Crossing Thresholds: The True Geography of the Heart

Tuesday, February 14 to Friday, February 17

Led by Esther de Waal

To be present totally to a landscape, to read it and dialogue with it, helps us to see the times and forces that have shaped it and us. This will be a retreat that explores the meaning of place and landscape, especially borders and thresholds, and how such liminal spaces impact our religious experience. Using texts and images from poets and artists, as well as historians and geographers, we will make connections and unearth how exploring exterior landscapes can lead us into depth understanding of one’s own interior life — what Thomas Merton liked to call “the true geography of the heart.”

Esther de Waal is rooted in the Welsh Borders whose landscape, along with many monastic traditions, has shaped her own spirituality. She is a scholar and author of many books; among them are classics on monastic spirituality. A Companion of the Order of Holy Cross, Esther “read” history at Cambridge University and has always enjoyed the study of architecture and landscape.

A Companion of the Order of Holy Cross, Esther “read” history at Cambridge University and gets pleasure from a life-long study of architecture and landscape.

Fee: $260 Deposit $80

Winter Library Volunteers Retreat

Tuesday, February 14 to Friday, February 17, 2012

Accompanied by Brother Adam

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

Fee: $170, deposit $80

Opening Our Hearts for Lent

Friday, February 24 to Sunday, February 26

Led by Brother Scott Wesley Borden

*Silent

Lent is a time of preparation – we ready our hearts for the extreme contrast of Triduum, in which we are confronted with the full destructive power of sin, and Easter, which reminds us of God’s triumph over sin and death. The Book of Lamentations has long played an important role in Christian preparation for Triduum and Easter because this powerful book brings us into contact with our own brokenness. We do this not to wallow in remorse, but to open our hearts to God’s ultimate message of healing delivered in Jesus’ resurrection. In this retreat we will examine ourselves using the Book of Lamentation. In particular, we will explore the book through the ways it has inspired artists through the millennia.

Fee: $250, Deposit: $80

Faith and Spirituality Writing Retreat

Tuesday, March 6 to Friday, March 9

Led by Joan Ball

Whether you write poetry, fiction, non-fiction or journal, rendering life in the Spirit with the written word can be both thrilling and daunting. Join this eclectic group of beginning and experienced
writers for four-days and three nights of community, contemplation and writing as we explore the unique challenges and joys of sharing stories about faith and spirituality.

Fee: $280, Deposit: $80

Hearfulness: Transformation In Christ

A Centering Prayer Retreat

Tuesday, March 13th through Friday, March 16th, 2012

Led by Br. Julian Mizelle, OHC

* Silent

Heartfulness is about opening ourselves to the contemplative dimension of the gospel. Through the practices of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina we allow ourselves to enter into a living tradition of transformation in Christ—transforming our brokenness, transforming the world. Retreat topics include: The Pursuit of Happiness, The Human Condition, Sin, Suffering, Redemption, Love and The Trinity, Divine Indwelling, and Divine Transformation. Participants should already be familiar with the method of Centering Prayer as this retreat is intended to deepen one’s practice.

Lenten Individually Directed Retreats

Tuesday, March 27 to Friday, March 30

Led by the Monastic Community

*short written assignment before the retreat begins
*limited registration

A silent retreat to strengthen your experience of Lent, 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.

Fee: $290, Deposit: $80

The Three Great Days: Holy Week at the Monastery

Thursday, April 5 to Sunday, April 8

Led by the Monastic Community

Join the monastic community in a distinctive observance of the central event of the liturgical year – from Maundy Thursday with the washing of feet, through Good Friday and the procession to the Cross, and onward to the exaltation of the Great Vigil and the sunrise celebration of Easter Sunday.

Fee: $280, Deposit: $80

A Great Awakening: Christianity After Religion

Tuesday, April 17 to Friday, April 20, 2012

Led by Dr. Diana Butler Bass

During this retreat, Diana will walk participants through her new book, Christianity After Religion (HarperOne, releases 2/14/12) and opens conversations about the future of religion and spirituality —- and the possibility that we are on the verge of a new awakening of experiential faith. This is a unique opportunity to spend sustained time in community with an informed cultural observer and theologian exploring the terrain of contemporary American religion. Those attending are asked to familiarize themselves with Diana’s new book before the retreat and come ready to talk, pray, imagine, and create hope for the church and the world.

Fee: $360, Deposit: $80

Spring Library Volunteers Retreat

Tuesday, May 1 to Friday, May 4, 2012

Accompanied by Brs. Adam & Bernard

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

Fee: $170 deposit $80

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 Brother Scott Wesley Borden

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

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

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