are invited to be converted towards God. As we notice our ways of listening, our patterns of interaction, our discomforts and ease, and how we carry these into our environments we can tend our inner dynamics with God and others in supervision. This in-person retreat day is a place for active spiritual directors to hone our skills at self-awareness, develop healthy practices for peer supervision, and nourish our sacred call to listening. Sister Janice Bachman, OP, will lay a foundation of noticing the movements in the conversion process toward God within directors and their directees, then guide us through teaching and roleplays as to how these dynamics can play out in peer supervision. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/deepening-the-call-of-spiritual-direction-self-awareness-in-the-supervisory-process/

Tuesday Table Talk — Uncovering Our Disconnection: An Uncomfortable & Essential Conversation (In-Person)

Tuesday, May 7 • 6:00 – 8:30 pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –Join us for an interfaith Tuesday Table Talk as we gather for dinner and conversation. In this pervasive and seemingly unending season of heightened polarity and isolation, we are faced with new and evolving barriers that prevent us from connecting with our neighbors. For many of us, the temptation to jump headfirst into spaces of reimagining and creation is strong, and as such, we often elide the essential step of pausing to grieve in community, to name our pain, and to stand in support of each other through trying times. Venture with us into unformed, unknown, and uncomfortable territory. We will hear from the prophetic voices of young clergy in the West Michigan area as we give air to our communal disconnect. By first sitting together and honoring the realities of our isolation, we can begin to build real solidarity. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/tuesday-tabletalk-uncovering-our-disconnection/

Awakening Spirituality ~ Exploring Our Sacred Stories through Making Mandalas (In-Person)

Friday, May 31, 6:00 – 8:30 pm & Saturday, Jun 1, 9:00 am – 4:30pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –Come, retreat as a sacred community using our diverse life stories and the arts to discover the depth and breadth of Divine presence in our lives. Experience a contemplative and creative “meaning-making” space exploring the intertextual weave of word, world and wonder through personal story prompts and guided multimedia Mandala-making. Over centuries, people across a variety of traditions have created or colored Mandalas (circles) for spiritual deepening, increased wholeness and healing, or artistic expression. Mandalas invite contemplation using lines, shapes, patterns, and color. Together, we will create simple intuitive Mandalas to explore and deepen our experience of Sacred Presence in a story from our lives. You will be given tools before and during the retreat to bring out your creative spirit and for choosing a sacred life story to explore. No experience in the arts or Mandalas is necessary. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/awakening-spirituality-mandalas/

Transformation in Presence ~ Integrating Awareness of God (In-Person)

Friday, Jun 7, 6:30 – 9:00 pm & Saturday, Jun 8, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –When our human experience is challenging, the pain can seem overwhelming and lonely. In this retreat, we will practice ways of and learn how to become more aware of the Holy Spirit. We will learn how to remain present to self and God, and how to return to God amidst our sufferings. Out of this awareness of everlasting love can flow calmness, clarity, compassion, and creativity. Experiences will include creative contemplative activities, embodied practices, and nature experiences. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/transformation-in-presence-integrating-awareness-of-god/

Journey into Silence Retreat ~ Summer Peace (In-Person)

Sunday, Jun 9, 5:30 pm – Friday, Jun 14, 2:30 pm

CONWAY, MI –Silence the world around you. Silence the world within you. Silence the thoughts that shout out to you. In the stillness hear God’s voice. In the quiet, sense the Divine’s presence and the spiritual love that is waiting to embrace you. Gently enter into silence during this retreat experience. A spiritual director will be here to companion with you on this silent retreat. The Journey into Silence retreat is held at the Augustine Center Retreat House in Conway, MI. The center is a retreat house welcoming individuals and groups for ongoing formation, education, and spirituality. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/journey-into-silence-retreat-summer-peace/

SoulCollage® What is Growing in your Soul Garden? (In-Person)

Saturday, Jun 15 • 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –Every seed is an invitation to grow something new. As we think together about what we wish to grow, we will ask ourselves these questions: What seeds are ready to be planted in our soul? How can we hold steady in transition as the unknown is beckoning? What does it look like to trust the potential of transformation? How can we do this without caving into fear? SoulCollage® is a process where we take our longings and our fears and make a visual card to represent those aspects of our soul that need tending. Using found images, we create snapshots of where we are at the moment, and what we might be leaning towards. The cards are fascinating vehicles to uncover hidden parts of yourself—as well as creating cards for the support you find around you in your life. Whether you create one card or a whole deck, the process is sure to bring insight and encouragement to your life. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/soulcollage-what-is-growing-in-your-soul-garden/

Weber Center Lunch and Learn Topics Announced

The Lunch and Learn series at Weber Retreat and Conference Center continues through the summer with new topics of interest to nourish your mind. Lunch and Learn is offered from 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Upcoming sessions are as follows:

May 15, 2024 – Sam Beauford Woodshop. Learn about the many offerings and events at the Sam Beauford Woodshop, located at the Adrian Center for the Arts.

June 12, 2024 – Adrian Resilient Community Update. Hear about the exciting developments on the East Side of Adrian, born from a partnership of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, ProMedica, the A3 Coalition, and the Boys and Girls Club of Lenawee. Speakers are Frank Nagle, Director of Community Impact at ProMedica, and Jennifer Hunter and Sister Sharon Weber, OP, Co-Chairs of the Adrian Resilient Communities Committee.

July 17, 2024 – Keeping your Heart Healthy. Pam Miller, Team Coordinator for Cardiac Rehab at ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital, shares strategies for a healthy heart.

August 14, 2024 – The Secrets of Canning. Mary Donaldson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture shares the best ways to enjoy fruits and vegetables all year through canning.

Those attending may bring their own lunch or purchase lunch for $7 from Weber Center. Drinks and desserts will be provided for everyone. If buying lunch, please register at least two days in advance. Call 517-266-4000 or email webercenter@adriandominicans.org.

Spiritual Guidance and Mental Health (Virtual Retreat)

This workshop will explore the interface between spirituality and mental health and what spiritual guides need to be attentive to when working with folks who are navigating mental health issues. Come, explore important questions regarding the relationship between therapy and spiritual guidance with a seasoned psychotherapist and spiritual guide.

Facilitator: Pat Francis, OP, PsyD

Friday, May 3, 2024
1:00pm – 4:00pm
Cost: $50

Spiritual Guidance and Mental Health | Siena Retreat Center

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Life’s Transitions as a Spiritual Practice

This weekend retreat will explore how all of our life transitions can be a learning to help us grow as individuals, communities and spiritual beings. There will be time for sharing, resting, meditating and prayer.

Facilitator: Gabriela Caballero Moersfelder

Friday, May 3 – Sunday, May 5, 2024
Begins Fri 6:30pm, ends with noon meal on Sunday
Cost: $345 (includes overnight accommodations and meals)

Life’s Transitions | Siena Retreat Center
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SoulCollage® Days: “Game Changers”

SoulCollage® is an experience of self-reflection using images that speak to you. No art experience is needed, and the process of creating SoulCollage® cards will be explained.

The theme for this day is “Game Changers.” How many movies start with sparring colleagues who become passionate romantic partners? Or feature a calamity that works out for the best, or a big break that turns out to be a dead end? Our lives are also full of unforeseen reversals of fortune, minor figures who end up looming large, and sometimes startling changes in our own nature. Breakthroughs come to us in the shower, a dream, or a walk in the woods.

Facilitators: David Stack and Pamela Downing

Wednesday, May 15, 20249:00am-3:00pm
Cost: $75 (includes lunch and supplies)SoulCollage| Siena Retreat Center