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This week-long intensive course will provide a deeper foundation for understanding and engaging in the practice of spiritual direction in the Christian tradition. It is intended to enhance the students’ understanding of the spiritual life, with attention given to developing the basic skills required for this ministry. COURSE OBJECTIVES: - To have an understanding of the spiritual life, its breadth, depth, and language, in order to understand the context of spiritual direction ministry. - To examine and ... Continue reading...

Our Ignatian Directed Retreat will be privileged time for you to deepen your relationship with God. You will be assigned a trained spiritual director with whom you will meet briefly each day to discern the movements of God in your life as revealed through your prayer. The "direction" of directed retreats is that of discovering and exploring your own journey in faith and life and what path better helps you go in the direction you seek ... Continue reading...

Our July directed retreat consists of six days of spiritual direction. Retreatants will meet with a spiritual director daily (or less if you desire) to reflect on God’s Presence and movement in your life as revealed in prayer. You may also review the events and relationships in your life and the response to God that is being made. The spiritual director may make suggestions (prayer forms, Scripture, reading materials, etc…) to support and deepen your ... Continue reading...

We are so happy to have acclaimed singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer back in concert at our Retreat and Conference Center Chapel. Her recordings have cut across secular and spiritual boundaries. Carrie has 17 nationally released albums on Available Light and Rounder Records, including The Point of Arrival, The Beautiful Not Yet, A Permeable Life, and Everything is Everywhere. Newcomer has also released two companion books of poetry and essays, A Permeable Life: Poems and Essays and ... Continue reading...

The Healing Power of Prayer: Calling on our Divine Physician Numerous scientific and medical studies are proving the beneficial effects of prayer, faith, and spirituality for healing body, mind and spirit.  In fact, the medical field is discovering that prayer for healing is as effective as traditional medical treatments. Come and experience how prayer, spiritual practices, and calling on our Divine Physician can positively affect our physical health and total well-being. In addition to exploring helpful information, we ... Continue reading...

Today's reflection is brought to us by Rose Kurtz, our Guest Services Manager at the Center. Rose often helps guests, group coordinators and presenters with their needs when they're at the Center. She also assists with questions and payments over the phone before their arrival. Rose looks forward to welcoming you back soon! Bake, Cook & Eat for Wellness I have a book called “Words of Wisdom for Women” by Rachel Snyder. I often use this ... Continue reading...

Today we are sharing a wonderful post from another blog by Ignatian Spirituality. As the pandemic weeks have continued to add up, far beyond what most of us realized that we would be enduring when this started, we thought these reminders would be helpful. You can care for yourself and your spiritual life by applying these spiritual strategies to your daily life. Please take a few moments to read this important blog. https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/seven-spiritual-strategies-for-a-time-of-pandemic/ Continue reading...

Mickey Reed provides today's inspiring reflection. She is a trained facilitator of Joyce Rupp’s Boundless Compassion program and will be presenting a Boundless Compassion retreat at our Center this fall. You can click here to read more about it and to learn about Mickey too. Hand Washing Blessings Scrolling through my Facebook feed, I was struck by both the beautiful harmony and the bittersweet humor of four Episcopalian acolytes singing the traditional Anglican doxology as they ... Continue reading...

Fr. Phil Cover is a longtime friend of Bon Secours and has presented many retreats, as well as facilitated many group conferences at the Center. Fr. Phil will be with us this summer for a directed retreat and we look forward to seeing him then! Let's take a quiet moment to reflect on Fr. Phil's point of view during the pandemic... Being Moved Beyond Where We Are The Coronavirus pandemic has in many respects turned our ... Continue reading...

In addition to presenting many creative contemplative retreats at our Center, Debra Donnelly-Barton is the Executive Director of the Center for Spiritual Development and she is also a Spiritual Director. Debra shared the reflection below from the blog on her site. You can click here to explore her website too. Peace Be with You When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had ... Continue reading...