Spirituality Ministries

Dear Friends of Nazareth Retreat Center

2011-09-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

View this in a separate browser window for more options.

Here are some of our upcoming retreat offerings for the next year.Please contact us if you'd like more information or to create your own personal retreat experience.

2011
Sept. 9-11 Emotional Sobriety and the Joy of Living, with Elaine Loecher: For those in a twelve-step program, $200

Oct. 10-13 Contemplative Time Apart: Individually planned 3 day silent retreat, $65/day

Nov. 9-12 Artist Retreat: Painting, story telling, music. Explore the gifts of the arts within you, no experience necessary, $300

Dec. 16-18 Advent Retreat: Explore the words of scripture as heard during the Advent season, $200

2012
March 5-9 Lenten Retreat on the Gospel of Mark, $400

April 3-8 Sacred Time: Holy Week and the Triduum, $350

April 13-15 Paula D'Arcy Retreat: Healing our world from the inside out. A deeper look at the way we are living our lives, $200

June 1-3 Women of Nazareth, Part 2: Exploring the lives of SCNs as part of the SCN bicentennial celebration, $170

June 11-15 "Our Hearts are Restless" A silent retreat with daily group prayer and individual direction, $460

Aug. 19-24 Scripture retreat with Carol Perry, S.U. $400

Call us for more infomation, (502)348-1513

now accepting online payment

Nazareth Retreat Center travels to Alabama to aid tornado victims

2011-08-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Blessings of Alabama
During the week of July 24, 2011, Sharon Gray, SCN and Colleen Ambrose traveled to mid and northern Alabama on behalf of Nazareth Retreat Center. Pastor Deborah Halter of the ELCA Disaster Relief Program had invited them down to Alabama to be present to the victims of the tornado disasters last April.
This “ministry of presence” was intended to be a listening/healing presence to not only the actual victims but primarily to the pastors and caregivers who have been walking with their people over these past three months.
This experience was very moving as individuals told their stories of where they were when the tornado hit, how they had survived and their gratitude for just being alive. As the pastors, mayors and other caregivers spoke of those early days it was clear that they sensed a strong community, but one in great need. They spoke of helping one another across religious, political and geographical lines. Food from freezers no longer working was salvaged by having big barbecues in the streets where all were fed and housing was established through neighbors sharing, FEMA trailers and whatever else could be found.
Yet this is three months later and the trauma of the event is now settling in. Life has changed.
As the pastors and mayors told of their struggles to continue to feed the hungry, reestablish basic services, the strain in their eyes was evident. The news cameras are now gone but the struggle isn’t. They said it helped to know that someone still wanted to hear their stories, someone was willing to come down and pray with them and attend to them. Time and again these leaders would speak of their people but when asked about themselves silence and tears held back so fiercely was the response.
And the children….ever resilient but nonetheless fearful.“Camp Noah”, a day camp for children of disasters, run by the ELCA Church provided a process for the children to tell their stories in song and art. The trauma of this time was evident yet always with the promise of better times ahead. Here again the team leaders and pastors took time to share with Sharon and Colleen their stories, their needs, their gratitude.
What a blessing it was to simply lend a caring heart and a listening ear to these courageous people of Alabama. Spiritual Direction comes in many forms. This time for Colleen and Sharon this sacred ground of spiritual companioning was found in the tornado torn lands and hearts of the people of Huntsville and Cullman, Harvest and Birmingham. Yes the material needs are there and some of that was attended to during this time by Nazareth Retreat Center staff, but equally important the power of “telling one’s story” as a powerful healing tool for all of us was lived out in very real life terms.
We are truly all one. One in our joys, one in our sorrows, one in our longings and one in our gratitude for one another, for life.

Summer and Beyond...

2011-07-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends of Nazareth Retreat Center,

Here we are in the middle of July and I wonder where the summer has gone. Many persons have suffered greatly these days from tornadoes and flooding, earthquakes and wildfires. Now we are suffering in many parts of the U.S. from severe heat. As I walk the beautiful grounds of Nazareth, I hold in my heart the lands and people who are suffering from this imbalance of nature and wonder, what are we doing? Ecology, care for the earth is no longer a project for a few. It is now an urgency for all of us. I take time each day to see what can I do? Surely attention to government action is imperative. Let our elected officials know of our concerns. But what else? There are so many little ways in our daily lives that we can care for the earth. Can we make once less trip in the car? Can we drive cars that are environmentally friendly? Am I recycling, using less, lightening my footprint on Mother Earth? I think each of us is called to heighten our awareness and decide to take action in our own way to "care for the earth."

So my question is, are you stopping to smell the roses? Are you aware of the sacred earth which gives us these roses? Do you care enough to take action? Are you willing to stop for just a moment and reflect on this call to care?

Here at the Nazareth Retreat Center we have many people coming to join us for a contemplative time apart. It is so wonderful for us to welcome individuals from diverse walks of life, diverse ethnic and religioius backgrounds and from various parts of the country. This reality speaks of the inner need and longing within all of us to be in touch with our deeper sense of self and our awareness of our relationship with one another and with all of creation. We are part of the web of God's creative act of love, God's continuing unfolding act of love through creation. We at Nazareth reverence that web of creation and desire to nurture this sacred web particularly thorugh sharing our lives and prayers with those who come to this sacred ground of Nazareth.
We invite you to come to Nazareth.....to stop and smell the roses.

We are preparing our calendar of retreats for the coming year 2011 - 2012 and will be posting this soon on our web page. During the coming year the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth will be celebrating 200 years of our foundation in 1812. To help celebrate that legacy of service we will offer some retreats that are specifically around some of the women and events of the SCNs. We welcome all of our friends to these retreats. In addition we are welcoming back in September Elene Loecher who will offer a weekend based on twelve step spirituality. Paula D'Arcy will join us once again in April. It is always a special time to have this internationally known author and presenter share her insights and depth of spirituality with us. These are just some of the highlights for this coming year. As always we welcome individuals for private and directed retreats throughout the year.

It is our delgiht to offer you our hospitality here at Nazareth Retreat Center and to walk with you as you accept God's invitaiton to be, be more fully in the web of life.

Come and smell the roses.

Sharon Gray, SCN
Director
Nazareth Retreat Center

The Nazareth Retreat Center invites you to attend one of their remaining summer offerings

2011-06-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

June 20-26 – “Do Not Be Anxious About Tomorrow,” a directed retreat for those women and men who are seeking “I know not what.” It will be a contemplative time, apart from the demands of the day may lead you to a space in which you can invite in and embrace this longing for “I know not what.”
July 11-15 - “I Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills,” a guided prayer retreat. This retreat invites us to move beyond the routine of our prayer life and mindfully enter into the sacred time of intentionally being with…the Divine.
August 14-19 - “A Scripture Based Retreat: the Questions of Jesus.” This retreat, led by Carol Perry, SU, will consist of two group sessions a day including input and sharing.

For more information, visit www.nazarethretreatcenterky.org or call (502) 348-1513. Nazareth Retreat Center is on Facebook. If you have a Facebook account, be sure to “like” us. For your convenience, Nazareth Retreat Center now accepts online payments.

Nazareth Campus at the Nazareth Retreat Center

2011-05-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

The beauty of the Nazareth Campus invites you to come.

Spiritual Direction Internship

2011-05-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

September 2011 – May 2012

Nazareth Retreat Center … ministries for the human journey

Nazareth Retreat Center stands in the long tradition of the ministries of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Housed on the Nazareth Campus near Bardstown, Kentucky, Nazareth Retreat Center offer opportunities for spiritual reflection in a holisitic approach which reverences the human spirit and all of creation.

With this new ministry we hope to be in touch with the diverse needs and longings of the people of God in these challenging times. Through offerings of a space apart, days of reflection, weekend, week long and private retreats, spiritual direction and other offerings in a holistic, ecumenical approach, Nazareth Retreat Center invites others to enter into a contemplative time, a way of being in which the fullness of life, which God desires for all of us , may be opened and affirmed.

In addition, we offer opportunities for alternative body therapies such as massage and energy work , as well as cultural opportunities to nurture the spirit. The beauty of the Nazareth Campus invites to come.

For all of the information about this Spiritual Direction Internship please download the PDF linked here.

For further information contact Sharon Gray SCN at 502-348-1597 or e-mail at sgray@scnky.org.

Do You Notice a Contradiction In Life?

2011-04-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Spring at Nazareth

Do you notice a contradiction in life these days? Around here at Nazareth we are graced with the beauty of nature. The trees are so full of blossoms and the birds are singing. Delight is brought to our hearts. Yet at the same time we pray daily for the many areas of true brokenness that also surrounds us. The many war torn areas on our sacred earth. I wonder, what do the trees look like in Lybia, in Afghanistan. I've read that the palm tree is indigenous to Lybia and that the stone pine tree is abundant in areas of Afghanistan. But I wonder, can the children there play safely under these trees? Can someone like myself sit under one of these trees and delight in its beauty? Surely this longing within humanity to pause and delight in nature is common to us all.

So the contradiction? How long will nature, the earth and our own nature be held between beauty and disaster? We know that globally the forests of our planet are in danger and therefore we too are in danger for these forests give us life. How long will nature be held in the contradiction of life and disaster?

Trees of Libya

As we take in the wonder of nature and delight in its beauty, let us hold in prayer the fragility of all people and all nature. As so many of us struggle for freedom and the just reverencing of all humanity regardless of ethnicity, race, religion or gender, let us find hope in the constancy of the earth and her fruit to regenerate year after year, if we but care and not despair.

As nature blossoms forth here at Nazareth and as in seeming contradiction, we hold so much suffering in our hearts and prayers we can find hope in knowing that deep within our being we are all one.

Nazareth Retreat Center offerings Easter Greetings to all. May these days be joyous times of knowing God's unconditional love for us all.

We are excited about our upcoming events and invite you to consider joining us for some of these events.

Trees of Afghanistan

As part of our effort to promote a healthy lifestyle, we are following up our successful Tai Chi class with a series of 6 Yoga Classes for Beginners,starting April 18. Jennifer Hurst, an experienced instructor from the Bardstown area will lead us in these classes.

We are also taking applications for our next Internship in Spiritual Direction which will begin in September. If you are interested please see our web site or contact me at the Retreat Center.

We have a number of varied retreat opportunities slated for the summer months which are listed below. We are looking forward to the concert and workshop to be given by internationally known composer and performer of sacred music, David Haas

Your presence here at Nazareth is always such a blessing to us. In addition we need your participation in this important ministry to keep it a vibrant resource for the community at large. So please consider coming out to spend some time apart with us.

Again, Easter blessings to you and yours.

Sharon

Spring Yoga Sessions for Beginners

2011-03-30T06:15:00.000-07:00

Nazareth Retreat Center & Pink Elephant Yoga

present:

Spring Yoga Sessions for Beginners

Instructor: Jennifer Hurst

O’Connell Hall on Nazareth Campus

Six Sessions
Thursdays
April 28 through June 2
4 p.m. – 5p.m.
$75

Contact:
Carol McKean, SCN
(502) 348-1513
cmckean@scnky.org

Save the Date! Summer Retreats

2011-03-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

Summer is fast approaching. For many it is a time for a change of pace … an opportunity for some reflective time. Are you noticing an inner invitation to set some time for your own retreat? Nazareth Retreat Center is offering opportunities which invite you to that time apart.

June 20 – 26:
Do Not Be Anxious About Tomorrow
A Directed Retreat for Those Women and Men
Who Are Seeking “I Know Not What.”

July 11 – 17:
“I Lift Up My Eyes To The Hills:
A Guided Prayer Retreat.”

July 22 – 29:
“My Vows to My God I Will Pay in the
Midst of All God’s People
A Directed Retreat for Women Religious.”

August 1 – 5:
“God Let Me Know Your Ways:
A Discernment Retreat for Those in Transition.”

For more details call us at 502-348-1513

For further information contact us at the following:

Sharon Gray, SCN

502-348-1597 - sgray@scnky.org

Carol McKean, SCN

502-348-1513 - cmckean@scnky.org

P.O. Box 7

Nazareth, Ky. 40048

How Can I Keep From Singing

2011-02-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

A Concert of Inspirational Music

Featuring Joe Simmons

with David Jeske, Pianist

Friday March 25, 2011 at 7:00PM
St. Vincent Church
Nazareth, Kentucky
Tickets $10.00 (reservations requested)
Info: 502-348-1513 or 502-345-1597
cmckean@scnky.org or sgray@scnky.org

Joe Simmons will be presenting a workshop for cantors at Nazareth Retreat Center from March 25 – 27.

--

Joe Simmons, Psalmist for the 2008 Papal Mass in Yankee Stadium, serves as Principal Cantor at the Church of St. John the Baptist in New York City and as Associate Music Director for THE SUNDAY MASS, a national telecast of the Passionist Community. A nationally recognized music minister and speaker, Joe travels throughout North America presenting concerts of inspirational music and workshops for Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Episcopalian cantors and lectors at conventions and institutes, and in dioceses, parishes, and campus ministry programs. He combines training and experience in music, liturgy, and life coaching to inspire vocal ministers to prepare more attentively, proclaim more expressively, and lead more effectively.

Simmons is the author of THE WORK OF THE CANTOR: PROCLAIMER OF THE WORD, LEADER OF PRAYER (WLP) and co-author with James Hansen and Melanie Coddington of CANTOR BASICS, 2ND EDITION (OCP). He is also a former vocal performance faculty member at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. An active performer and recording artist, Joe’s CDs, SUDDEN WAVES and SINGING OUT, on the Oculus Music label, are widely used in healing ministries. He was also a vocalist and producer on the 8-CD set, PSALMS AND RITUAL MUSIC, released by World Library Publications, selections of which are featured on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Web site.

Joe Simmons' English/Spanish music videos from the critically acclaimed series, NUESTRA FAMILIA/OUR FAMILY, were seen frequently on the Odyssey Network and Univision. His work has been profiled on ABC News Now, CNN, the Catholic Channel of Sirrius Satellite Radio, Relevant Radio, and "THE LUTHERAN."

Specialties

Cantor and Lector Training and Formation
Bringing text to life
Chanting with Meaning
Vocal Coaching for Liturgy
Coaching for Singers
Organizational Coaching for Music Ministers

Transitions: Coping with Change

2011-01-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

Presented by: Elene Loecher

Jan. 21–23, 2011

Nazareth Retreat Center

One of the basic truths in life is that everything changes. We might experience change as pleasant, hurtful or difficult. Change takes many forms: declining health, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, aging, divorce. Even positive changes carry anxiety about the unknown: starting a new job or retirement. As a society, we are witnessing more loss and change — at an accelerated pace — than we have seen in six decades.

In the midst of planned and unplanned change, how do we take care of ourselves?
How can we learn to accept change in healthy ways? How do we guard against using “quick fixes” — alcohol, drugs, too many prescription meeds — to mute the pain?

We will explore the difference between change and transition. Change is a situational shift. Transition is the process of letting go of the way things used to be and then accepting the way they subsequently become.

Take this opportunity to explore the changes and transitions in your life.

This retreat is open to people in any twelve step program (AA, Al-Anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics, etc.) as well as anyone who wants some help in navigating changes and transitions in their life.

The retreat begins at 7:00 pm on the 21st and ends with the noon meal on the 23rd.

Elene has worked for 24 years at Hazelden Foundation,* serving as Spriitual Care and Program Coordinator for the Dan Anderson Renewal Center. In her work, she has also led days of Renewal on behalf of Hazelden for groups in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C. and other cities throughout the United States. Elene specializes in meditation and mindfulness, grief and loss, transitions, and 12-Step recovery.

*Hazelden, a national nonprofit organization founded in 1949, helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. Hazelden offers a comprehensive approach to addiction that addresses the full range of patient, family, and professional needs, including treatment and continuing care for youth and adults.

For further information contact us at the following:

Nazareth Retreat Center

P.O. Box 7

Nazareth, Ky. 40048

(502) 348–1513

From Darkness to Light

2010-12-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

We are in the midst of the Advent Season here at Nazareth. Yet, we are already celebrating the joys of Christmas. We have snow here on the grounds and everything looks so beautiful. So many people have come through our doors these past days to share with us their lifes' journeys. Truly we see in them the movement from darkness to light.

Joe Mitchell, CP will be with us this weekend to lead us in an Advent/Winter Solstice day of prayer. Many of our friends from around the area as well as our Sisters here at Nazareth will be coming together and there is real excitement about this upcoming time. These graced times can also be overly busy times. The invitation of Advent and of the Winter Solstice is to slow down, take time and just be...be with one another, be with the beauty of nature, the awe of creation, but also to be with oneself in the quiet of the dark winter nights.

For me, these days and nights are inviting in their quiet and wonder. One of my favorite songs from this season is "In the Cold Mid Winter." A quiet descends over everything and an inner warmth enfolds us if we but let it, if we but notice. There is much light in this darkness...the light of Divine Wisdom, the light of unconditional love. Is this not the coming once again of God's presence in our midst that we are celebrating? Yet we know that God's Presence is always with and in us.

However, we need to stop and celebrate. We need to remember. We need Christmas. So as your days move through some of these dark and cold winter nights, we here at Nazareth Retreat Center invite you to notice your own inner warmth, the warmth of family and friends. Then, may the joy of Christmas and the "Light of the World" lead you forth into the New Year.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year from all of us at Nazareth Retreat Center. We hope to see you in 2011.

Sharon

Winter Solstice: Celebrate Light and Darkness

2010-12-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

Nazareth Retreat Center
Joseph Mitchell, CP Saturday December 18, 2010

Joe is a member of the Passionist Community. His current work engages the relationship between the emerging scientific cosmology and Christian theology. He initiated and directs the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center in Louisville.

This retreat day will consist of a contemplative time of input, prayer and reflection. The day will conclude with a Saturday Evening Mass at 4:00 p.m. followed by a light supper.

Cost: $25.00 (Includes retreat and meals.)
Time: 9:30—6:00

Download the PDF flyer here.

Exploring Advent from Deep Time

2010-11-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

Miriam Therese MacGillis, O.P.
Exploring Advent from Deep Time
December 3–5

Download the PDF

Internationally known author and presenter on sustainability and the new cosmology will lead us in A weekend reflection process drawing from the rich biblical themes of this season, and the evolutionary insights of Thomas Berry.

This silent contemplative retreat will offer input, time for quiet reflection and optional sharing. Come experience “the coming of our Christ” through the lens of creation and deep time.

The human is the being in whom the earth has become spiritually aware, has awakened into consciousness, has become self-aware and self-reflecting. You and I are the beings in whom the earth thinks... knows... comprehends... analyzes ... rationalizes ... judges ... remembers ... chooses ... acts ... decides.
-Miriam Therese MacGillis in "The Fate of the Earth”

Cost: $200.00 (Includes retreat, room and meals)

Time: Retreat begins on the 3rd at 4:00 pm with registration, orientation and a light supper and ends the 5th following the noon meal.

The Beauty of Fall as Precursor to Winter

2010-10-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

Here at Nazareth we are celebrating the beauty of the Fall with colors and brisk days. We have noticed that the drought has taken its toll on the leaves this year...not quite so vibrant. I wonder if that can be said for many of us at this time of year?

The summer held much acitivty for us at Nazareth Retreat Center. We were graced by the presence of many retreatants over the the months of June through August. Directed retreats for women held many blessed days of sharing and simply exploring the goodness of life.
An especially gifted weekend was our time with Paula D'Arcy who shared with us "Great Lessons from the Journey." More and more women and men from around the greater Kentuckiana area and as far away as Wisconsin are coming to Nazareth to share in the beauty of the grounds, the hospitality and the giftedness of time apart.

In September we celebrated our first year anniversary. It is hard to beleive that only a year ago on September one we opened our doors for the first time. Throughout that first year we welcomed arounds 1800 retreatants. What a blessing to us. This experience affirms for us the longing of humanity for the time, space and companions for the journey inward to the true authentic self were God is found and from where we are called to service and compassion.

As we move more deeply into the Fall season and the upcoming winter months we invite you to come to Nazareth and experience for yourself that quieting of the mind and heart.
On November 5 - 7 we are inviting you to an "Art and Mandala" retreat. This is a contemplative time to draw upon the resources of the mandala, an ancient healing tool. The beauty of the mandala is that it speaks to the artist and novice artist alike.

With much excitement we invite you to join us for Miriam Therese MacGillis, O.P. a noted retreat presenter and author on sustainability and the new cosmology. She will help us explore "Advent from Deep Time." Come experience the "coming of Christ" through the lens of creation and deep time.

There are many other retreat offerings which we have planned for this coming year. Please view our entire list of retreats by clicking on the link above.

You are always welcome at Nazareth for your own quiet time apart. We are here to accompany you and assist you.

May these months of Fall fill your life with the warmth of the harvest and bless you abundantly in ever surprising ways.

Exploring Advent from Deep Time - Miriam Therese MacGillis, O.P.

2010-10-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Miriam Therese MacGillis, O.P.

Exploring Advent from Deep Time

December 3-5, 2010

Internationally known author and presenter on sustainability and the new cosmology will lead us in a weekend reflection process drawing from the rich biblical themes of this season, and the evolutionary insights of Thomas Berry.

This silent contemplative retreat will offer input, time for quiet reflection and optional sharing. Come experience “the coming of our Christ” through the lens of creation and deep time.

“The human is the being in whom the earth has become spiritually aware, has awakened into consciousness, has become self-aware and self-reflecting. You and I are the beings in whom the earth thinks... knows... comprehends... analyzes ... rationalizes ... judges ... remembers ... chooses ... acts ... decides.” –Miriam Therese MacGillis in “The Fate of the Earth”

Cost: $200.00 (Includes retreat, room and meals)

The Nazareth Retreat Center stands in the long tradition of the ministries of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Housed on the Nazareth Campus near Bardstown, KY, the Nazareth Retreat Center offers opportunities for spiritual reflection in a holistic approach which reverences the human spirit and all of creation.

Reserve your spot: 502-348-1513 or 1597; cmckean@scnky.org or sgray@scnky.org; www.nazarethretreatcenterky.org

Directors of Religious Education Day of Prayer

2010-09-27T13:15:00.001-07:00

October 6 Time: 9:30—3:00

Presenter: Elizabeth (Betty) Blandford, SCN

An opportunity for the teacher of religion to take time to pray and reflect on her/his own spiritual life. Who is God for you and how do you experience the Divine Presence in your everyday life. This day will offer reflection on your particular ministry, providing input, reflection and sharing.

Cost: $25.00 (Includes retreat and noon meal)

Friends of Nazareth Retreat Center

2010-09-16T13:45:00.001-07:00

Saturday, September 25

Time: 2:00–4:00

A time of celebration and gratitude. Friends of the Center, past participants, benefactors and interested individuals are invited to attend this reception in the O’Connell Hall Drawing Room. An opening prayer will be held followed by refresh- ments and socializing.

This is an opportunity to meet and greet others who are interested in retreat/reflection experiences. Tours of Nazareth Retreat Center facilities will be available.

Call or e-mail Nazareth Retreat Center for your reservation. http://www.nazarethretreatcenterky.org

There is no fee for this reception. Any donation will be gratefully accepted.

So Much In Bud

2010-05-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Nazareth!

As we have journeyed through April and much of May we have been graced by not only the beauty of nature but the joy of family events, community events and civic activities. Mothers Day and Derby Day here in Kentucky provide us with times of rejoicing, remembering and cherishing loved ones, loved traditions and great memories. So much is in bud. Nature flings it toward us, the trees, the flowers, the warmth and the rain. Let us not forget so much is in bud within us, relationships, memories held, memories to be formed. What inklings, what buds are within you? Can you notice?

Paula D'Arcy, an internationally known author and retreat presenter will be with us July 23 - 25, 2010 to lead us through reflection upon the Great Lessons from the Journey. I am so excited to have Paula with us and invite you to join us for this special weekend. As we notice what lessons are in bud for us.

The summer also holds other retreat opportunities. If you are interested in the arts, I invite you to our Artist Retreat June 13 - 19. Come drum, paint and tell stories. This is a time to let your inner self out! Come and play!

More recently I have been reading Joan Chittister's book Welcome to the Wisdom of the World in which she shares spiritual insights from five religious traditions. From the traditions of the monastics of the desert Joan asks the question "What does it take to put excitement back into life?" From exploring this question she reflects, "Sometimes the changes are meant not so much to change my life as to stir my soul." (115) What stirrings, what buds are moving about within you?

What does it take to stir your soul? Have you tried a walk in the garden, the noticing of a flower or a tree. How about a nice afternoon nap? For many reading a good book, perhaps one on meditation or one on service will stir the soul. I think if we simply develop the practice of noticing so much will bud forth for us. Do we really notice life, life within and among us, life around us? There is so much gift in the unfolding of God's creative act of love within the universe, within a tiny cell, within the tiny voice in one's heart. Do we notice? Can we take a moment to take a breath and simply notice?

To notice, we may need to slow down. We may need to value ourselves. We may need some time apart. Don't miss the gift of now.

So I invite you to join us here at Nazareth Retreat Center for a day, a weekend or longer. Come walk our grounds, visit with us and notice the gift of now.

Welcome to Spring!

2010-04-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Spring! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Spring is abounding all around us here at Nazareth Retreat Center. Our campus is blossoming forth with so many beautiful and varied colors each proclaiming the creativeness of our God.

The Triduum and Easter Liturgies here at Nazareth were so sacred. Not only were the Sisters who live here with us but so many friends, family and associates celebrated with us. We welcome so many families from the surrounding areas. Our Congregation consisted of such diversity in age from months old to almost 100 years old and diverse ethnic backgrounds. The bells rang out and voices sang...Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

The past months have been very busy ones for us here at Nazareth Retreat Center. We have welcomed groups from parishes and congregations of diverse denominations. People from schools ranging from grade schools through high school and college have joined us for days and weekends of retreat and reflection. We were particularly happy to welcome the students from Marquette University in Milwaukee for a day as they were on their Spring Break Service Trip...such inspiring young adults.

The spring and summer hold a variety of offerings for retreat/reflection experiences. Sisters Emily Nabholz,SCN and Mary Sue Kennedy, O.P. will be giving a retreat on Easter Blessings....the Wisdom Years. As well, we have directed retreats for women and men coming up in May and July. For those of you with an artistic bent, we will have an Artist Retreat in June.

We are so happy to welcome to our retreat center the international author and presenter Paula D'Arcy for the weekend of July 23- 25.

Please see our website for further information and do come join us for your own time apart.
If you are in need of finding a time and space in which to explore God's presence in your everyday life, or simply need someone to listen as you speak the whisperings of your heart please contact me here at Nazareth Retreat Center. You are so welcome.

So, as we move into Spring and all its glory and the Summer ahead we reflect on the graciousness of our Creator God who so loved the world to create,embrace and inspire us with God's manifestations of Love. Remember to notice...

Peace and many blessings,
Sharon, scn

The Louise de Marillac’s Spiritual Legacy and its Relevance for Sisters of Charity Today

2010-03-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

Moving into the Lenten and Easter Season

2010-01-29T11:26:00.001-08:00

As we still deal with the winter frost we are aware that Lent and Easter are indeed in the wings waiting to invite our focus and offering us opportunities to renew our spirits. We here at Nazareth Retreat Center...notice our new name... are happy to offer several diverse opportunities for this upcoming season. Please check out our web site. One retreat you will notice is a "Call To Simplicity", a weekend retreat that invites us to consider living simply so that others may simply live.

As I write these words the people of Haiti come to my heart and spirit.
I had the gift of spending a brief few weeks in Haiti a number of years ago, being with the people in the villages and with the marginalized in City de Soleil, an area surrounding Port au Prince. At that time the struggle for survival for so many was extreme. I cannot begin to imagine the suffering across so much of that country today. As I watch the news I can but weep and pray. We here at Nazareth have of course sent a financial offering and many prayers.

My invitation to all of us is to take time during this season of Lent, in whatever way you can, to walk into the quiet of simplicity and be with in prayer and caring the people of Haiti.

Sharon scn

Internship

2010-01-26T12:07:00.000-08:00

The Nazareth Retreat Center is offering an Internship in Spiritual Direction from September, 2010 through May, 2011 for those experienced in retreat ministry. Contact Sharon Gray, SCN at the Center for further information.

Greetings from Sharon Gray, SCN

2009-12-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

Director of SCN Spirituality Ministries

The first months of our time here at SCN Spirituality Ministries have been ones of grace, challenge and excitement. We have heard from so many friends who have seen us on the web or heard about us from other friends. As the news spreads of our reopening a spirituality ministry on the Nazareth Campus and beyond more and more people are affirming this decision by their participation in our programs and by their e-mails and phone calls. We thank you for that communication, it is helpful to us in our desiring to be in touch with the needs of God's people.

We started off our time here in October with a Dramatic presentation of "Haunted By God" a one act play on Dorothy Day presented by Still Point Theater. November we were gifted by the presence of the Indigenous Grandmothers, elder women of wisdom from diverse indigenous groups around the world whose mission is to preach the sacredness of Mother Earth and our responsibility to the planet and to one another. December we came together with 26 others for an Advent Retreat, a time of reflection and new birthing.

In the midst of these gatherings we have welcomed various groups and numerous individuals to Nazareth for days of retreat and reflection.

As we approach the sacred time of Christmas, I am touched by the desire of so many to enter into an ever deepening relationship with their God, the Divine Creator. As we hold in our hearts the violence and suffering in our world today, we are reminded of the promises of peace that Christmas offers us, once again, never ending, year after year...the promise of the New Creation. Let us not loose sight of this great and unconditional promise of peace if we but say yes. Our yes is not a passive yes but an active yes to strive in our everyday circumstances to work for and to be that promised peace...for Christ has no body now but ours.

If you are interested in spiritual direction, days of reflection, retreats or simply some quiet time apart please contact us at SCN Spiritaulity Ministries.

May the Peace of Christmas embrace you and give you hope.

Sharon

Dorthy Day Play a Wonderful Weekend

2009-10-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

We just had the Dorothy Day play here.