CONSD offers local retreats, days of prayer, and formation events online and in-person. At the worldwide Contemplative Outreach Ltd. website, you can find the latest information on online and onsite retreats offered nationally and globally — see THIS LINK and click on the “Events” tab at the top right.
———–UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS———–
CENTERING PRAYER AND THE 40 DAYS OF LENT, with Contemplative Outreach of San Diego. Beginning March 5 (Ash Wednesday) to April 16, from 9:00am to 9:30am Pacific Time daily on Zoom. We are called, as contemplatives, to be a sign of love and hope to those who are most vulnerable. In these 40 days of Lent, we ask during our prayer time for mercy and compassion in a world where millions of people suffer from the wages of war, famine, displacement, and disease. If you are new to Centering Prayer or you have known the practice for years, joining in group prayer during this time of day might be a good way to strengthen your practice. Join us each morning from 9:00am to 9:30am. We will not meet on the Sundays of Lent. There is no cost, and no registration needed. To receive the Zoom link, contact Ardy at ardywoodmansee@gmail.com .
Pre-registration for “An Introduction to Centering Prayer” is required so that we can know how many people to expect. To ask questions or to pre-register, please e-mail us at consdinfo@gmail.com.
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Five-Day Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat, with Brian Curry & COSD. This five-day Centering Prayer intensive retreat provides an opportunity to deepen the practice of Centering Prayer in an atmosphere of silence and community support. This retreat follows the Contemplative Outreach guidelines for an intensive retreat including five 30-minute Centering Prayer periods on most days. An established practice of Centering Prayer for at least six months is recommended but is not a pre-requisite to attend. The retreat begins Monday with check-in from 2:00 to 5:00 pm and concludes the following Friday morning. The retreat fee of $450 includes a single room (with private bath) and meals. We are limiting the number of registrations to 25, including retreat leader,s so each has their own room for solitude. The cost of this retreat has been lowered by $200 per participant due to a grant from the Contemplative Outreach Divine Economy Fund. The fund is dedicated to making Fr. Thomas Keating’s teachings in retreats accessible to Centering Prayer practitioners. In person, April 28 to May 2, at Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside, CA. For more info and to register, please click HERE.
———MORE UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE U.S.———
ONGOING: OPENING MINDS, OPENING HEARTS: A Podcast Series by Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., first launched in November 2022. With Colleen Thomas and Mark Dannenfelser. Seasons 1, 2, and now 3 of this podcast series are complete and available HERE or through your favorite podcast provider platforms. Interviewees include Carl McColman, Dr. Lerita Coleman Brown, Fr. Adam Bucko, Pastor Tia Norman, Fr. Greg Boyle, Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Heather Ruce, Dr. Rory McEntee, and others.
Good Friday – Holy Saturday Silent Vigil. You are invited to participate in an online silent prayer vigil for Good Friday and Holy Saturday, offered and hosted by Extensión Contemplativa Internacional, the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking community of Contemplative Outreach. As the vigil is completely silent and online, language and location do not matter. You may come and leave at any time, as much as you would like. The vigil begins Friday, April 18, at 3pm Eastern (New York) time (8pm London UTC+1) and goes on until Saturday, April 19 at 3pm Eastern (New York) time. The Zoom ID is 305-673-6206, passcode 121314. For more info, please click HERE.
Centering Prayer in the Treatment of Mental Illnesses, with Dr. Bob Hesse. Dr. Hesse will report the results of neuroscientific studies on improvement in quality of life using Centering Prayer in the treatment of: PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, Parkinson’s Disease, and excessive fear of death (NDE). He will discuss using the results of these studies to establish ministries in medical treatment facilities. The studies were published in scientific journals and summarized in Dr. Hesse’s book: Faith and Science: A Journey into God’s Mystical Love. Its chapter titles are the agenda of the first Faith and Science Conference in Rome on 17-20 June 2025, see www.faith-science.org. Dr. Hesse will review these findings and then there will be time to submit questions via the chat. On Zoom, April 29, 2:00 to 3:00 pm [unsure of time zone]. For more info and to register, please click HERE.
An Ancient Flowing Stream: How African Origins, Heritage, Culture, and Music Power the Christian Contemplative Spirit, with Rev. Michael Battle and Julian Davis Reid. The instinct to search for and find a path to God flows like an ancient river through every human heart. It is universal, and like the human race itself, it has its source in Africa. Over time, the river of contemplation has been fed by streams from every continent, and experiencing this diversity of influences has great transformative power. Here in the West, one stream of influence – white and European – has been the dominant approach to Christian contemplation, while alternative worldviews have tended to be neglected and silenced. But this is changing…. Let us seek the grace to extend a warmer and more authentic welcome to people of all backgrounds, and to be transformed by what they can teach us. We invite you to swim in an ancient stream toward sacred Communal Contemplative Spirituality. This workshop will invite you into transformation as much as it invites you to learn about the African underpinnings of all contemplative practices, and Black American contemplative practices in particular. On Zoom, May 3, Noon to 3:00pm Pacific Time. For more info and to register, please click HERE.
Introductory Wisdom School: A Wisdom Way of Knowing. This Introductory Wisdom School lays the groundwork for understanding the vital role of Wisdom in today’s world. Led by Cynthia Bourgeault, participants will delve into the Christian Wisdom tradition, exploring two key spiritual streams: the ancient Benedictine monastic model of “Ora et Labora” and the Gurdjieff Work’s concept of three-centered knowing and presence. Cynthia will illuminate how Wisdom serves as a precise and transformative spiritual science, offering both theoretical insights and practical tools for embodying Yeshua’s teachings—the Way of the Heart. Through an integrated daily rhythm, this Wisdom School fosters an embodied “wisdom way of knowing,” incorporating periods of Great Silence, teaching sessions, Centering Prayer or silent meditation, mindful work, mindful movement, and contemplative free time. In person and on Zoom, May 25-30, at the Mercy Center in Burlingame, CA. For more info and to register, click HERE.
Ten-Day Contemplative Listening Retreat (“Post-Post”). This is a retreat for those who have attended multiple Intensive and post-intensive 8-10 day retreats and find themselves desiring yet longer sessions of Centering Prayer in community. We will begin our day at 6:00am with three 30- minute periods of Centering Prayer. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon there will be an additional session of three 30-minute periods of Centering Prayer. Once a day, we will watch a brief (about five minute) segment of the film “From the Mind To the Heart”, a conversation with Thomas Keating, which he created for this retreat. We will let the silence deepen in this retreat. There will be no scheduled soul friending, though staff will be available for a conversation if requested. There will be no reading at meals and no verbal prayer at the beginning of the Centering Prayer sessions. Lectio Divina and a contemplative Eucharist will be offered daily. In person at the Mercy Center in Auburn, CA. The retreat begins Tuesday, June 10 with registration from 2:00 to 4:00 Pacific Time, an opening session at 4:15pm, and dinner at 5:15pm. We end on Thursday, June 19 at 10:30am (lunch optional). For more info, click HERE or contact Susan Turpin at 541-324-1207; slturpin@me.com.
Eight-Day Intensive / Post-Intensive Retreat, with Sr. Chris Machado and staff. Enter into a more profound level of spiritual practice in an atmosphere of silence and community. The Eight-Day Intensive and concurrent Post-Intensive Retreat is designed to strengthen one’s discipline and practice of Centering Prayer. We will be in grand silence. The Intensive also provides a conceptual framework for prayer through the viewing of selected DVDs from Thomas Keating’s Spiritual Journey Series. This retreat is for those with some experience with Centering Prayer. Post-Intensive is for those who have previously made an Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat. Times of silence and periods of Centering Prayer are increased. In person at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino, CA, Sunday, June 29 at 4:30pm Pacific Time to Sunday, July 6 at 1:00pm. For more info, visit the Holy Spirit website HERE or call Sr. Chris at 818-285-3354.
Wisdom: Returning to Basics, with Fr. Bill Sheehan. Shortly before his death, Fr. Thomas encouraged us to return to the basics in relation to the contemplative dimension of the Gospel. For example, in his early writings, Fr. Thomas emphasized the importance of embracing the psychological paradigm as a way of fostering our spiritual growth and development. At a later point, he chose to emphasize the significance of God’s word as a way to bring us to a deeper place as we continue to embrace our spiritual journey. During our time together, we will reflect on both of these aspects as we embrace our spiritual path. Book resources: Invitation To Love, Divine Therapy, Manifesting God, Consent to God as God Is. We will be in silence for meals, breaks, and prayer time. Periods of Centering Prayer will be included in our time together. There will be discussion following each of Fr. Sheehan’s presentations. Spiritual companioning and massage will also be available. In person at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino, CA, Sunday July 20, 4:30pm Pacific Time to Sunday, July 27 at 1:00pm. For more info or to register, visit the Holy Spirit website HERE or call Sr. Chris at 818-285-3354.
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Scholarships to attend retreats and events are available from CONSD and from Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. Please email consdinfo@gmail.com to inquire.
For more information on CONSD events, call Linda Dollins at (760) 743-8297 or Mary Williams at (760) 822-3916.
For information on COSD (Contemplative Outreach of San Diego) events, see the COSD website, www.contemplativeoutreachsd.org