Haiku as Spiritual Practice

You are inited to a meditative arts retreat hosted by Friends of Silence and Rolling Ridge Study Retreat
November 2-4, 2012
Still Point Mountain Retreat and Retreat House at Rolling Ridge Study Retreat

A “haiku” is a simple three line form of poetry with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5. On the surface, it is about something we see in nature. But at its core a haiku unveils something profound and treasured – that which resonates with one’s heart. In the end it is not about the words; it is about what happens when we truly take the time to pay attention and notice.

“In paying attention to small things, the haiku poet honors the sacredness of everyday life.” -- Margaret D. McGee, author of Haiku – the Sacred Art

The process of writing haiku, and illustrating it if you like, awakens our senses and opens us to the beauty and wonder of the moment. Through this playful art form we have the opportunity to realize our deep connection to the natural world, the Creator, and each other.

Quiet Days Apart: Learning in Autumn to Trust and Let Go to God

A year of new mini-retreats for 2012 with Trish Stefanik at Priest Field Pastoral Center
October 20, 2012 (also planned December 1)
Priest Field Pastoral Center in West Virginia


Sisters of Mercy foundress Catherine McAuley once said: "We have one solid source of happiness in all our journeying - we can keep our hearts fixed on God."

But how can we do that? Busyness fills most of our days, and many things pull at our hearts. Jesus knew this. And that is why he himself repeatedly went off to a quiet place apart to be able to fully engage with others in his life and ministry. We are encouraged to do the same: "Come away…and rest a while" (Mark 6:31).

Retreat gives us the opportunity to prayerfully reflect on who we are and where we are, and tap into the wellspring of the Spirit for guidance and wisdom. Our God-given gifts and call are unique to each one of us; but for all of us, it takes time in silence and prayerful reflection for these to be nurtured.

Voices in the Wilderness of Soul

Encounters with the Sacred in Nature and the Human Soul
September 28-30, 2012
Friday Dinner - Sunday Lunch
Rolling Ridge Study Retreat

Behold, I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her -- Hosea 2:14

So I returned to the river, I returned to the mountains,
and I asked for their hand in marriage.
I begged, I begged to wed every object and every creature.
And when they accepted, God was ever present in my arms. -- Meister Eckhert

Listen! A wild and tender voice is calling you! Beyond the world of being always busy, there is another world. We enter that world when we step over the threshold into the world of nature and soul -- a world filled with mystery, enchantment, wisdom, and romance. In this world we seek a rendezvous with the wild and tender One who awaits us in the forest, by the river, on the mountain.

Labor Day Work Day

September 3, 2012
Retreat House at Rolling Ridge Study Retreat

More information to follow.

Quiet Days Apart: Endings and Beginnings, a Sacred Rhythm of Life

A year of new mini-retreats for 2012 with Trish Stefanik at Priest Field Pastoral Center
August 18, 2012 (also planned October 20, December 1)
Priest Field Pastoral Center in West Virginia


Sisters of Mercy foundress Catherine McAuley once said: "We have one solid source of happiness in all our journeying - we can keep our hearts fixed on God."

But how can we do that? Busyness fills most of our days, and many things pull at our hearts. Jesus knew this. And that is why he himself repeatedly went off to a quiet place apart to be able to fully engage with others in his life and ministry. We are encouraged to do the same: "Come away…and rest a while" (Mark 6:31).

Retreat gives us the opportunity to prayerfully reflect on who we are and where we are, and tap into the wellspring of the Spirit for guidance and wisdom. Our God-given gifts and call are unique to each one of us; but for all of us, it takes time in silence and prayerful reflection for these to be nurtured.

Fourth Annual Pilgrimage of Peace

Join in a daily rhythm of sung prayer, silence, and common work
August 10-26, 2012
Still Point Mountain Retreat

A Friends of Silence Retreat with Br. Stefan Waligur (Macushla)

Join in a daily rhythm of sung prayer, silence, and common work
Stay as long as you want, for part of a day or an entire week

For the past three years, people from across the nation and the world have come together each summer to experience the peace of daily song, chant, silence, reflection, rest and work on a forested hilltop overlooking the Shenandoah Valley.  This gathering is called a Pilgrimage of Peace.  You will be embraced by the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge foothills with access to Rolling Ridge, a 1400-acre wilderness preserve between the Shenandoah River and the Appalachian Trail. 

Praying with the Psalms

Friends of Silence invites you to a special summer contemplative retreat at Rolling Ridge Study Retreat
July 12-15, 2012
Thursday 6:30 pm - Sunday 1:00 pm
Still Point Mountain Retreat and Retreat House at Rolling Ridge Study Retreat


“Who among us has not yearned to know the Unknowable? The Psalms have ever been a response to these deep yearnings: cries of the soul ... songs of surrender ... paeans of praise.” - Nan Merrill, author of Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness

In Psalms for Praying Nan Merrill reworks the Hebrew Scripture Psalms into a poetic dance between the human heart and Divine Love. The language is all about “aspiring to live in a spirit of cooperation, co-creation, and companionship with the Beloved.” Though mindful of our personal struggles, we are invited in prayerful dialogue to come to know our deepest truth and to join with others on a journey towards wholeness.

Quiet Days Apart: Summer’s Delight and Gratitude for the Ordinary

A year of new mini-retreats for 2012 with Trish Stefanik at Priest Field Pastoral Center
June 30, 2012 (also planned August 18, October 20, December 1)
Priest Field Pastoral Center in West Virginia


Sisters of Mercy foundress Catherine McAuley once said: "We have one solid source of happiness in all our journeying - we can keep our hearts fixed on God."

But how can we do that? Busyness fills most of our days, and many things pull at our hearts. Jesus knew this. And that is why he himself repeatedly went off to a quiet place apart to be able to fully engage with others in his life and ministry. We are encouraged to do the same: "Come away…and rest a while" (Mark 6:31).

Retreat gives us the opportunity to prayerfully reflect on who we are and where we are, and tap into the wellspring of the Spirit for guidance and wisdom. Our God-given gifts and call are unique to each one of us; but for all of us, it takes time in silence and prayerful reflection for these to be nurtured.

Green Building at Woodhaven

June 15-17, 2012
Retreat House at Rolling Ridge Study Retreat

More information to follow.

Girls' Art

June 15-July 4, 2012 (dates in process)
Still Point Mountain Retreat

Sponsored by Friends of Silence. More to follow.

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