Contemplative Outreach International President s Report

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1 Contemplative Outreach Canada Volume 6,, No. 1 Fall 2005 Contemplative Outreach Vision Statement Contemplative Outreach is a spiritual network of individuals and small faith communities committed to living the contemplative dimension of the Gospel in everyday life through the practice of Centering Prayer. The contemplative dimension of the Gospel in everyday life manifests itself in an ever-deepening union with the living Christ and the practical caring for others that flows from that relationship. Our purpose is to share the method of Centering Prayer and its immediate conceptual background. We also encourage the practice of Lectio Divina, particularly its movement into Contemplative Prayer, which a regular and established practice of Centering Prayer facilitates. We identify with the Christian Contemplative heritage. While we are formed by our respective denominations, we are united in our common search for God and the experience of the living Christ through Centering Prayer. We affirm our solidarity with the contemplative dimension of other religions and sacred traditions, with the needs and rights of the whole human family, and with all creation. Contemplative Outreach International President s Report by Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler Contemplative Outreach supports individuals and small faith communities in their commitment to deepen their relationship with God through contemplative practices which support and guide all of us, keeping us present to the presence of God moment-by-moment, ever mindful of the indwelling Spirit. We are encouraged to see God in all ordinary activities that make up our lives: cooking meals, driving to the office, taking care of our children, our pets, our gardens, going to the grocery store and so on. We can move from one activity to the next mindlessly or we can make them occasions for prayer. The more that we call on God through our various contemplative practices, the more God becomes present to us in life in ourselves and in others. Over time, one of the fruits of contemplative practice is the contemplative life. We delight in the ordinary! Even driving and waiting for the red light to turn green can be a moment when we turn to God. God is our constant companion, one with us and enjoying our life through us. The contemplative life is also an integrated life. The divisions and compartments of our life dissolve. We longer have a personal life, a professional life, a social life and a spiritual life. We live and enjoy one life in God. We move from the level of doing the practices to the level of intimacy with God, in silent conversation and communion. We can experience fewer struggles with contemplative practices trying to find the time to do them, trying to exact certain results from them, trying to figure out how to stack them on top of everything else in our busy lives. Our practices move from disciplines to ways of relating with God. In this way, there is nothing to do, nowhere to go, nothing to figure out. We can simply and joyfully be.

2 Inside This Issue Visioning Event Report 2 Page 2 During the next day, Susan led us through an exercise which had us looking at our own faith development. With a presentation about the Maritime Region Report 3 Sherbrooke Region Report 4 Ontario Region Report 4 Lethbridge Region Report 5 Prairie Region Report 5 Greater Vancouver Region Report 5 Book Review 6 Good News for CEU s 7 Contemplative Outreach, Ltd 7 Visioning Event Report July 28 to August 1, 2005 Anita Boyd Twenty-two co-ordinators, contact people, facilitators, and other centering prayer practitioners from across Canada joined with Susan Komis, of Contemplative Outreach International, at St. Benedict s Retreat Centre, Winnipeg for a Visioning Event. Each day was grounded in two hours of centering prayer. Out of our prayer and through Susan s facilitation, we were reminded that Servant-Leaders of CO are keepers of the vision. Reviewing some of the theological principles, which support the CO vision statement, helped us grow in appreciation for this simple, comprehensive statement of our work in CO. Susan s teaching on the Twelve Principles of Spiritual Leadership deepened our appreciation of the work to which so many of us have been drawn. Then we looked at the stages of growth that groups generally encounter as they develop and mature. organic growth of CO chapters, she began to help us with our questions about the future of CO Canada. We learned that the primary purpose of a chapter or region is the presentation of introductory workshops and the formation of Centering prayer groups. The many other CO programs build on this all-important foundation, and always in response to an expressed need. By Sunday, we were ready to begin the nitty-gritty work of visioning. We started by cataloguing our strengths and our challenges. Through our discussions, we focused increasingly on the issue of leadership. With Sister Catherine s resignation from the national co-ordinator s role in mind, we moved to consider Rosemarie McIsaac s recommendation: At this time we establish a national service team, consisting of three or four people to act for a two year term in service to the (Canadian) co-ordinators, using as far as possible, a collaborative model. In a show of hands, all accepted this recommendation. It was further agreed that this would be considered a temporary structure which would be evaluated in two years. Thereafter, Susan led us through a discernment process. After a period of centering prayer, each person stated whether or not we felt called to respond to this identified need for service. Brenda Pauls responded positively for finance, Jacquie Reimer for the newsletter, and Anita Boyd, Claire Himbeault and Anne Veronica MacNeil all expressed interest in formation and/or future planning. The group as a whole accepted all five volunteers to the national service team for a two year period. (The new service team held its first meeting over the final meal and agreed to meet in Winnipeg October 21 23, 2005.) We went on to review our challenges and to prioritize them: (1) Formation and Vision; (2)

3 Communication and Finances; (3) Collaborative Leadership; and (4) Volunteerism. Susan let us know that Bonnie Shimizu will be Canada s contact with CO International. Finally, she reminded us that we must become who we say we are.

4 Page 3 Visioning Event Report Epilogue Susan Komis Thank you again for the privilege of serving the wonderful people from the Canadian Regions last weekend. I am so grateful for the experience. They were all so receptive and welcoming it was a weekend I will remember for a long time! (August 3, 2005) Maritime Region Report Anne Veronica MacNeil In the Maritime area there are currently nine very active Centering Prayer groups who meet regularly weekly for some and monthly for others. There are two new groups beginning in Halifax this fall. St. Mary s University is initiating a new program of spirituality: Spirituality and the Workplace. CEO s and other Leaders of Businesses in the region make up the participants who have registered for this new outreach by the university. I have been invited to offer a Centering Prayer workshop to these students. Also, a new group of Korean-speaking persons were introduced to Centering Prayer last April by Father Andy Lee. I have offered to accompany this group along with their facilitator. Father Keating s book, Open Mind Open Heart, has already been translated into the Korean language and translation is available to non-english speaking persons. Please keep these people in your prayers. Centering Prayer Support Group Facilitators. There was great enthusiasm for this training given by Bonnie who brings to any workshop a rich background of spirituality and contemplative experience. There will be another training offered by myself in Halifax in October During the 2005 Advent season, a Day of Retreat will be offered at Mount St. Vincent Motherhouse to all groups in the area interested in silent prayer. The retreat offered during Lent 2005 proved to be a spiritual shot-in-the-arm for all those who attended; the Advent retreat promises to be of equal inspiration and support for all Centering Pray-ers. In the coming months, I will be offering an Introductory Workshop in the south shore region of Nova Scotia. I will be assisted by Bob and Betty Currie who will be the ongoing facilitators for this group. There is one group meeting in Bridgewater already, but this workshop will extend the practice into a much wider area on the south shore. This is a short review of what I have been doing in the Maritimes. All the people are delighted with what they are receiving and are dedicated and committed to faithfully coming to the weekly gatherings in each place. For me, it has been a very rewarding and busy ministry to God s people. I feel I have received double of what I offer when I witness the growth and progress in healing these people have made. It is a privilege to be a part of such a sacred service to God s people. In October 2004, Bonnie Shimizu offered a workshop at Bethany Centre, Antigonish for

5 Page 4 Sherbrooke Region Report Bernard Dionne Voici un mot sur la situation présente dans ma région a Sherbrooke, Quebec) Depuis mon voyage a Winnipeg, je profite de l outil Facilitator Resource pour animer un groupe de prière. Nous sommes 5 personnes. J espère repére des collaborateurs parmi ces personnes. Nous étudions aussi le livre de Thomas Keating, Prier dans le secret, la dimension contemplative de l Evangile Pour assurer ma formation personnelle, je suis a lire Invitation to Love. J avais lu Intimacy with God que Marie-Nöelle (Maillard) est en train de traduire en francais. J espère lire bientôt The Mystery of Christ et d autres livres. Mais pardessus tout, grace a l appeui de Carolyn (Gratton), je pourrai parfaire ma formation a Toronto, et la première activité a lieu le 15 October prochain: Introductory Workshop. Nous faisons de petits pas, mais aucun cheminement ne se fait autrement. Salutations cordiales a tous les members de Contemplative Outreach Canada. Be still and know that I am God God requires us to be silent to discover Him. In the silence of the heart, He speaks to us. Mother Teresa Ontario Region Report Carolyn Gratton Does September feel to you like the beginning of a new year? It seems to signal the time to gear up again with new hopes and plans for the months to come. The Office/Resource Centre is alive and well with its new (used) furniture, books and tapes, unfilled files and pre-owned computer. People have really been generous. As a result of several recent Introductory Workshops on Centering Prayer, we now have at least 15 CO groups in Ontario. Six of us from CO Ontario participated in the first ever Visioning Event for Canada at St. Benedict s Conference and Retreat Centre in Winnipeg. It was really worthwhile, with sessions on servant leadership, growth in prayer and discernment of a new leadership team. The Department of Continuing Education at the University of Toronto, St. Michael s College is presenting a workshop called, Awakening to our Deepest Self in March 2006, led by myself. This is a Saturday workshop on the essentials of Centering Prayer as a way of life and spiritual practice that makes sense in our contemporary culture and world. We end with heartfelt thanks to the Spirit who pushes us ahead in spite of ourselves and to all the men and women who continue to contribute their prayer and time and money to CO Ontario. What remains central is Centering Prayer itself a practice that keeps us connected to the Source of our deepest life and fruitfulness.

6 Page 5 Lethbridge Region Report Sr. Isabel McEachern An Introduction to Centering Prayer workshop was held at the Martha Centre on October 1, 2005 with me, Isabel, presenting. We are holding six Follow-Up meetings following this. Prairie Region Report Sr. Mary Coswin Centering Prayer matters are gaining momentum here in the Prairie region, especially since Fr. Raymond Sevigny returned from the Visioning Event in Winnipeg. As Regional Co-ordinator, Raymond has invited Terry Dunn, retired Anglican priest, and I, Sister Mary Coswin, OSB to serve with him on a leadership team for the region. One of the first exciting encounters was a lunch meeting with Fr. Carl Arico who was in Edmonton to conduct the Diocesan priests retreat. Raymond, Terry and I drew from the well of Carl s wisdom on several topics and felt encouraged by the visit. Providence Renewal Centre, the newly designated centre for Centering Prayer in the region, will be the site of several events this school year: An Introductory Workshop/ Follow-Up series, a Centering Prayer Weekend Retreat and the CO United in Prayer Day; it will also host one of the four ongoing support circles in the area. One of these groups is in French. Raymond will be conducting two Introduction to Centering Prayer workshops in the St. Paul Diocese, one in English and the other in French. We are contemplating a website for greater visibility in the area since we are taking our first small steps as a region. We are very grateful for the foundation that Fr. Raymond has laid and the passion he has for the work of bringing the contemplative dimension of the gospel to people. Greater Vancouver Region Report Anne Larochelle The COGV Servant Leadership Team marked the first anniversary of our Chapter s beginnings in September. We shared dinner, reminisced about the challenges and rewards of the last year, and with gratitude recognized the blessing of service. We have grown spiritually and learned to work together with the Holy Spirit at the helm. Our Co-ordinator, Anita Boyd, ably co-navigated at the beginning with the Chapter s Visioning Retreat, through to the Chapter formation and all the events and experiences that followed. We ve come to the close of our first year stronger as individuals and as a team in our abilities to fulfill our roles in the servant leadership area. Most importantly, with the inspiration and will of the Holy Spirit, the number of Centering Prayer practitioners continues to grow in Greater Vancouver. We re learning from every experience. Service teams are emerging. Our data base of Centering Prayer contacts is expanding. As the worldwide web is now by and large the first resource for most people seeking answers to their information needs, we realized the importance of

7 having a professional webmaster design and manage our site. We undertook this project and are delighted with the outcome. We invite you to check in with us now and then. Our web address is The first event of the COGV new year was an Introduction to Centering Prayer as the 11 th Step workshop. The follow-up sessions are in progress with many of the eighteen who attended the workshop participating. We were privileged to have Madeline Soo lead the workshop team, assisted by Frances Evers of Kelowna. On October 2 nd we presented a silent retreat. This was the second retreat held at the beautiful Rivendell Retreat Centre on Bowen Island. Once again, we were fortunate to have Ruth and Mark Dundon from CONW, and Wendy Eyre-Grey from Seschelt, BC, staff the retreat. What a truly wonderful and generous resource they have been for our Chapter, and we thank them for their nurturing support. For 2006, we have a wish list: A Facilitator Formation Weekend; Facilitator appreciation/enrichment events; Presenter formation; An Intensive Retreat for leadership formation; Another silent retreat at Rivendell in November 2006; And a Lectio Divina workshop. We ll be guided by the Holy Spirit to accomplish what we can, in keeping with the CO Vision Statement and it Foundations which we review in part at every Servant Leadership Team meeting. Page 6 Book Review Christ Wisdom: Spiritual Practice in the Beatitudes and the Lord s Prayer Many in the West have turned to Eastern Wisdom Traditions for the simple fact that they seem to think there is no Wisdom Tradition in the West. Christ Wisdom: Spiritual Practice in the Beatitudes and the Lord s Prayer by Christopher Page offers a firm and questioning No to those who think they must turn to the Orient for illumination, insight and wisdom. Christ Wisdom is divided into two sections; The Beatitudes and The Lord s Prayer. In each section, Page walks the reader the extra mile to highlight how the Beatitudes and Lord s Prayer are about an inner journey of transformation. In short, Jesus did not come to teach and preach about the need to assent to creeds and confessions. He came to call forth from one and all a way to live a deeper, more transformative and enlightened life. In sum, Christ Wisdom is good as a starter and primer. The strength of Christ Wisdom is the way it walks the curious reader deeper into the landscape of the inner life, and by taking such a journey, a new and fuller life can and will be lived. Christ Wisdom: Spiritual Practice in the Beatitudes and the Lord s Prayer by Christopher Page. Toronto: Path Books, p. ISBN X Review courtesy of Clarion: Journal of Spirituality and Justice. Christopher Page is an Anglican Priest from St. Philips parish in Victoria. He is also a Centering Prayer Practitioner and Presenter. If you wish to rent a video tape by Father Keating, contact Sr. Catherine at catherineosb@hotmail.com. The fee is $5.00, plus postage.

8 WE RE ON THE WEB! Good News for CEU s Brenda Pauls The Canadian Counselling Association has recently authorized continuing education credits for counsellors who complete the Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat. This means that this program will now appear on the list of available courses that counsellors may take to receive credits toward their certification or re-certification with the Canadian Counselling Association. If you have further questions, the Canadian Counselling Association can be reached toll free at: Contemplative Outreach International Newsletter Contemplative Outreach News, the newsletter serving Contemplative Outreach world wide, will no longer be mailed to Canada. The cost of mailing the newsletter and the problems with Canadian delivery have made it too difficult for the office to continue providing this service. Some Coordinators and contact people in Canada will continue to receive boxes of newsletters which they will distribute as they are able. The upcoming newsletter will be available electronically. If you are interested in an electronic version of the Contemplative Outreach News, contact Contemplative Outreach, Ltd at or by office@coutreach.org Editor s Note Jacquie Reimer This is my second greeting to you as editor and its beginning to feel like old times! Thanks again for everyone who contributed to this newsletter. You help to make it wonderful. If you have important announcements during the upcoming winter months, we would love to post them on the website. Let s save trees! Two people have responded to the challenge of accessing this newsletter via the website me being one of them. We can reduce our use of paper and the costs of mailing the newsletter substantially by using internet wherever possible. This is a worthy effort and I challenge you once again to consider this avenue for future communication. Let us know by , snail-mail, or phone. If you would like to make a donation to Contemplative Outreach Canada, please make your cheque out to Contemplative Outreach Canada and mail to: Contemplative Outreach Canada 125 Selkirk Avenue Winnipeg MB R2W 2L1 Phone contemplative.outreach.canada@gmail.com This newsletter may be reproduced and distributed to others practicing Centering Prayer. May this newsletter connect us, Canadian Centering Pray-ers, to be one in the Heart of God for the Heart of the World.