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2024 March News
We embrace the process of transformation in Christ, both in ourselves and in others, through the practice of Centering Prayer.
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Greetings Friends,
The Contemplative Outreach of Pittsburgh Spring Retreat is at St. Emma's Monastery April 26-28. The retreat overview and registration details can be found HERE. Details are also included in this newsletter. Please consider joining us for this retreat! Contemplative Outreach Ltd is evaluating the diversity and inclusiveness of its work in fulfilling its vision. A small group is meeting to formulate a vision statement for a new Service Team to be approved by Contemplative Outreach Leadership. Prior to the Pandemic, Fr. Thomas called us to embody the 12th Theological Principle of Contemplative Outreach's Vision. For those who do not read it frequently, here is what it says: The practice of Centering Prayer deepens our awareness of the oneness of all creation and our compassion for the whole human family. This Lent, may we reflect on the obstacles that challenge us in living this principle. As we find the joys of rebirth this Spring, and Easter Season, consider these challenges and know that your ideas, dreams, and prayers will provide the way forward.Future Contemplative Outreach communications and events will provide opportunities for your voice so that we may find ways to synergize those whose skill set and mission is to serve. By serving the "survival and primary needs of the destitute, ...we will find ways with them, as we are uniquely equipped and called to share". See Volume 36 No. 2 June 2019 Newsletter. You will find Fr. Thomas' words: “The love of God is so powerful that no one can just sit on it. It is bound to express itself. We have to think not just of praying together but how we can reach out and support each other in helping those in prison, the homeless, the hungry, the oppressed, everyone in need. Above all, direct attention to the most unbearable problem in the world today, which is the destitution of the poor…The Spirit may be asking the Christian denominations to join forces with each other and with other world religions in addressing human needs and social issues. The God in us is calling us to serve the God in others.” Thomas Keating, The Better Part
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United In Prayer Day 2024 |
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On the Saturday closest to
Fr. Keating’s birthday (March 7),
Contemplative Outreach celebrates
United in Prayer Day, with a 23-hour
prayer vigil globally hosted via Zoom. Event Details Begins Friday, March 8, 2024, at 9pm ET Continues through Saturday, March 9, 2024, at 8pm
ET
The Prison Outreach Service Team
invites those who are incarcerated
(and anyone else not able to
participate virtually) to continue
the long-standing practice of
participating in what remains,
transcendentally, the most powerful
means of uniting us: the prayer
itself. Those who so choose may
join the hour hosted by the Outside
the Walls group from 11 AM to noon
Eastern on Saturday March 9.
To anyone without access to Zoom:
send us a letter telling us which
hour(s) you’ll be praying and
in what time zone.
We will pass on your first name
and location to the hosts for the
hour, letting them know of your
participation.
Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.
Prison Outreach Service Team
1560 Union Valley Rd #909
West Milford, NJ 07480
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Register Today for the COP Spring Retreat!
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April 26, 27, and 28, 2024 Contemplative Outreach Pittsburgh presents: A Weekend-Retreat with Jim McElroy
Deepening the Contemplative Path: The Gift of Emotional Healing In this retreat we weave together the practices of Centering Prayer, the Welcoming Prayer, and emotional awareness to allow God’s gift of emotional healing to unfold in the Now. We will come together in conferences to deepen our understanding of the human condition, divine therapy, and emotional sobriety, based on the teachings of Father Keating and AA co-founder Bill Wilson. Plenty of quiet time will give us the space to practice, reflect, and just to be. The beautiful surroundings of St. Emma’s monastery provide an environment that promises to lovingly support our re-treat.
This retreat is open to all (it is not specifically a 12-step retreat).
Jim McElroy is on the governing board for Contemplative Outreach, and has been on the leadership team of 12-Step Outreach since its formation in 2005. He is the former coordinator of CO St. Louis, is on the Welcoming Prayer Service Team, and is a member of the Living Flame teaching team.
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April 20, 2024 St. Susanna's Centering Prayer Group of CHRIST THE DIVINE REDEEMER PARISH hosts a Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop April 20 Time: 8:30 Registration & Continental Breakfast Workshop: 9:00 AM - NOON
Follow Up Sessions Scheduled and to be confirmed by participants. All who wish to learn this prayer of consent, and silence are welcome.
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COP Chapter Bookstore: Classic Book |
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The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living may be purchased through Contemplative Outreach, Ltd, most retailers and will be available through our Chapter Bookstore at the April Retreat. From the forward by George W. Hunt, S.J.: The book’s structure is both simple and elegant. Each day’s text begins with a line of prayer, a ‘prayer sentence’ that acts as both a theme and an invitation. Each closes with an appropriate, longer citation from Scripture that is a biblically based recapitulation of the theme. In between lies a brief reflection to inspire meditation, each an excerpt from the writings of the Cistercian monk, Father Thomas Keating . . . $23 USD. See additional information below regarding COP Lending Library.
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COP is looking for a new service team members. Mentoring provided by COP Service Team. We are Seeking: 1. Communications Team Intern. 2. Treasurer 3. COP Presenter Commissioner: Job description involves increasing our number of Presenters of Centering Prayer following the proces found at Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop Program. Our Pittsburgh Chapter currently is blessed to have SEVEN active Presenters. |
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Attention Facilitators; Contemplative Outreach Ltd. is reviewing the New CO Diversity Service Team vision statement this month. Keep tuned for more information as goals become detailed and articulated. If interested in Service: Please contact Jack Lloyd or Collen Thomas at:
Jack Lloyd jack.lloyd@earthlink.net
Colleen Thomas colleen@coutreach.orgTwo Thousand Twenty-Four ~ 40th Contemplative Outreach Anniversary Our Pittsburgh Chapter, continues to request submissions for our eNewsletters from you. Submissions should arrive early in the last week of each month for inclusion in the upcoming edition. Know that you may submit and schedule publication at a later time in the upcoming year. We welcome news from your Group, perhaps Lectio Readings you have shared, and Study topics. Stay alert and please share connections to diverse entry points onto the "great leap". One takes a leap to accept the way of the contemplative life. The formation of Contemplative Outreach's new Diversity Service Team hopes to offer more opportunities for engaging more fully in our relationship with the source of our being, our Creator. We hope to provide more Introductory Workshops which serve our Chapter, the Community, and the Globe. Please contact Victoria @ victoriae4copcenteringprayer@gmail.com should you wish to learn more about the Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop Program.
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Upcoming Events and Retreats - In Person Retreats and Conferences |
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¡Hola Wisdom friends! CLICK here to see this edition, where we highlight a global Wisdom community and upcoming events. In a recent interview, Cynthia Bourgeault encouraged us to open our hearts to the aliveness flowing within the global community:
"I think it is time to stand back and invite the wider world community to take a more active role … That’s where the living life is — in the wider community.”
“Creo que es hora de dar un paso atrás e invitar a la amplia comunidad mundial a asumir un rol más activo ... Ahí es donde está la vida viviente — en la gran comunidad.”
Today, we feature dispatches from one post in this “wider community” — as we share news from our recent Spanish Wisdom School just outside of Bogotá, Colombia. Below, you will find perspectives on the joy, synchronicity, and even delighted chaos present at the event.
We invite you to watch Cynthia’s teaching from the Spanish Wisdom School here. Stay tuned for more updates from the international Wisdom community over the coming months.
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2024 United in Prayer Day March 8 - March 9
A free, globally-hosted 23-hour day of prayer via Zoom
In the global unity of silence as God’s first language, we hold vigil for suffering humanity and all creation, and we honor Fr. Thomas Keating’s birthday (March 7),the 40th anniversary of the Contemplative Outreach community and the growing presence of Christ among us.
Join in silence and community at any time, as many times as you are able. Each hour will include at least 20 minutes of Centering Prayer, followed by an offering from the hosting group, which may include a video segment, the practice of Lectio Divina, selected readings, community sharing, chanting, etc.
As we participate in the 23 hours of United in Prayer, let us remember and hold in our hearts all the members of the worldwide Centering Prayer community who do not have access to Zoom / internet technology including those who live in remote areas and those who are incarcerated.
No registration necessary. The event begins on Friday March 8 at 9pm Eastern Time. |
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Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. 40-year Anniversary Conference |
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Mark your Calendar for:Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. 40-year Anniversary Conference September 27 - 29, 2024 Click Atlanta
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Upcoming Events and Retreats - Online (Zoom) Retreats and Programs |
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Contemplative Outreach of Columbus:Virtual Silent Saturday with Father Bill Sheehan - March 2, 8:30 am - 2:00 pm
- More information: click HERE
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Contemplative Outreach of Colorado Introduction to the Forgiveness Prayer - March 16, 11 am - 2 pm
- More information: click HERE
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Contemplative Outreach of Colorado:
Contemplative Prayer and African Christian Mysticism - March 23, 11 am - 5 pm
- Presenter: The very Rev. Michael Battle, Ph.D.
- More information: click HERE
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Remember to check the Contemplative Outreach Ltd. Click here for the EVENTS Calendar. |
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Upcoming Events and Retreats - 2024 Intensives |
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Intensive retreats are a powerful way to deepen our prayer, but given the necessary time commitment they can be challenging to attend. In addition, there are not many intensive CP retreats around Pittsburgh. However, sometimes the stars align, the dates are just right for us, and travel then is part of the journey...
Note that the retreat by CO Louisville is about a 6.5 hour drive from Pittsburgh
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Holy Cross Monastery West Park, NY: 7-Day Intensive and Post-Intensive Retreat - May 13 - May 19
- For more information, click HERE
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Holy Cross Monastery West Park, NY: 8-Day Intensive and Post-Intensive Retreat - Sep 7- Sep 14
- For more information, click HERE
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Contemplative Outreach of Columbus
9-Day Intensive and Post Intensive - Sept 11 - Sept 19
- facilitated by Frs. Bill Sheehan and Vinny McKiernan. Father Sheehan has been with Contemplative Outreach and Father Keating since the Lama Retreat
- only 3 hours away :-)
More information: click HERE
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Ongoing Programs and Resources |
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Opening Minds, Opening Hearts
This podcast series from Contemplative Outreach is available on all podcast streaming platforms (Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play) and on our CO YouTube Channel. Each episode highlights Friends of Contemplative Outreach and their personal practice of Centering Prayer. You are invited to listen as our guests share insights about the teachings of Thomas Keating, how the practice impacts their work in the world and their thoughts about how Centering Prayer connects to the living traditions of contemplation and meditation.
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Word of the Week
A free program offered by Contemplative Outreach. A short message is sent each Sunday, which includes an image, Scripture, reflections and suggested practices followed by two weekly prayer groups for practice in community.
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Online Courses from Contemplative OutreachContemplative Outreach offers many online programs. Attending a workshop, a retreat, an online Centering Prayer group or participating in an online course with a global community is a great way of deepening one’s relationship with God and the experience of living a contemplative life.
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COP Resources: Books & Lending Library
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Special Price on Books: Each for only $10 plus postage
- Invitation to Love by Father Keating
- The Loving Search of God by William A. Menninger
Lending Library- Click COP RESOURCES for a complete list of resources that can be borrowed from the COP library.
Please call or text your requests to Chris Volz at 412-779-8269 (you may leave a voice message) or send me an email at chrisvolzu@gmail.com.
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1620 Beechwood Blvd #8 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 15217 United States of America
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