Practicing Presence – Mindful Gardening, Walking, Listening, Breathing

Friday, May 11 to Sunday, May 13

Led by Linda Murchison and Frances Murchison

Frances Murchison, Holistic Nutrition and Life Coach, and Linda Murchison, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Spiritual Director invite you on a retreat to practice mindful living – nourishing body, mind and spirit – by working in the flower gardens of the monastery, hiking in a preserve near by, daily walking and sitting meditation, spiritual direction, and participating in the rhythms of the monastic worship services. Please bring gardening gloves and a trowel, walking shoes, hat for sun protection, raincoat.

Fee: $250, deposit: $80

Benedictine Experience 2012

Tuesday, May 15 to Sunday, May 20

Led by Brothers Scott Wesley Borden, James Michael Dowd, Bernard Delcourt

Benedictine Monastic tradition has thrived within the walls of various monasteries for more than a millennium, but in the last few decades pieces of Benedictine tradition have begun to take root beyond the monastery. This program will allow you to experience a taste of what Benedictine life is about and to explore the ways Benedictine practice may be relevant in your personal, parish, and work life. The daily pattern of this program resembles the primary formation given to new brothers as they enter Holy Cross Monastery. This involves worship, instruction, work, and prayer, as well as time for reflection and community formation.

Fee: $600, deposit: $80

Alexander Technique Retreat

Friday, June 15 to Sunday, June 17

Led by Bill Connington

The Alexander Technique Retreat features three days of intensive yet relaxing study with Bill Connington, a renowned, certified Alexander teacher with more than 20 years experience. The Alexander Technique is a 100-year-old method aimed at improving the way the body is used. A few of the many benefits of the technique are learning how to reduce tension and stress, improve posture, and manage pain. Those who may benefit from the technique are people in pain, those with physical restrictions, those who want to improve their posture; performers, musicians, and those interested in the mind/body connection. The workshop will be full of hands-on work, dialogue, in-depth learning, and fun. All levels are welcome from beginners to those who have studied Alexander
extensively. Why not take time for yourself in a special time, in a special place – and find a healthy mind/body balance?

Fees are $345 for tuition, room and board if registering before April 1, 2012, or $360 for registration after April 1st. The fee for commuters is $245 before April 1, 2012 and $260 after April 1. For more information, please visit www.createabalance.org.
To ask questions, please contact Julie Martyn at 845-227-2706 or JulieMB@prodigy.net. Or, to register by mail, please send a deposit of $75 (before May 1) or the full amount to Bill Connington, P.O. Box 102, Billings, New York, 12510.

Living Your Story, Writing Your Story: The Art and Craft of Memoir

Tuesday, June 19 to Friday, June 22

Led by Joan Ball

This hands-on workshop and retreat will focus on the elements of a
good story and how our personal experiences can be crafted into
readable, accessible creative non-fiction. Using the work of notable
memoirists such as Anne Lamott, Abigail Thomas, Thomas Merton and
others as a stepping off point, this retreat is designed to explore
both the art and craft of storytelling, with ample time for personal
writing and reflection.

Fee: $280, Deposit: $80

Summer Associates Retreat – Creation Knows No Waste

Led by Brother Bernard

Friday, July 6 to Sunday, July 8

Come to praise and love God the Creator and God’s Creation. We will explore the Christian mandate to love and act on behalf of those whose voices that are often ignored; we will consider our duties to Nature, the Poor and the Generations To Come.

Fee: $190, Deposit: $80

Summer Individually Directed Retreats

Led by the Monastic Community

Tuesday, July 17 to Friday, July 20

*short written assignment before the retreat begins
*limited registration
Given the increasing popularity of these retreats, we’ve added another one. Give it a try this summer! This is a retreat in which prayer and silence will be practiced as an invitation for deeper union with God and in which each participant will work with a spiritual director chosen by the monastic community.

cost: $290, deposit: $80

Come and See – Monastic Living as a Vocation

Led by the Brothers of Holy Cross

Tuesday, July 24 to Friday, July 27

A program for single men, aged 20 to 48, interested in exploring Benedictine monastic life as a possible vocation. Discover what this ancient way of life can offer you today.

Fee: $50

Labor Day Weekend Associates Retreat

Led by Brother James Dowd

Friday, August 31 to Sunday, September 2

Explore the sacred realm of work by resting this Labor Day weekend with other Associates and the Community. We will spend some time considering the value that St. Benedict placed on work and its role in our lives. And we will spend some time enjoying this often overlooked holiday and unofficial end of summer. This is intended for Associates and those considering becoming an Associate.

Cost: $200, deposit: $80

Fall Library Volunteers Retreat

with Brother Adam McCoy

Tuesday, September 18 to Friday, September 21

Join enthusiastic volunteers for a labor of love – and balance work, rest, prayer and recreation – as we continue the rewarding tasks of caring for and cataloguing over 15,000 volumes.

Cost: $170, deposit: $80

Telling Our Stories – A Retreat for Episcopal Youth Workers

Led by Jennifer Gamber

Tuesday, September 25 to Friday, September 28

This 6th annual retreat for youth workers, led by singer-songwriter Fran McKendree and author Jenifer Gamber, will provide a place for youth workers to find spiritual rest and nourishment within the fixed-hour Benedictine daily prayer. This year we will explore salvation history as recounted in the Bible, our sacred stories, through a variety methods. What does this mean for the lives of the youth we serve? How can we make these stories come alive in our ministries? Special guest, Sharon Pearson, Christian Formation Specialist for Church Publishing, will join us for an afternoon to review and discuss resources for youth ministry. Brother Julian Mizelle will also work with us again regarding the monastic prayer tradition.

Cost: $335, deposit: $80

Guide Us Into the Way of Peace – The Contemplative Life and Non-Violence

Led by Brother James Dowd

Tuesday, October 2 to Friday, October 5

Explore, in the context of community, the unity of living life in a contemplative and non-violent way. We will spend time together in silent meditation, the monastic cycle of prayer, discussion, and study with the purpose of living more fully into a contemplative and non-violent life. This retreat is intended for all those interested in deepening their experience of the call of the Prince of Peace: “that all may be one.”

cost: $250, deposit: $80

Hold the dates

Tue, November 13 to Sun, November 18, 2012

Behold the Light of the World – An Advent Centering Prayer Retreat

Led by Fr. Carl Arico

Fee: $550, Deposit: $80

Wed, December 5 to Fri, December 7, 2012

Celtic Spirituality

Led by J. Philip Newell