Franciscan Federation

Creativity is a Form of Prayer: Cardmaking – Lunch Included
2024-04-06 09:30 - 14:30 (America/New_York)
Creating something with your hands and heart is a wonderful journey toward God. It expresses what lies deep within that words can’t often express. Creating intends to open one’s heart to listening to God and allowing God to speak through the creative piece. If we take something that we love to do and invite God into the midst of the activity, this experience can be transformed and used to develop an ever-closer relationship with God. This invitation becomes a sacred moment of connectedness with our Creator. It becomes another form of prayer!

Registration Information:

https://www.oldenburgfranciscancenter.org/programs.html

Solar Eclipse Event
2024-04-08 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. A total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. It will occur on April 8 at 3:07 p.m. local time. Bring your family to this cosmic event!

Registration Information:

https://www.oldenburgfranciscancenter.org/programs.html

River Blue
2024-04-09 18:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago)
April FFE Eco-Film “River Blue” via Zoom

View & discuss the film “River Blue” Tuesday, April 9 via Zoom

Join us on Tuesday, April 9 at 6:30 in the evening, as we view and discuss this film the fashion industry’s impact on our rivers and the people who live nearby. Register today http://www.fsolph.org/events/ for this free opportunity!

As described at https://riverbluethemovie.eco/the-film/ Mark Angelo, a river conservationist, traveled the world to investigate the fashion industry and its polluting practices. The film is narrated by Jason Priestley.

According to the RiverBlue website: Through harsh chemical manufacturing processes and the irresponsible disposal of toxic chemical waste, one of our favorite iconic products has destroyed rivers and impacted the lives of people who count on these waterways for their survival. River Blue brings awareness to the destruction of some of the world’s most vital rivers through the manufacturing of our clothing, but will also act as a demand for significant change in the textile industry from the top fashion brands that can make a difference.

View the trailer https://riverbluethemovie.eco/

Upon Zoom registration, you will receive an email response that contains a Zoom link. Please save and flag/star this email so you can find that link to log in on the evening of April 9 at 6:15 pm (the presentation begins at 6:30, but we ask everyone to log in at 6:15 in case there are difficulties). We will email reminders to Zoom registrants one day and one hour before the event that will also contain the link.

The Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help created a Franciscans For Earth (FFE) movement years ago to educate, advocate and collaborate on behalf of our Common Home and all its inhabitants. To learn about future free, monthly, FFE Eco-Series events, view the Events page on our website at http://www.fsolph.org/events, follow the Sisters on Facebook at FranciscanSistersOLPH or on YouTube at FSOLPH1, or sign up to receive the Franciscan Spirit newsletter. The Sisters publish a print edition twice a year and post it to the website. Supplemental online editions and those containing pdf files of the print edition can also be delivered to your inbox throughout the year–call Sister Cheryl to be added to the list.

Registration Information:

http://www.fsolph.org/events/

California Listening & Learning Session
2024-04-27 10:00 - 2024-04-28 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
In 2024 the Franciscan Federation is engaging in A Year of Listening & Learning to offer members the opportunity to voice their aspirations and desires for the Federation. As the Transformation Process comes to completion, the National Board and Staff view the input of our members as vital to the ongoing growth and development of the Federation. In addition, hear the keynote address of Michael Perry, OFM who encourages the work of organizational transformation from a Franciscan perspective!

Dates of future virtual and in-person sessions:

Virtual Session June 12th

Wisconsin Session September 21st-22nd

Virtual Session October 12th

All registrations are open.

Register

A Day of Quiet Renewal
2024-05-03 09:00 - 16:00, 2024-06-07 09:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | The Oldenburg Franciscan Center, 22143 Main Street, Oldenburg, IN, 47036, United States
Experience a day of renewal and relaxation. Take time out of your busy schedule to spend some quiet time on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Francis. Explore our library, grab a comfy chair, read, journal, or just gaze out the window. Experience Spiritual Direction with a Sister. Spend time to center and renew yourself. God is waiting! IN PERSON ONLY.

Learn More / Register

Resilience: Give Nature a Chance
2024-05-14 18:30 - 21:00 (America/Chicago)
Register today to join the Franciscan Sisters and Sarah Peper, a large river fisheries biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, at 6:30 in the evening. This May Franciscans For Earth Eco-Series Event will take place in the Assisi Room at Tau Center in Kirkwood, MO. Gather with St Louis community members as the Sisters welcome Sarah and her live presentation of “Resilience—Give Nature a Chance.” Register at www.fsolph.org/events/The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers were altered dramatically in the 1900s. Lock and dam construction and channelization projects have made river navigation possible but have also affected the fish and other aquatic organisms that live in the river. Using Lake Sturgeon as a representative, we will explore how changes in the river systems have impacted aquatic fauna and how many of our species are amazingly resilient if given a chance to recover. Discussion will follow.

To register: www.fsolph.org/events/

Engaging the Mystery - A Retreat
2024-05-16 18:00 - 2024-05-22 12:00 (America/Chicago)
It was written that Francis of Assisi could be heard in prayer asking, “Who are you, Lord, and who am I?” Clare of Assisi would use the word “ineffable” (inexpressible, indefinable) when contemplating God’s love and goodness. In both cases, their Franciscan journeys are marked by Mystery. We search to “know,” even while we cannot understand. Our Franciscan hearts’ desire to engage with mystery, the doorway to intimacy with God. During the retreat, we will engage the wonders we encounter in our human walk.

Part 1: Engaging God’s Mystery – Thursday, May 16 at 6:00pm – Sunday, May 19 at Noon

Part 2: Engaging the Mystery of the Human Spirit – Sunday, May 19 at 6:00pm – Wednesday, May 22 at Noon

Presented by: John Petrikovic, OFM Cap. and Ramona Miller, OSF

Registration Information:

Register for one or both sessions. You may participate in these retreats via Zoom or join us in person at: Assisi Heights | 1001 14th Street NW | Rochester, MN 55901.

Register online by selecting the date and method of participation on our event calendar: www.rochesterfranciscan.org/events/

Registration encouraged by April 29, 2024.

Questions? Contact Bob Taraba, Event Coordinator at 507-280-2195 or ahsc@rochesterfranciscan.org

Replenish: A Retreat for Caregivers at Prairie woods (in person)
2024-05-17 18:30 - 2024-05-18 14:00 (America/Chicago)
Many of us are caregivers, whether for free or for a wage. We care for people nearby or those who are far away. Regardless of who you’re looking after, whether it’s children or elderly adults or if you work in healthcare, this retreat is for you. It is hard work, which makes caring for yourself while you are caring for others that much more important. Come to Prairiewoods (120 East Boyson Road in Hiawatha) to restore, recharge and replenish. Enjoy a contemplative walk through the woods or across the prairie. Bring whatever is on your heart and walk the labyrinth. Just sit under Grandmother Oak and commune with nature. Explore stress reduction and spiritual practices to find the calm within. Leave renewed and ready to savor the long summer days ahead! This overnight retreat will be led by Leslie Schwarting. The cost is $175 and includes presentations, Friday lodging, and Saturday breakfast and lunch. The commuter fee is $95 and includes presentations and Saturday lunch. For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.

To register: https://pw.retreatportal.com/calendar/event?programcode=24PGR26607

In Hot Pursuit: 7 Keys to Unlock True Happiness
2024-05-18 09:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Author and speaker Sandra Hartlieb will guide you on your spiritual odyssey to find happiness– our perfect state of being! This entertaining and informative reflection is packed with drama, humor, and storytelling. Through simple, repeatable “keys,” Sandra will help you unlock the kind of happiness that is not fleeting or superficial. Learn how to live a life of joy, no matter what your external circumstances might be!

To register: https://www.oldenburgfranciscancenter.org/programs.html

Seeds of Hope prayer service
2024-05-22 18:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Join the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help for a prayer service in Kirkwood Park on Wednesday, May 22 at 6:30 pm. During Laudato Si’ Week (May 19 -26) we celebrate Seeds of Hope as we commemorate the ninth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’. We will gather at Walker Lake Parking lot.

Register at www.fsolph.org/events/ (We do ask that you please sign up with all contact information, so that we can text you easily in case of inclement weather. This also allows us to send you an email reminder one day and one hour before the event.)

Conversations on All Things Jungian: Caring for the Soul
2024-06-07 09:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | The Oldenburg Franciscan Center, 22143 Main Street, Oldenburg, IN, 47036, United States
Join Jungian Analyst and Clinical Psychologists, S. Olga Wittekind, PhD & Claire Sherman, PhD, as they discuss Jungian topics in our new Friday Jungian Series, “Caring for the Soul.” They have put together a wonderful collection of Jungian topics to explore, such as: wholeness & spirituality, archetypes, relationships, dream interpretation, fairy tales & myths, active imagination, midlife issues & all things Jungian!

Learn More / Register

The Power of Silence: June Silent Directed Retreat at Prairiewoods (in person)
2024-06-09 16:00 - 2024-06-15 13:00 (America/Chicago)
Perhaps you’ve participated for years in Prairiewoods’ Silent Directed Retreats. Or maybe you have seen these advertised and considered scheduling one for yourself, but aren’t sure what a Silent Directed Retreat is. If you’ve participated in a Silent Directed Retreat, we welcome you back. If you’ve never participated in a retreat like this, we invite you to consider this question: What’s the deepest silence you’ve ever known? Silent Directed Retreats offer opportunities to enter into deep silence to sense what it feels like to awaken a quiet and palpable connection with the Source of All Being. Each day you will receive ongoing direction as you and a professionally-trained spiritual director intentionally listen to the movement of the Source of All Being in your heart. Silence assists you to get in touch with feelings, thoughts and actions as you reflect, meditate, pray and rest. Silence deepens the capacity to discern, notice, sense the movement of the Source of All Being within the whole of your life. Sharing with a professional may bring you clarity, deepen your commitment and accountability to the direction of your life, and offer insight into that direction. At Prairiewoods (120 East Boyson Road in Hiawatha), we try to hold any outside stimulation to a minimum so that everything—the silence, solitude, reflective activities, meals, etc.—supports your journey within. A daily centering practice is offered. Optional reflective activities such as artwork, yoga and singing bowl meditation are available throughout the week. Even meals are eaten reflectively in silence. Each day supports your individual needs. Stroll woods and prairie. Sense sunset quietly turn to dusk. Journal or read, if you choose. Nap. Engage in yoga, art expression, meditation. Notice how food nourishes your capacity for silence. Explore holding the silence with creation all around you: humans, stone, tree, pond, squirrel, deer, turkey, star, moon, dawn, dusk … Is the silence simply the absence of noise? Or is it also a presence unto itself? See for yourself! Come re-establish and remember the deep connection we share with all of Creation as we listen together to the GREAT SILENCE. Take time to rest in silence, to sense its wisdom, to know its fullness as it offers you life. Author Carolyn Myss assures: “The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.” This retreat will be facilitated by Rose Blank; Cindy Dunn; Ann Jackson, PBVM; Leslie Schwarting; and Lucille Winnike, FSPA. The cost is $525 and includes lodging, meals and spiritual direction. Partial scholarships are available. For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.

To register: https://pw.retreatportal.com/calendar/event?programcode=24PGR25391

June Virtual Listening & Learning Session
2024-06-12 12:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
In 2024 the Franciscan Federation is engaging in A Year of Listening & Learning to offer members the opportunity to voice their aspirations and desires for the Federation. As the Transformation Process comes to completion, the National Board and Staff view the input of our members as vital to the ongoing growth and development of the Federation. In addition, hear the keynote address of Michael Perry, OFM who encourages the work of organizational transformation from a Franciscan perspective!

Dates of future virtual and in-person sessions:

Wisconsin Session September 21st-22nd

Virtual Session October 12th

All registrations are open.

Register

Who is this God for Whom I Long? How Deeply God Loves | A Retreat
2024-06-13 18:00 - 2024-06-19 12:00 (America/Chicago)
Our retreat journey will lead us to set aside these days of quiet to let God find us. We will turn to the wonders of God’s incredible love and desire to be one with us.

Part 1: Thursday, June 13 at 6:00pm – Sunday, June 16 at Noon

This retreat will focus on how deeply God loves us, how God wants to be present in our lives and God’s great and unconditional love.

Part 2: Sunday, June 16 at 6:00pm – Wednesday, June 19 at Noon

This retreat will focus on being sent as agents of God’s love, forgiveness and how we choose to face our future – as agents of joy, hope and surrender.

Presenter: Father Marlin John Connole.

Fr. Connole presently serves as a Senior Priest in Palm Springs, California, and has presented many retreats for Women Religious.

Registration Information:

Hosted by the Rochester Franciscans. You may participate in these retreats via Zoom or join us in person at: Assisi Heights | 1001 14th Street NW | Rochester, MN 55901.

To register online, select the date on our event calendar: www.rochesterfranciscan.org/events/

Then select the full retreat or one of the sessions, and whether you will participate in person with accommodations, as a commuter or via Zoom.

For additional information or questions, contact Bob Taraba, Event Coordinator, at 507-280-2195 or ahsc@rochesterfranciscan.org

Earth Blessings: Reweaving Connections to Kith & Kin Retreat at Prairiewoods (in person)
2024-06-28 18:30 - 2024-06-30 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 East Boyson Road, Hiawatha, IA, 52233, United States
“Dare we pick up the pieces of our heart as it is broken open time and again and reshape those bits into a greater capacity to hold more—more suffering, more love, more grief, and more joy. More of the rich hues and deeply textured fabric of a life lived fully,” writes Leah Rampy in Earth & Soul: Reconnecting amid Climate Chaos. We live in uncertain times, when species and ecosystems are increasingly at risk. Our souls hunger for sacred relationship with all creation, yet it can be difficult to discern the way forward in the midst of so much suffering and devastation. In this weekend retreat with Leah Rampy, we’ll explore ways of reclaiming our kinship to the living world around us and expand our capacity to remain both present to reality and hopeful to possibilities, as we practice being fully present to what is, just as it is. Through brief teachings, ongoing conversation and reflection, small group discussions, and spacious contemplative practices, Leah will lead us on a soul journey of grief and loss over the devastation of Earth to a place of joy and possibility that is possible when we reweave our connections to kith and kin who are awaiting us. Participants will leave with contemplative practices that they may choose to continue to support their ongoing journey of love and care for Earth and all creation. Leah Moran Rampy, PhD, is a writer, speaker, retreat leader and educator who weaves ecology, spirituality, personal stories and practices to help others deepen their relationship to the natural world. She recently authored the book Earth & Soul: Reconnecting amid Climate Chaos. She is a frequent speaker on contemplative leadership and spiritual ecology for these edge times. Leah co-authored and co-facilitated with Beth Norcross the six-part video series on The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees: Insights from Our Elders in collaboration with the award-winning film maker Jane Pittman and sponsored by The Center for Spirituality in Nature. The cost of this weekend retreat is $250 and includes presentations, Friday and Saturday lodging, and Saturday breakfast through Sunday lunch. The commuter fee is $180 and includes presentations, Saturday lunch and dinner, and Sunday lunch. For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.

To register: https://pw.retreatportal.com/calendar/event?programcode=24PGR25747

The Power of Silence: July Silent Directed Retreat at Prairiewoods (in person)
2024-07-07 16:00 - 2024-07-13 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 East Boyson Road, Hiawatha, IA, 52233, United States
Perhaps you’ve participated for years in Prairiewoods’ Silent Directed Retreats. Or maybe you have seen these advertised and considered scheduling one for yourself, but aren’t sure what a Silent Directed Retreat is. If you’ve participated in a Silent Directed Retreat, we welcome you back. If you’ve never participated in a retreat like this, we invite you to consider this question: What’s the deepest silence you’ve ever known? Silent Directed Retreats offer opportunities to enter into deep silence to sense what it feels like to awaken a quiet and palpable connection with the Source of All Being. Each day you will receive ongoing direction as you and a professionally-trained spiritual director intentionally listen to the movement of the Source of All Being in your heart. Silence assists you to get in touch with feelings, thoughts and actions as you reflect, meditate, pray and rest. Silence deepens the capacity to discern, notice, sense the movement of the Source of All Being within the whole of your life. Sharing with a professional may bring you clarity, deepen your commitment and accountability to the direction of your life, and offer insight into that direction. At Prairiewoods (120 East Boyson Road in Hiawatha), we try to hold any outside stimulation to a minimum so that everything—the silence, solitude, reflective activities, meals, etc.—supports your journey within. A daily centering practice is offered. Optional reflective activities such as artwork, yoga and singing bowl meditation are available throughout the week. Even meals are eaten reflectively in silence. Each day supports your individual needs. Stroll woods and prairie. Sense sunset quietly turn to dusk. Journal or read, if you choose. Nap. Engage in yoga, art expression, meditation. Notice how food nourishes your capacity for silence. Explore holding the silence with creation all around you: humans, stone, tree, pond, squirrel, deer, turkey, star, moon, dawn, dusk … Is the silence simply the absence of noise? Or is it also a presence unto itself? See for yourself! Come re-establish and remember the deep connection we share with all of Creation as we listen together to the GREAT SILENCE. Take time to rest in silence, to sense its wisdom, to know its fullness as it offers you life. Author Carolyn Myss assures: “The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.” This retreat will be facilitated by Cindy Dunn; Ann Jackson, PBVM; Leslie Schwarting; and Lucille Winnike, FSPA. The cost is $525 and includes lodging, meals and spiritual direction. Partial scholarships are available. For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.

To register: https://pw.retreatportal.com/calendar/event?programcode=24PGR25392

A Sacred Romance: Drawing Near to the Heart of God
2024-07-13 09:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | The Oldenburg Franciscan Center, 22143 Main Street, Oldenburg, IN, 47036, United States
The Mystic Poets interlace our desire for human love with our thirst for the Divine. By having a wild love for the Radiant One, our passion for others is expressed and experienced in everything that is done and in all of life’s encounters. We feel it in the way we worship and in the way we love, serve, and play. You are encouraged to bring your favorite mystic poem or quote and your insights, questions, and vulnerabilities in embracing the Lover that dwells within us so we may experience the healing power of love.

Registration

https://www.oldenburgfranciscancenter.org/programs.html

(812)933-6437

center @oldenburgosf.com

Franciscan Retreat: "Befriending the Wolf Within"
2024-07-13 17:30 - 2024-07-18 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Portiuncula Center for Prayer, 9263 W. St. Francis Road, Frankfort, IL, 60423, United States
We will return to the dilemma of the people of Gubbio who had to face the challenge of an imperfect world and deal with the invitation to learn how to forgive and heal their community. We will place this concept into the practical, concrete instructions that Jesus gave his disciples when he taught them to pray, namely the revolutionary concept of forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer. We will discover that this prayer is a call to live a consecrated life, a Eucharistic existence within a dysfunctional world.

About the facilitator

Michael Jennrich, OFM has served in a variety of ministries, including street ministry, retreat work, parish work, campus ministry and hospice chaplaincy. He uses his gifts of singing, spinning, weaving and storytelling to accompany others on their journey of self-discovery. He is currently Chaplain for the University of St. Francis.

Registration

https://www.portforprayer.org/registration/ or contact the office at 815-464-3880 or info@portforprayer.org

Coffee Talks — Transcending Happiness: Exploring the Depths of Joy
2024-07-14 10:45 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | The Oldenburg Franciscan Center, 22143 Main Street, Oldenburg, IN, 47036, United States
Monthly coffee talks at Oldenburg Franciscan Center.

With Fr. Ed Kinerk, SJ, Spiritual Director

Joy is a profound experience. It can include happiness, but it is deeper than happiness and can coexist also with profound sadness. When we speak of heaven or life after death, we often use the word joy which is beyond happiness. We will examine samples of joy in our lives and how to deepen them and make them more frequent.

Finding Peace in Mothering Retreat at Prairiewoods (in person)
2024-07-26 18:30 - 2024-07-28 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 East Boyson Road, Hiawatha, IA, 52233, United States
In this weekend retreat at Prairiewoods (120 East Boyson Road in Hiawatha), we will explore our “mothering journey,” not only how we currently mother, but also how we were mothered, and how we want to mother in the future. Join nurturers in community and conversations, rejuvenate, and relax through healing practices to send you home revitalized, resourced and reconnected.

Friday evening, we will spend some time getting to know each other, unwinding and caring for ourselves. Our Saturday includes gentle yoga movement, breathwork, time in nature and opportunities for connection, rest and self-reflection. After we wrap up on Sunday morning, you’ll find yourself refreshed and ready to return to your mothering role with fresh eyes and a plan to care for yourself.

Participants in this weekend retreat facilitated by Tammy Bayer and Rev. Jean Sullivan will gain a recognition of what influences their beliefs in their mothering values; identify parental beliefs vs. parental practices; be able to describe who they are at their core: before, during and after mothering; identify practices that will support them in “filling their own cup” for the long haul of mothering; explore mindful movement, relaxation techniques, guided meditation, energy work/chakras and grounding practices; and make connections in a warm and protected space.

Note: You do not have to be a birth mother to enjoy or benefit from this event. This is for anyone who mothers others. The cost of this weekend retreat is $255 and includes presentations, Friday and Saturday lodging, and Saturday breakfast through Sunday lunch. The commuter fee is $180 and includes presentations, Saturday lunch and dinner, and Sunday lunch.

Registration

For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.

Navigating Transitions: A Path to Rest & Renew Retreat at Prairiewoods
2024-08-02 18:30 - 2024-08-03 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 East Boyson Road, Hiawatha, IA, 52233, United States
Are you currently facing a transition, either big or small? Have you experienced a change in your job status, a divorce, empty nesting or loss of a loved one? Are you searching for some meaning and clarity on what next?

In this overnight retreat at Prairiewoods (120 East Boyson Road in Hiawatha), you’ll be treated to a path forward that will help you to reset and renew as you navigate your transition.

Come join facilitators Jill Saunders and Leslie Schwarting for a heart-centered, guided journey where you will:

learn a map for how to navigate your transition, a map that gives you insights and permission to step forward in your truth;

practice acceptance for your journey, and consider the healing power of accepting what is;

play with a resiliency toolkit and spiritual practices to provide you with renewal for your transition;

clarify your core values and gain insight on how living in alignment with your deepest values can propel you forward;

experience the wisdom of your future self and the guidance it has to shape a meaningful vision of possibility;

get clear on your focus for the next six months to one year; learn practices to focus your energy on what’s most important and more!

About the presenters

Jill Saunders

Jill Saunders is a leadership development facilitator and coach with over 20 years of experience working with Fortune 250 companies including Cargill, Wells Fargo, UBS Bank, General Mills, Hilton Hotels and CHS. She has her coaching certification from the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara and is a certified HeartMath coach and facilitator. She loves to create experiences for people that will give them tools and resources to create a life of renewal and vitality, align their head and heart, clarify what’s most important, and move forward with focus. She lives in South Minneapolis and has one son, Tyler, who is 23. She loves to write and create products in her downtime.

Leslie Schwarting

Leslie Schwarting serves as a full-time spiritual director and retreat facilitator at Prairiewoods. A wife, mother of three adult women and former hospital executive, she completed her spiritual direction certification with the direct intention to tend to the souls of others. Leslie loves to create space for others and support them as they explore what their hearts crave, identify where opportunities for healing are, contemplate the rich questions of life, and grow closer to God, Earth, oneself and others.

Registration

The cost of this overnight retreat is $175 and includes presentations, Friday lodging, and Saturday breakfast and lunch. The commuter fee is $95 and includes presentations and Saturday lunch.

For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.

Annual All Franciscan Day in Cincinnati, OH
2024-08-03 08:30 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | St. Vivian Church, 7600 Winton Rd, Cincinnati, OH, 45224, United States
8:30 AM (registration opens) to 2 PM (closing prayer)

The Stigmata of Francis: The Gift of La Verna – What is our identification with Christ’s Love? Come discuss together the events in Francis’s life that drew him into the “Miracle” on Mt. La Verna and to sing the “Praises of God”!

Our presenter for the day, Sr. Olga Wittekind, OSF, poses the provocative question for us: What are the events in your lives that enable your Love to “Christ” the world?

Sister Olga is a Sister of St. Francis, Oldenburg, IN. She is the Director of the Oldenburg Franciscan Retreat Center. She is a Clinical Psychologist trained at St. Louis University and is a Jungian Analyst trained in Switzerland and Chicago. Sister Olga taught at Marian University in Indianapolis. She is a therapist and a spiritual director.

Discernment in the Franciscan Spirit: Life Decisions Retreat
2024-08-04 12:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Considering changes in your life as summer draws to a close?

Give yourself the gift of time for prayer and discernment with this on-line retreat, guided by the wisdom of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. Open to adult women and men discerning any major life decision (vocation, relationships, intentional community living, education, job, volunteer year, etc.).

Sr. Diane Tomkinson, OSF will guide participants through a Franciscan discernment process to assist with their own unique life choices. See https://osfphila.org/events/life-decisions-discernment-retreat-3/ for more details.

To request participation, please contact Sr. Diane at dtomkinson@osfphila.org by August 1st. (Please add Sr. Diane’s e-mail to your “trusted senders” list to be sure you receive additional communications about the retreat.)

Contemplative Prayer
2024-08-07 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | The Oldenburg Franciscan Center, 22143 Main Street, Oldenburg, IN, 47036, United States
Guided by contemplatives like Bourgeault, Keating, Rohr, and Merton, we practice contemplative prayer. We share God’s movement in our lives and reflect on our experiences through this process. All are welcome!

More information

https://www.oldenburgfranciscancenter.org/programs.html

(812)933-6437

center @oldenburgosf.com

A Day of Quiet Renewal
2024-08-09 09:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | The Oldenburg Franciscan Center, 22143 Main Street, Oldenburg, IN, 47036, United States
Experience a day of renewal and relaxation. Take time out of your busy schedule to spend some quiet time on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Francis. Explore our library, grab a comfy chair, and read, journal, or just gaze out the window. Experience Spiritual Direction with a Sister. Spend time to center and renew yourself. God is waiting! (In person Only)

Active Hope for a Troubled World Retreat at Prairiewoods (in person)
2024-08-09 18:30 - 2024-08-11 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 East Boyson Road, Hiawatha, IA, 52233, United States
Whether you’re troubled about the state of the world or are struggling with personal challenges, you’ll find a safe and sacred place in this retreat to honor your feelings and discover that you are not alone. Working with the transformative power of The Work That Reconnects process, you will be embraced in a compassionate experience that will ground you in gratitude and allow you to honor your pain, feel your interconnectedness to all life and embrace your unique Light for making a difference in your life and in the world. This weekend retreat at Prairiewoods (120 East Boyson Road in Hiawatha) will offer you a supportive community, transformative rituals, healing time on the land, deep sharing, quiet reflection, song, movement and celebration. It will be facilitated by Kathleen Rude, who fell in love with the natural world as a young child and found her voice for environmental activism at age 10. She has a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and a master’s in natural resources. Kathleen began her career as an environmental writer. Her studies of indigenous spiritual practice eventually led her to become a shamanic practitioner, ceremonial leader and teacher. She is a senior facilitator of the Work That Reconnects (WTR), an interactive process/workshop that helps to transform despair and overwhelm into empowerment and inspiration. She has been mentored by Joanna Macy, the internationally-acclaimed root teacher of the WTR. Kathleen has created A Guided Self-Practice of The Work That Reconnects (42 minutes), available as a digital download. She is the author of the novel The Redemption of Red Fire Woman, a spiritual story of suspense and romance in the Colorado high country. She is currently working on a new book, How To Be An Every Day Difference Maker. The cost of this weekend retreat is $255 and includes sessions, Friday and Saturday lodging, and Saturday breakfast through Sunday lunch. The commuter fee is $180 and includes sessions, Saturday lunch and dinner, and Sunday lunch. For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.

To register: https://pw.retreatportal.com/calendar/event?programcode=24PGR26451

Spiritual Autobiography: Our Journey to God
2024-08-10 09:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | The Oldenburg Franciscan Center, 22143 Main Street, Oldenburg, IN, 47036, United States
“Spiritual Autobiography” is a way to seek our spiritual depths. We can articulate the past, present, and future of the hope-filled spiritual journey that we are on. With Carl Jung, we will seek to make the Soul’s journey conscious. Using Jungian concepts of “memories, dreams, and reflections,” we will recognize God’s movements in our lives. Come discover the pearl great price!

Registration

https://www.oldenburgfranciscancenter.org/programs.html

(812)933-6437

center @oldenburgosf.com

Coffee Talks — Calamity Jane: Legend of the West
2024-08-11 10:45 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | The Oldenburg Franciscan Center, 22143 Main Street, Oldenburg, IN, 47036, United States
Monthly coffee talks at Oldenburg Franciscan Center.

with April Boyle, Associate

Meet a Wild Woman from the Wild West! She was an Army scout, pioneer, sharpshooter, ox team driver, storyteller, dance hall girl, and prostitute, among other interesting roles! Hear her story and see if you can find signs of God’s abiding presence in this most unlikely character. Discover how Calamity’s life holds important lessons for your own life today!

Becoming the Elder Tree: Purpose in the Second Half of Life Retreat at Prairiewoods (in person)
2024-08-16 18:30 - 2024-08-18 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 East Boyson Road, Hiawatha, IA, 52233, United States
This retreat invites you to envision a second half of life that calls forth your truest self and unique purpose and to consider what it means to be an “elder” in the deepest sense: when our lived years contribute to a special wisdom, vision and wholeness of self that are shared for the benefit of the community and society. We will place the development of elderhood in the context of our interdependent relationships with the more-than-human world, from nature outside our window all the way out through our entire solar system, the world soul and the greater universe story.

Inspired by ecologist Suzanne Simard’s revelations about how forests are communities that are cooperative, collaborative, communicative and reciprocal, we will consider how we can be the elder trees that nurture, support and pass wisdom to others for the health and wellbeing of the entire community. Prairiewoods’ revered Grandmother Oak will thus be our touchstone and inspiration for the weekend.

This retreat at Prairiewoods (120 East Boyson Road in Hiawatha) will be facilitated by Thomas Dean and Chris Johnson. It follows the Circle of Trust® approach developed by Parker Palmer and the organization he cofounded, the Center for Courage and Renewal. A Circle of Trust invites the individual soul, or inner teacher, to show up in a safe, welcoming, hospitable space, where it can be heard and supported by a trustworthy community. For more on the approach’s core values, touchstones, and principles and practices, visit couragerenewal.org/courage-renewal-approach/.

This retreat will welcome participants of all ages and at any stage of life.

Registration

The cost is $255 and includes presentations, Friday and Saturday lodging, and Saturday breakfast through Sunday lunch. The commuter fee is $180 and includes Saturday lunch and dinner and Sunday lunch.

For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.
