Programs & Events. Welcome to the Basilian Spirituality Center! Our Mission BASILIAN SPIRITUALITY CENTER PRAYING HEALING LIFE-GIVING PRESENCE

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1 BASILIAN SPIRITUALITY CENTER Programs & Events Welcome to the Basilian Spirituality Center! DIRECTOR: Sr. Charlene Diorka, SSJ ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR: Sr. Johanna Gedaka, SSJ 710 Fox Chase Rd Fox Chase Manor Pennsylvania PHONE (215) WEBSITE Pope Francis declaration of an drawing you to encounter God s mercy extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy is a gift to the whole Church. Whether you are of the Eastern or Western Catholic tradition, another religious affiliation, or simply a seeker matters little. This Year of Mercy invites each of us to know how much God loves us. We hope you will browse through the programs offered in this jubilee year. Come to the Center and experience the spirit of prayer, healing, and life-giving presence that is at the heart of mercy. Let the programs offered here be a door of mercy through which you can enter and experience the Love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope. (Pope Francis) and pay attention to how God s Spirit is Our Mission The Basilian Spirituality Center is a ministry of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great. Rooted in Eastern Christian Spirituality, the Center reflects Christ s praying, healing, and life-giving presence to all God s people through programs it offers and events it hosts. It is a sacred place of welcome for those who gather for prayer, reflection, and hospitality to foster their personal, spiritual, and holistic growth. PRAYING HEALING LIFE-GIVING PRESENCE

2 Offerings and Services The Basilian Spirituality Center welcomes groups for meetings, conferences, and events to our facility. Groups and organizations may rent space for day and evening events as well as for multiday programs. There are several size meeting rooms and spacious grounds. Consider the Basilian Spirituality Center for your next event. In addition, the Basilian Spirituality Center is available for programming at your location. Whatever your spiritual or formative needs, we are available to offer a presentation, a program, a day of reflection, etc. for the various groups with whom you interact. The Center is also available for personal contemplative time to refresh your body, mind, and spirit. The sacred space and peaceful grounds invite you to slow down and listen more deeply to the movement of God s Spirit in your life. Program Calendar 2016 MOMENTS OF MERCY The Parables of Mercy Thursday, February 11, 2016 Confession: The Sacrament of Mercy Tuesday, March 22, 2016 The Psalms of Mercy Wednesday, April 27, 2016 Saints in Mercy Tuesday, May 24, :45 8:30 PM Sister Charlene Diorka, SSJ The Year of Mercy is an invitation an invitation to love, kindness, and unbounded generosity. Pope Francis invites everyone to embrace the opportunity to encounter God in encountering the incredible mercy of God. It can transform your life, your relationships, your work, and your ability to embrace and experience all of life. Come and gaze more attentively on mercy this Jubilee Year, and grow into a stronger and more effective believer (Pope Francis, Bull of Indiction announcing Year of Mercy). Moments of Mercy will provide time for prayer, input, and reflection. Fee: Free Will Offering 2 Refreshments provided for each program; Lunch included where indicated.

3 February 2016 Lent: God of Reversals Tuesday, February 16, :45 9:00 PM Sister Anita Kuchera, OSF Sister Barbara DeStefano, OSF The Season of Lent is a very sacred time of the Church year a season that can affect us deeply. Some reversals in our thinking may help us to get more in touch with the heart of the riches that Lent can offer us. We will consider not so much what WE can give GOD, but rather what GOD can give US. Also instead of concentrating on what we can GIVE UP for Lent, we will look at the more lasting effects of what positive practices we can TAKE up. Also rather than giving UP, we may really grow in our spiritual journey by giving IN more often. Sister Barbara DeStefano, OSF, MA has ministered as a presenter, liturgist and musician at St. Francis Center in Bethlehem, PA for 25 years. She has experience as a Director of Liturgy, ongoing formation of all liturgical ministries, and presentation work in the areas of Eucharist, sacraments and ongoing planning work with Liturgy Commission, committee and the Preparation Team. Sister Anita Kuchera, OSF, MA served as Director of St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, PA for 33 years. Anita has led many groups in creative prayer and spiritual experiences. She has experience as a Pastoral Associate for Evangelization and Community Life, including extensive work with those walking the RCIA Journey. The Divine Liturgy and Forgiveness: Reflections for the Year of Mercy Monday, February 22, :00 9:00 PM Very Rev. Dr. Mark M. Morozowich Have you ever read the prayers of the liturgy and wondered about the forgiveness of sins mentioned in the texts? This talk will explore the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) with special concentration on the elements of healing and forgiveness of sins as a part of the Divine Liturgy itself as well as the relationship to the sacrament of reconciliation. Very Rev. Dr. Mark M. Morozowich, a Western Pennsylvania native formed in the Ukrainian Catholic Church of his family, pursued a vocation to the priesthood in the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio. He lectures as an Associate Professor of Liturgy at the Catholic University of America and is dean of The School of Theology and Religious Studies. There is still time for endurance, time for patience, time for healing, time for change. Have you slipped? Rise up. Have you sinned? Cease. Do not stand among sinners, but leap aside. Program Calendar 2016 Visit our website at (St. Basil the Great) 3

4 Program Calendar 2016 The Bent Over Woman Thursday, February 25, :45 9:00 PM Sister Anita Kuchera, OSF Sister Barbara DeStefano, OSF In Luke s Gospel account we are introduced to a nameless woman i.e., the bent-over woman, who bore here infirmity for 18 years. Her world was diminished to the little she saw from her bent position. As we reflect on Luke s story, we are invited to look at our own life to see in what ways we, too, are bent over and need to be raised up by God. What is weighing us down and keeping us in bondage, keeping our vision limited and small? Professional Dancer/Singer Elizabeth Knecht will be our guest performer who will use her gifts to help us to make this Gospel story become more real in our lives. The Byzantine Understanding of the Old Testament Sunday, February 28, 2016 Sunday, March 6, 2016 Sunday, March 13, :00 4:00 PM Msgr. Peter D. Waslo This program looks at various topics: creation, sin, hope and compassion, etc. in the milieu of the theology of the Byzantine Tradition in light of today. Fee: $10 per session $25 for the series Msgr. Peter D. Waslo, a priest of the Archeparchy of Philadelphia, currently is Judicial Vicar of the Metropolitan Tribunal of Philadelphia and serves as Chaplain for the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great, Manor College, and St. Basil Academy. March 2016 How Should Mercy Feel? An Invitation to Centering Prayer Wednesday, March 2, :30 8:30 PM Sunday, April 17, :00 4:00 PM (same program offered two times) Dr. Paul LaChance Pope Francis's announcement of a Jubilee of Mercy declares, "It is good to feel Jesus compassionate gaze upon us, just as it was felt by the sinful woman in the house of the Pharisee." But, we may ask, what should Jesus' compassionate gaze feel like? What if it feels uncomfortable? Does that mean my faith is not strong enough? What if it is pleasant and I find myself absorbed in the feelings? Am I still praying? The relationship between feelings and prayer is of deep concern to many and is at the heart of Fr. Thomas Keating's centering prayer. Centering prayer is rooted in both Christian tradition and contemporary psychology. It is a tool addressed to the modern world to promote both spiritual growth and affective maturity. Fr. Keating provides a way to live lovingly and prayerfully with the emotions and to dwell in God's mercy. Dr. LaChance draws on his experience as a theologian and counselor, to explore the human, particularly emotional, side of centering prayer. For those unfamiliar with centering prayer, this talk will serve as a brief introduction. For those already familiar with centering prayer and Fr. Keating's work, it will provide a fresh look at the psychology of centering prayer with renewed emphasis on the role of the body in prayer. Participants will have an opportunity to experience centering prayer and to ask questions. Refreshments provided for each program; Lunch included where indicated. 4

5 From Grief to Grace Tuesday, March 8, :00 9:00 PM Sister Maureen Erdlen, SSJ This evening will explore the healing process of grief. It is intended for those dealing with a recent (within the past year) loss through death, or those trying to support them. Discussion will focus on the wide range of normal grief, strategies for coping, and developing adequate supports. The presentation will be interactive and practical. Maureen Erdlen is a Sister of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia and a licensed Social Worker. She has worked with grieving families and individuals in a wide range of settings including child welfare, drug and alcohol treatment, and hospice care. Estate Planning Seminar Wednesday, April 13, :30 8:30 PM Icon Writing Workshop Wednesday, May 18 Sunday, May 22, :00 AM 5:00 PM Father Damian Higgins In this icon writing experience Fr. Damian incorporates the study of traditional techniques, the theology and history of the Byzantine Icon, and adequate time to complete your icon. Beginning students as well as students who have completed an icon in the past are welcome. The workshop includes instruction as well as all the supplies needed. Lunch included. Fee: $500 ($100 deposit) Registration is required by May 11, Father Abbot Damian Higgins is a Ukrainian Catholic priest of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago. He has served the church as an iconographer for the past 22 years. His primary work is the painting of and the teaching about the traditional methods of egg tempera iconography in the Byzantine tradition. He seeks to give emphasis to the work of revealing the capacity of the natural materials that one works with to convey truths about the immaterial that one seek to encounter in the sacred art of iconography. Program Calendar 2016 MAY 2016 Dealing with Life s Hurts Wednesday, May 4, :45 9:00 PM Sister Anita Kuchera, OSF Sister Barbara DeStefano, OSF All of us experience change and loss throughout our life the countless little losses of everyday life as well as the major, sometimes traumatic ones. These losses are universal and unavoidable. We grow by loving and losing and letting go. This reality is what author Judith Viorst calls necessary losses. This retreat will present a process that will guide us through these losses and help us to choose the new life that Jesus offers us. We need constantly to contemplate the mystery of mercy. It is a wellspring of joy, serenity, and peace. Our salvation depends on it. (Pope Francis) 5

6 Meet the Center Staff Sister Charlene Diorka, SSJ is the Director of the Basilian Spirituality Center. She holds a Master s Degree in Theology and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She s been an educator for 17 years in both elementary and high school and enjoys being a life-long learner. She has served her community as Vocation Director and Director of Formation. She brings her experience on the national level where she served as the Associate Director of the National Religious Vocation Conference in Chicago, IL. She values finding God in all things and enjoys journeying with others to deepen their spiritual life. Sister Johanna Gedaka, SSJ, Ph.D. is the Associate Director of the Basilian Spirituality Center. She holds a Ph.D. in education, culture and society from the University of Pennsylvania as well as advanced degrees in music and the visual arts. She brings her years of experience in the classroom, the studio, and administration to her tasks as a member of the Center staff. Her spiritual core as a Sister of Saint Joseph energizes her to share with others her appreciation for diversity in the celebration of our common humanity and the beauty of creation that God, in love, has entrusted to us. Visit our website at Directions 710 Fox Chase Road Fox Chase Manor Pennsylvania, LOCALLY: From Roosevelt Boulevard (Rte. 1) North or South, go west on Rhawn Street for 1.9 miles and make a slight right onto Oxford Avenue which changes into Huntingdon Pike / PA 232 within 0.2 miles. At Shady Lane, make a left, pass Gibson Road at the small circle and make a right at Fox Chase Road Cross Cedar Road, go to the left fork in front of the sign for Sisters of St. Basil the Great. Make a sharp left turn along the pasture and follow signs to General Parking. FROM PA TURNPIKE: Exit Turnpike at Willow Grove exit 343 to PA 611 South (Easton Road). Go through Willow Grove, Abington, and Jenkintown business area to make a left on Greenwood Avenue. Go to the left at fork (Abington Friends School on the left) to the next intersection and make a left onto Meetinghouse Road. Make a right at the traffic light onto Fox Chase Road, pass Manor College on the right and take the right fork at the sign for Sisters of St. Basil the Great. Continue on this road past the Provincialate entrance, make a right to the General Parking area. Spirituality Center is on your right next to the Chapel on the way to the parking lot. FROM INTERSTATE 95 GOING SOUTH: Via I-95 South, go to Exit 35 for PA 63 W Woodhaven Road. Continue on Woodhaven past Rte. 1 to left on Evans Road (signs for Byberry Road) Turn right at the 1st cross street onto Byberry Road and continue to a left on PA 232 South; pass Holy Redeemer Hospital and continue to a right onto Cedar Road (State Rd 2058). Turn right onto Fox Chase Road. After white house on the left, take the left fork onto grounds of Sisters of St. Basil the Great. Follow signs to General Parking. FROM INTERSTATE 95 GOING NORTH: Via I-95 North, merge onto Aramingo Avenue/ Bridge Street exit which becomes Harbison Avenue after Bridge Street. From Harbison Avenue, turn onto Oxford Avenue. At the traffic circle take the fifth exit and continue on Oxford Avenue to PA 73 W/Cottman Avenue. Turn left onto Cottman Avenue, pass Fox Chase Cancer Center on right. At next light turn right onto Church Road for two blocks. Turn left onto Shelmire Street. Turn right at end of Shelmire St. onto Cedar Road and left at the traffic light onto Fox Chase Road. Destination will be on the left. Take left fork in road and follow signs to General Parking. FROM NEW JERSEY: Take any of the bridges that connect with I-95 and follow the directions from that route, or take NJ 73 N to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge and follow Levick Street to Oxford Avenue. Make a right onto Oxford Avenue, turn left onto Cottman Avenue, continue past Fox Chase Cancer Center on right. At next light turn right onto Church Road for two blocks. Turn left onto Shelmire Street (not a through street). Turn right at end of Shelmire onto Cedar Road and left at the traffic light onto Fox Chase Road. Destination will be on the left. Take left fork in road and follow signs to General Parking.

7 Register Today! Registration is required for each program. Please use the form below (one form for each program) or visit our website at and download a registration form. You may also register by phone at REGISTRATION Registration is required for each program. Please use the form below (one form for each program) or visit our website at and download a registration form. You may also register by phone at or at basilcenter@stbasils.com and then follow with payment. Please make checks payable to Basilian Spirituality Center. Registrations are honored on a first-come, first-served basis. CANCELLATIONS If you are unable to attend a program for which you registered, please notify the Center. If a program is cancelled by the Center, for any reason, you will be notified by phone or . CONFIRMATION Your cancelled check will be your initial confirmation. Prior to the program you will be notified by way of or phone of confirmation of your registration. If you do not receive notification of your confirmation, please contact the Center at or basilcenter@stbasils.com Registration Form (Please fill out one form per program) Program Title: Date(s): Name: Please mail your registration form(s) and check, made payable to: Basilian Spirituality Center 710 Fox Chase Road Fox Chase Manor, PA Address: Phone: Amount: Check #: Registration Form (Please fill out one form per program) Program Title: Date(s): Name: Please mail your registration form(s) and check, made payable to: Basilian Spirituality Center 710 Fox Chase Road Fox Chase Manor, PA Address: Phone: Amount: Check #:

8 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Jenkintown, PA Permit # FOX CHASE ROAD FOX CHASE MANOR PENNSYLVANIA Return Address Requested SAVE THE DATE THE SISTERS OF THE ORDER OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE OCTOBER 2, 2016 COMING ATTRACTION Summer Camp for Ukrainian Children AGES 8-13 AUGUST 15 19, 2016