wisdom ways spring 2014 catalog

A Ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet1890 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105

www.wisdomwayscenter.org

Story

wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014

2 All programs are held at Carondelet Center, 1890 Randolph Ave., St. Paul, unless otherwise noted.

Our MissiOn

wisdom ways Center for Spirituality offers programs to explore the spiritual dimensions of contemporary life for women and men and to re-imagine and embody all that we can be as agents of transformation in church and society. established in 1994, wisdom ways is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province, who build their ministries around love of god and the dear neighbor without distinction.

Your comments are welcome. Please contact us at 651-696-2788 or [email protected] to share ideas or to notify us of address changes.

WELCOME

exPloRe. Re-iMAgiNe. eMbodY.

WisdOM Ways’ advisOry COMMittEE

Mary beckfeld, Consociate; Mary Farrell bednarowski, Ph.d; Meg gillespie, CSJ; ginger Hedstrom, Consociate; Rev. barbara Kellett, Consociate; Honorary member eleanor lincoln, CSJ, Ph.d.; william Mcdonough, Ph.d.; Joan Mitchell, CSJ, Ph.d.; Rev. Julie Neraas; Joan Pauly Schneider, M.div., Consociate.

COntributing WritEr saLLy HOWELL JOHnsOn wrote the reflections The Stories We Carry and Landscape of Story for this issue. She is privileged to be present to the stories of many as she serves Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis as Minister of worship and Spiritual Formation. She is a graduate of United theological Seminary of the twin Cities and is the

author of Barefoot Zone: Walking the Spiritual Path. She blogs at Pause.hennepinchurch.org

As numerous as the stars, stories are part of being human. through stories, we share feelings at our deepest core. expressing our own griefs and joys in community or experiencing them through a tale told by someone who, at first glance, seems very different from us, we grow in understanding. we become more human.

this winter and spring, wisdom ways is rich in stories. Stories that we think we know well but hold surprises, like the gospels of Matthew and John. Stories that need to be updated, like the ones we tell about ourselves during times of struggle and transition. Stories whose mysteries we can’t divine, and painful stories of genocide and torture that teach even as we turn away in anguish.

Come gather at wisdom ways as we celebrate STORY. listening to one another and appreciating how words, images, and music reveal us to ourselves, we will nurture the fibers of community and rediscover and reimagine the story that gives all our tales context: the story of the cosmos, our interdependence with all that has life and breath, created as holy by the Spirit, with whom we live and move and have our being.

rev. barbara Lund, Director

StoRY

“ The universe is made up of stories, not atoms.” Poet MURiel RUKeYSeR

www.wisdomwayscenter.org 651-696-2788 [email protected] 3

wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014

ExploreConversations about Sacred Wisdom, Divine Mysteries and Human Questions

* Brigid on the Celtic Way of Wisdom .......................................4 • In the Footsteps of St. Brigid ................................................4 • In the Footsteps of Our Ancestors ........................................4 • Irish Music and Dancing and Lots of Craic ...........................4 • Sacred Journey Worship .......................................................4

* Etty Hillesum: A Guided Book Discussion ..............................5

* Shakespeare’s othello in Script and Performance ...............5

* Rediscovering Morality’s Foundations in “the givenness of love”: Etty Hillesum as Moral Guide .........6

* Sacred Art of Living and Dying, Unit 2: Diagnosing Spiritual Pain .......................................................6

* Natural Rising: Writing Our Way toward Dawn ......................7

* Landscapes of Memory: Thinking about Cemeteries ............7

Re-imagineNew and Emerging Ideas and Understandings

* Shall We Look for Another? Another Christ? Another Church? Hedgerow Seminar ................................... 10

* Storying and Re-Storying after Personal and Family Changes .............................................................. 11

* Cage-Free Christianity ......................................................... 12

MEn’s spirituaLity• A Peace of My Mind: Exploring the Meaning of Peace

One Story at a Time ............................................................... 13• Vocation of the Business Leader .......................................... 13• Courageous Conversations for Nice Minnesotans ............... 14• Evil Men ................................................................................. 14• An Evening with Storyteller Kevin Kling ............................... 15• Centering Prayer for Men ..................................................... 15

Embody Spiritual Practices for Everyday Living

MEditatiOn * Teaching Christian Meditation to Children and Youth .......... 16

* Meditation: A Way of Contemplative Prayer ......................... 16 • Times of Prayer ................................................................... 16 • Meditation During Lent ....................................................... 17

spirituaL praCtiCEs and rituaLs* Walking in Harmony: A Labyrinth Journey ........................... 18

* Walking the Ancient Road: A Pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres .......................................................... 19

* Pilgrimage: Creating a Sacred Journey ............................... 19

* Circle of Love Prayer Bracelets ........................................... 20

* Spring Labyrinth Tour ........................................................... 20

* Coming Home: Writing from the Soul: A Retreat for Women ............................................................ 20

* Blessing the Day: Making a Small Devotional Book ............ 21

* Drumming the Summer Solstice ......................................... 22

additiOnaL OppOrtunitiEs ~ sistErs OF st. JOsEpH spirituaLity MinistriEs Celeste’s Dream: Spirituality for Young Adults ...................... 23Justice Commission ................................................................ 23Membership and Association ................................................. 24Rituals to Mark the Seasons ................................................... 24Second Sunday ........................................................................ 24Spiritual Direction ................................................................... 24

rEtrEat CEntEr

Carondelet Center .................................................................. 24

EvEnts in tHE WidEr COMMunityPilgrimage for Change: A Weekend of Contemplation and Renewal for the First Half of Life ..................................... 25Celtic and Nordic Services at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, St. Paul ..................................................................................... 25

WisdOM Ways LabyrintH rEsOurCEs tO rEnt ................................................... 26

CaLEndar OF prOgraMs ...................................27-28

LOOking aHEad* Special events celebrating the 20th anniversary

of Wisdom Ways in Fall 2014! .............................................. 28

indEx & rEgistratiOn inFOrMatiOn .............. 31

All programs are held at Carondelet Center, 1890 Randolph Ave., St. Paul, unless otherwise noted.

tabLE OF COntEnts

You can learn more about programs and presenters at www.wisdomwayscenter.org


ExploreExpLOrE

in tHE FOOtstEps OF st. brigid: gaELiC s/HErO and HOLy WOMan Come celebrate the arrival of longer, lighter days on the eve of St. brigid’s day. the Feast of brigid marks the start of Celtic first day of spring. A primordial divine feminine, an-cient as the hills and wells of ireland, brigid represents an enduring tradition. Reflections, songs, prayers and stories will help us celebrate this central patron of ireland and draw on her wisdom for our lives today.

WHEn: Friday, January 31, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pmCOst: $25.00

in tHE FOOtstEps OF Our anCEstOrs: WisdOM and prayEr FrOM tHE CELtiC traditiOn in the early years of the third millennium, there is a renewed turning towards Celtic spirituality—a thirst for a return to the well of Celtic wisdom. Come and celebrate a revitalization of our faith and spiritual wholeness through the Celtic tradition of journeying to the sacred holy well. we’ll feed our intellects and souls on themes and stories of justice and healing and generosity and wisdom.

WHEn: Saturday, February 1, 9:30 am to 3:00 pmCOst: $55.00, includes lunch

irisH MusiC and danCing and LOts OF CELtiC CRAIC! Musicians and KAiRoS AliVe! artists, in collaboration with brigid Mcdonald, CSJ and area high school students, will tell the story of “brigid’s Coat” in story, dance and music. See www.kairosalive.com

WHEn: Saturday, February 1, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pmCOst: donations. RSVP at 651-696-2788 or

www.wisdomwayscenter.org

saCrEd JOurnEy WOrsHip With Pádraigín Clancy and Dennis DoyleWHEn: Sunday, February 2, 9:00 am to 10:00 amWHErE: Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church,

511 groveland, Minneapolis

pádraigín Clancy is a scholarly expert on St. brigid and a graduate of irish Folklore and History from National University of ireland, dublin. A fluent gaelic speaker, traditional irish musician and dancer, the dublin native lectures and facili-tates retreats and pilgrimages on Celtic Heritage and Christian Spirituality in ireland, the U.S. and Australia. She is editor and co-author of Celtic Threads Exploring the Wisdom of our Heritage.

dennis doyle, a Celtic harpist, singer, storyteller and historian from California, has brought his harp music, stories and songs in gaelic and english to feasts and festivals, wakes and weddings across the U.S., Japan and ireland. He is a liturgical composer. Pádraigín and dennis have worked together at confer-ences and retreats for over ten years.

“ Just as the emigrant’s grandchild is compelled to return to the old home-place for healing and inspiration, perhaps we now need to return and remember—to make ourselves more whole or HOLY. As we look to the future, Celtic spirituality may offer us a certain refuge that is not only revitalizing but necessary.”

* PádRAigíN ClANCY

brigid and tHE CELtiC Way OF WisdOM Three Days of Celebration with Pádraigín Clancy and Dennis Doyle

Conversations about Sacred Wisdom, Divine Mysteries and Human Questions


wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014

Etty HiLLEsuM: a guidEd bOOk disCussiOn etty Hillesum (1914-1943) began her diary at age 27 with the words “Here goes then,” and opened herself to the changes that would come to her as she faced the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. She began to realize that the struggle for inner peace is one with the struggle for justice and the end of war. She refused to accept escape from the Nazi transit camp and continued her search for meaning through her own reflections and in service to others. Her last postcard, flung from the train to Auschwitz, contains the phrase, “we left the camp singing.” She was murdered in Auschwitz at the age of 29. Using read-ings, videos and images of etty’s life and context, the sessions will explore her writings and the forces that influenced her spiritual quest in a time of war.

text for the series is Etty Hillesum: An Interrupted Life and Letters from Westerbork.

presentersteacher, writer, and retreat leader Mary kaye Medinger first encountered the writings of etty Hillesum in 1985. Since then she has read many texts by and about etty, visited places as-sociated with etty’s life and death, written articles about and presented classes on etty, and coordinated two major series about etty’s life and work. Founding director of wisdom ways from 1995 – 2008, she serves on the Consociate Services team for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

Mary desroches, a scholar of etty’s life and work, has led seminars and book discussions on etty since 1999. She has led seminars and book discussions on etty for years. A retired finance officer, she has an M.A. in theology and a Master’s in Public Administration.

WHEn: thursdays, February 27, March 6, March 20, March 27, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

COst: $75.00

sHakEspEarE’s OTHELLO in sCript and pErFOrManCE this three-part mini-course prepares you to attend and re-flect upon Shakespeare’s Othello at the guthrie theater in Minneapolis. othello, the Moor, is both the indispensable commander of the army of Venice and the loving bridegroom of a Venetian Senator’s daughter. He is a man of raw courage and tender love. How can the devious iago employ tactics of fear, racism, and misogyny to turn him against his beloved desdemona?

Shakespeare’s 1604 tragedy turns a medieval morality play, in which a devil and an angel contest for a man’s soul, into a psychologically complex tragedy of the outsider in a closed society. the first productions of Othello treated the protago-nist’s blackness as an aspect of his exoticism and latent vio-lence, a complement to his turban or his threatening scimi-tar, but by the early 1800s, growth of the british slave trade had politicized character, though directors cast white actors as othello and focused on the domestic nature of his tragedy. then in 1930, when the African American actor Paul Robeson played othello, the viciousness of racism became the play’s central critical focus, and it has remained so. Powerful screen productions from britain, U.S., and South Africa have stirred audiences for half a century.

Award-winning director Marion McClinton is best known for his work with the late African American playwright August wilson. in 2014, when popular tools of communi-cation broadcast repeat not only news facts but also fear-mongering lies along with racist and sexist slurs, how does McClinton’s production teach us to see our own world re-flected in Shakespeare’s enduring drama? our text will be Shakespeare’s Othello.

presenter: St. Catherine University Professor gayle gaskill is an international lecturer on Shakespeare. She annu-ally reviews the guthrie’s Shakespeare season for Cahiers Élisabéthains, a journal of Renaissance studies.

WHEn: Part i: lecture-wednesday, March 12, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Part ii: Attend othello performance at the gutherie theater

Part iii: Post discussion, tuesday March 18, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

COst: $35.00, not including ticket

ExpLOrE


ExploreExpLOrE

Conversations about Sacred Wisdom, Divine Mysteries and Human Questions

rEdisCOvEring MOraLity’s FOundatiOns in “tHE givEnnEss OF LOvE”: Etty HiLLEsuM as MOraL guidE January 15, 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of etty Hillesum, the young dutch Jewish student whose dia-ries and letters describe life in Nazi-occupied Holland and westerbork transit Camp, where she was interned before being murdered at Auschwitz/birkenau. Honor her cente-nary by exploring Hillesum’s moral foundation as a spiri-tual one, resting in the “givenness of love.” we will follow Hillesum’s lead in discovering the largeness (the givenness) of morality’s spiritual foundation, as well as its call to spiri-tual growth (love’s at-riskness). what might etty be teaching us about how to re-find morality’s need for god?

presenter: William (bill) Mcdonough, Associate Professor of theology at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, teaches Christian ethics and coordinates the Master of Arts in theology Program at St. Catherine University. He is especially interest-ed in virtue ethics and the relationship of ethics and spirituality and has taught etty Hillesum’s writing to students for 20 years.

WHEn: thursday, March 13, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pmCOst: $20.00

saCrEd art OF Living and dying training prOgraM Ancient wisdom tells us that the quality of life is enhanced when we do not live in fear or denial of suffering and mortal-ity. the four-unit Sacred Art of living and dying program is taught in two-day, retreat-like workshops that blend presen-tations, reflection, and sacred ritual.

unit 2, diagnosing spiritual pain, invites participants to experience the ‘art’ of diagnosing spiritual pain in oneself before attempting to assist with the suffering of another. Participants recognize the implications of spiritual and reli-gious abuse as well as the role of healthy culture and spiri-tuality in body/mind/spirit healing.

what you can expect from this program: • in-depth study of the four dimensions of spiritual pain:

hope, meaning, forgiveness, and relatedness pain. • Practices to alleviate spiritual and emotional distress at

the end of life. • examination of the relationship between ethical and reli-

gious-based decision making. • experiences of clinical best practices in addressing psy-

cho-spiritual pain. • Reflection on the correlation between the traditional

stages of human development and the stages of faith de-velopment, especially as it impacts end of life care and bereavement issues.

presenters: Course instructors are medically trained faculty and spiritual care provid-ers with Sacred Art of living Center in bend, oregon. Richard groves, co-founder and executive director, has degrees in theology, world re-ligions, bio ethics, and law. He is co-author of The American Book of Living and Dying. For more information see www.sacredartofliving.org

WHEn: Friday, April 11, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday, April 12, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

COst: $350.00, includes meals and resources

Financial support and CeUs are available. Call wisdom ways at 651-696-2788.

“ Spirituality is the most overlooked factor in relieving physical pain.”

* CiCelY SANdeRS, Md

FoUNdeR oF tHe ModeRN HoSPiCe MoVeMeNt


wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014 ExpLOrE

naturaL rising: Writing Our Way tOWard daWn“we must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake,” wrote thoreau, “not by mechanical aids but by an infinite ex-pectation of the dawn.” on the day after good Friday and the day before easter, we pause for a day’s retreat to reflect on our losses, personal or collective, and on new life and possi-bilities just beginning to be revealed. through guided writing, reflection and conversation, participants will awaken hope in a time of many losses. bring your searching soul, your story and your open page. together we will awaken an “infinite ex-pectation of the dawn.” No writing experience needed!

presenter: karen Hering is author of Writing to Wake the Soul: Opening the Sacred Conversation Within. A chaplain and an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, Karen serves as consulting literary minister, offering programs that engage writing as a spiritual practice and a tool for social action. For information about her book and ministry, visit www.karenhering.com.

WHEn: Saturday, April 19, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm COst: $55.00, includes lunch

LandsCapEs OF MEMOry: tHinking abOut CEMEtEriEs Cemeteries are places saturated with meaning. to walk through a burial ground is to come face to face with some of life’s enduring mysteries: death and survival, healing and grief, deep time and the miracle of dailiness, stories preserved and stories lost. this two-part program will en-gage us with the many ways of thinking about these sites of memory that are everywhere in our American landscape. in the second session, we will visit the historic old Pioneer Cemetery in Minneapolis—a place where the sacred and the profane exist side by side.

presenter: St. Paul essayist and poet James silas rogers is the author of Northern Orchards: Places Near the Dead, a mixed-genre collection on cemeteries and sacred space. His essays and poems have appeared in a wide range of journals, including New Letters, Ruminate: Musing on Life and Faith, and Spiritus, and have been read on garrison Keillor’s “writer’s Almanac.” Rogers directs the Center for irish Studies at St. thomas. Northern Orchards will be available at the sessions.

WHEn: thursdays, May 8 and 15, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm COst: $40.00

our stories are bone deep. they throb and pulse through veins and arteries, bubble up amidst cell and corpuscle. our stories are planted in our dNA by the stardust from which we were born, illuminated by the lives of the ancient forebears we have not known but feel in some shadowed space just outside our vision. the script that travels within us in our daily living has been written, is being written, by the mundane and extraordinary acts of those we meet, live with, work beside, those we welcome and those we ignore. being a bearer of story is what it means to be human. As those who walk upright, those who have created language, we are the conscious ones with the power of words through which we make meaning.

on the inside of my left knee, there is a scar. its mark is faint with years now but it carries one story that is a reminder of who i am, where i came from. it is a natural tattoo-gift of my growing up, story-making place. this white, feathery shape was made by tearing the flesh of a much thinner, smaller leg on an open screw of a swing set. the wound has healed but its sight carries the story of a day in it.

the men of my family had gathered round the stump of a tree, hatchets in hand, as chickens were laid across the wooden altar, necks severed. the women of my family stood ready at the kitchen stove, windows dripping with humidity, as pots of water boiled in preparation, a hot bath to pluck the chickens clean of their feather-white coats. Food for the months to come. the children played with wild abandon until one of us—me—fell on the out-stretched screw cutting flesh so deep it barely bled, showing the white, fatty tissue that protected my tiny bones. girl-child and chicken opened to the world.

while played out years ago, the memory of this drama can still conjure the heat of that day, the pain in my flesh, the deep knowing of being a part of a circle of generations committed to life together, those tied closely to farm and land. i have moved far from this place and now make my home among concrete and city lights but i can never forget this moment that made a home in me, that carved its memory in my skin.

the Stories we Carry* SAllY Howell JoHNSoN©

rEFLECtiOn

indEx and rEgistratiOnrEFLECtiOn

Since then there have been other scars that have settled in my flesh telling their stories. one moves from left to right across my belly. its thin, purple line now makes me smile to think of the two, tall young men in my life who made their not-so-gentle entry into the world through that small opening made with knife and skill once it became clear there was no other way for these children to be born. with that slice of skin, my story became woven not once but twice with two other lives, two unique stories. their stories are their own to live and tell but that telling is forever tied to this line i carry in my flesh.

one more scar tells a story of fear and despair and the darkest months and days i have known. the genesis of this story i share in part with others who have received a diagnosis of breast cancer but the plot and characters that make up my story are uniquely mine. though i might have denied that it could be so as the story began, the narrative written in my flesh from this cellular disease gone mad has become a rare kind of gift. it reminds me of the fragility of life and the ways in which we are always one step away from offering our life story to the next generation to be told. tracing it with my finger, i give thanks for each, living day.

each of us has a story written in our fingerprint, our heartbeat, the color of our eyes, the marks we carry in our flesh. in a novel i read recently, these words rose off the page: “they were all just barns, swooning toward the earth; the only thing that held them up was stories.” Many times, like the fairy tales that once surrounded us, those in which the myth and metaphor of our biggest questions come to life, our own stories end in some form of happy ending. other times, they carry the deepest pain found in the heart-wrenching telling of a greek tragedy. throughout our lives, we have the ebb and flow of both. these life stories, this living, can be our gift to the world. to be told. to be cherished. to be kept safe. to be honored.

And if we choose, to share.


HEdgErOW initiativE The Hedgerow Initiative offers sustained, systematic programming in feminist theological education, spiritual integration, and leadership for a just and holy world. In a particular way, the Initiative highlights the scholarship of women who since the 1950s have worked to reclaim women’s presence and significance in scripture, church, history, theology and culture. The Initiative takes its name from the hedgerow schools in Ireland that kept alive the language, faith, culture and community of the people during the time of the British penal codes. A hedgerow is a biosphere and a haven.

sHaLL WE LOOk FOr anOtHEr? anOtHEr CHrist? anOtHEr CHurCH? Critical and Creative Dialogue with the Gospels of Cycle A Hedgerow Seminar Winter through Spring 2014

Perhaps Martin luther is right. the scriptures can save us. For people disillusioned with institutional religion and dis-heartened by abuse scandals or disengaged by scientific dis-coveries, the scriptures offer a do-it-yourself option for staying reflective on how our lives individually and communally mat-ter. Sacred texts originate in the human experience of the holy in our world, a presence still alive to us. the gospels originate among Jesus’ men and women disciples and the communities of Christians that heard, told, and lived Jesus’ story.

in 2014 the Common lectionary brings us Sunday gospels from Matthew and John (Cycle A). we bring an expanding cosmos and evolving earth community into dialogue with the 2000-year old gospels. we experience contemporary issues that divide people—the women’s movement, glbt, the eco-nomics of the 99%, hunger, healthcare, climate change, and education issues. what wisdom can we find in the Story and ourselves? what wisdom can we weave to hold us together?

February 10 Miriam’s Child, Jesus’s origins— Matthew 1-4

February 17 A Household where god blesses All: Sermon on the Mount—Matthew 5-7

February 24 Shall we look for Another?—Matthew 11March 3 why do You Speak in Parables?—Matthew 13March 10 who do You Say that i Am?—

Matthew 15-18March 17 the Strength of a woman’s word—John 4March 24 let Us Speak for ourselves—John 9March 31 Martha Speaks the Faith of the Community—

John 11April 7 Keeping our lamps lit—Matthew 24-25April 14 in Memory of Her—Matthew 26-27April 21 Mary Magdalene, the Apostle—John 20April 28 Jesus Meets the women on their way—

Matthew 28

instructors: Joan Mitchell, CSJ, M.t.S., Harvard divinity School, Ph.d., luther Seminary; susan Hames, CSJ, M.A. liturgical Studies, St. John’s University, Collegeville; Abd Christian Spirituality, graduate theological Union, berkeley, CA.

required text the bible (New Revised Standard Study Version or New American)

WHEn: Mondays, February 10 – April 28, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pmCOst: $200.00 for all 12 sessions. $20.00 per session

Re-imaginerE-iMaginE

New and Emerging Ideas and Understandings


wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014 rE-iMaginE

stOrying and rE-stOrying aFtEr pErsOnaL and FaMiLy CHangEsit is a life task…storying and re-storying! when changes oc-cur, especially significant ones, stories also change. From health to sickness, living here to living there, adolescence to young adulthood, doubt to hope, and trust to suspicion alters stories and lives. At such moments, we, like writer Reynolds Price, search for any book, essay or sentence that might speak directly to the hole I was in.

drawing on stories of honesty, courage, creativity, and re-siliency found in poetry, essay, fiction and memoir, we will discuss, reflect and write about moving forward while hold-ing onto parts of one’s past. Poets and writers will join us to weave perspective, humor, hope and healing.

session 1: there and then and Here and now what parts of our earlier stories deserve continuation, adap-tation or letting go of as we live in the present and plan for our futures? we will reflect and explore. guest writer: Poet, fiction writer, and rug maker Mary Logue.

session 2: Word Medicines: Finding Words for grieving, dying, and deaththe writing of poets and others will prompt our own words and reflections on grief and bereavement. Poetry and mem-oir can complement other actions as grieving persons seek and find words to help speak the unspeakable, address the regrettable or create solace for losses. guest writer: Michael dennis browne, Professor emeritus in english at the University of Minnesota, poet, essayist, and lyricist.

session 3: Legacies of resiliency and Hopewhether welcomed or resisted, the narratives of our lives are altered by change and transition. Maintaining resiliency in the face of such events can be difficult. Hope may not return easily. At such times, stories from poets and writers can be beneficial. guest writer: Minnesota Poet laureate and gustavus Adolphus Professor Joyce sutphen.

Facilitator: Poet, editor and grief educator ted bowman is a community instructor in Family education at the University of Minnesota and an adjunct professor in Social work at the University of St. thomas. He is co-editor of The Wind Blows, The Ice Breaks, a volume of poems by Minnesota po-ets addressing themes of loss and renewal, and author of two booklets addressing shattered dreams, Loss of Dreams: A Special Kind of Grief and Finding Hope When Dreams Have Shattered.

WHEn: tuesday, February 25, March 4 and 11, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

COst: $30.00 per session, $75.00 for all three




CagE-FrEE CHristianity the confinement of the early Christian movement to a set of authorized beliefs in the 4th century Ce was a stroke of genius from the point of view of making it the official religion of the Roman empire. it provided a basis for institutional uni-fication and cohesion, while also securing a mode of identity conducive to universal propagation.

this “Romanization” of Christianity, achieved by force, claimed one way of understanding Jesus as legitimate, and designated other ways as “heretical.” Jesus was to be under-stood as lord and god in a very specific way. lost in the pro-cess was any sense of Jesus’ profound humanity. Jesus was a Jewish teacher and storyteller. His teachings are rooted in classic Jewish modes of interpretation and debate, in the spirit of what will come to be known in Judaism as midrash. in the development of Christianity, this dialogical character of interpretation (preserved in Judaism) is rejected. instead, “agreement” in the form of dogmas becomes official and enforced through temporal and eternal threat. this shadow-side of “belief” is well known and many suffered under even the suspicion of non-conformity: Jews, reformers, mystics, Muslims, women, pagans, gnostics, atheists, scientific ob-servers, astrologers, etc.

Although the political structures that enforced “belief” have largely vanished, Christians remain in many ways captive to a sense that orthodox beliefs are central to their identity. in this seminar we will consider the ways in which “beliefs” held in this way have been humanly and spiritually problem-atic. we will explore the possibility of Christianity “beyond beliefs” by considering its roots in Jewish storytelling, before such beliefs were required and enforced. Selection of texts will include:

• Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas, elaine Pagels• Two Types of Faith, Martin buber• The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal

of the Jewish Jesus, Amy-Jill levine

presenter: John Marboe holds advanced degrees in mytho-logical studies and in theology but regards himself as a life-long student of mythological and biblical reflection. He is an ordained minister (elCA), freelance writer, and convener of interfaith dialogues. John grounds himself by conducting fu-nerals for persons without a church and by hauling trash for a St. Paul garbage company.

WHEn: tuesdays, April 1, 8, 15, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pmCOst: $60.00



a pEaCE OF My Mind: ExpLOring tHE MEaning OF pEaCE OnE stOry at a tiME Spend a morning exploring the meaning of peace through photographer and author John Noltner’s multi-media art project, A Peace of My Mind, which uses portraits and personal stories to ask diverse subjects the simple (or not so simple) question, “what does peace mean to you?” in a world that asks us to focus on the things that can separate us, A Peace of My Mind encourages us to explore the common humanity that connects us.

together we will share John’s process and path for this ongoing project, reflect on the exhibit and stories, and experience a series of short writing exercises and dialogue designed to uncover and articulate what peace means to us. a peace of My Mind project will be exhibited on the ground floor of Carondelet Center from January 9 to February 20.

presenter: Minnesota-based storyteller John noltner uses words, images, and video to explore the world and our own humanity. His work has been featured in Smithsonian magazine, National Geographic Traveler, AAA Living, Health, and Midwest Living. A Peace of My Mind: Exploring the Meaning of Peace One Story at a Time won a gold medal in the Midwest book Awards. For more information visit www.apeaceofmymind.net.

WHEn: wednesday, February 5, 7:15 am to 9:15 amCOst: $25.00

vOCatiOn OF tHE businEss LEadEr what is good work? what is bad work? what makes a business good? what makes it not so good? Come explore these fundamental questions through The Vocation of the Business Leader, a new document from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace that speaks of three institutional goods of business: good goods, good work and good wealth. How these goods are ordered or disordered begin to answer the questions above. the document will be available during this session and may be downloaded from www.stthomas.edu/cathstudies/cst/Vocationbusinesslead/

presenter: Michael naughton holds the Alan w. Moss endowed Chair in Catholic Social thought at the University of St. thomas and is director of the John A. Ryan institute for Catholic Social thought, at the Center for Catholic Studies, which examines Catholic social thought in relationship to business theory and practice. He is co-author and co-editor of nine books and over 30 articles, most recently Leading Wisely in Difficult Times and Bringing Your Business to Life.

WHEn: wednesday, March 5, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pmCOst: $25.00

MEn’s spirituaLity Exploring Men’s Personal Journeys of Spiritual Growth

To preserve a sacred space for men to explore their spirituality together, we ask that only men register for the sessions (except for June 4).

Coordinator: Terry Shaughnessy holds an M.A. in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University and has been a spiritual director for 15 years with a focus on men’s work, contemplative spirituality, retreats, group fa-cilitation and leadership development. To learn more about spiritual direction, contact Terry at 651-328-7675.




COuragEOus COnvErsatiOns FOr niCE MinnEsOtanswe all wrestle with those challenging, fierce and courageous conversations. At times we are just not sure how to approach the person or the situation. if you feel like your approach with others is “too nice” or “too direct” you might have something to contribute and something to learn.

As we explore how Process-oriented Psychology (dr. Arnold Mindell) and Non-Violent Communication (dr. Marshall Rosenberg) can help us become less violent during these challenging moments, we will also probe our personal aware-ness of feelings, needs, communication skills and under-standing of how situational power and trauma impacts chal-lenging situations.

presenter: tom Esch has been part of courageous conver-sations since 1969 when a whiffle ball game ended badly in the backyard. with an M.A. in theology from the University of Notre dame and an M.A. in Conflict Resolution from the Process work institute in Portland, oregon, he spent 10 years in a religious community as a lay person and as an ordained leader. He also spent 10 years selling construction supplies.He is currently President of Creating Resolution, a company which helps people have conversations about uncomfortable yet necessary topics.

WHEn: wednesday, April 23, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pmCOst: $25.00

EviL MEn evil Men is about atrocity: what it looks like, what it feels like, what causes it, and how we can stop it. it is about the differ-ent ways people have tried to make sense of our astonishing capacity for evil, in fields ranging from psychology and politi-cal science to philosophy and literary studies. it is about the different ways people have struggled to find hope.

our morning conversation is based upon confessions from a group of war criminals from the Second Sino-Japanese war. Aging and frail when James dawes met them, they had done the worst things imaginable as young men: murder, torture, rape, biological warfare, medical experimentation on living subjects. Facing death now and deeply repentant, they shared their confessions so that they might, in their words, “serve as a lesson to the world.”

presenter: James dawes is Professor of english and Founder of the Program in Human Rights at Macalester College. the author of Evil Men, That the World May Know: Bearing Witness to Atrocity, and The Language of War, he has been a featured guest on radio programs from National Public Radio to the bbC weekend News.

WHEn: wednesday, May 14, 7:15 am to 9:15 amCOst: $25.00

If we are going to move forward together with these shocking stories, what use can we make of them? Can they help us answer questions like this: How do societies turn normal men into monsters? … What is the individual psychological process and felt experience of becoming a monster?... Given that these monsters are so often men, what role does gender play in genocidal violence?

* FRoM tHe iNtRodUCtioN to EVIL MEN



an EvEning WtH stOrytELLEr kEvin kLingwhat do we do with loss, intense suffering and the focused an-ger that arises out of loss that can’t be cured and only healed? Kevin Kling knows the desolate inner experience of living with PtSd from an accident that nearly killed him. He has reflect-ed on how the three phases of prayer in his life (from praying to get things, to praying to get out of things, to gratitude) have allowed for him to find “a blessing in my curses every day.” A good code of conduct for men confronting violence may well be Kevin’s words of wisdom, “when you’re laughing at some-thing, it can’t control you.” He helps us to “find solace in mys-tery through storytelling.” Join us for this engaging evening of laughter and storytelling connected to our theme by a man who has experienced life deeply.

presenter: Monologist and playwright kevin kling is working with Minnesota Public Radio in a three-year residency, creat-ing annual original radio plays performed on the Fitzgerald stage. He appears often at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, tennessee, is a commentator for National Public Radio’s “All things Considered” and the author of the books The Dog Says How, Holiday Inn, Big Little Brother, and Come and Get It, the 2012 Minnesota Center for books Arts “winter book.” WHEn: wednesday, June 4, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

(rescheduled from december 2013)COst: $30.00 (open to both men and women)

CEntEring prayEr CirCLEto foster community among participants, the wisdom ways Men’s Spirituality Series holds a monthly contemplative prayer circle. each meeting begins with 20 minutes of con-templative prayer practice using the method of Centering Prayer. opportunity for group sharing around this prayer is included, as well as occasional video teachings by Centering Prayer teacher and trappist monk thomas Keating. this an-cient practice of Christian meditation is related to the classic tradition of contemplation and is easily accessible.

Facilitators: Louie doering, a retired banking executive and group leader for Centering Prayer groups at St. Stanislaus Parish in St. Paul, and terry shaughnessy, Men’s Spirituality Program Coordinator. WHEn: wednesdays, February 12, March 12, April 9,

May 7, and June 11, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm COst: donations. RSVP to 651-696-2788

or www.wisdomwayscenter.org


“Nothing in all creation is so like God as stillness.”

* MeiSteR eCKHARt

tEaCHing CHristian MEditatiOn tO CHiLdrEn and yOutHthere is much noise and little silence in the lives of children and youth. And like many adults, children yearn for the experience of an interior way of being that helps buffer the hustle and bustle of a harried world.

Yet young people have a natural capacity for meditation, and they love it! when their capacity meets the ancient practice of Christian meditation, the exciting benefit is a mindfulness that helps them reduce stress, increase their sense of well-being, and deepen their relationship with god. when we teach children to meditate, we are at the same time fostering their sense of being valued and loved.

this workshop will cover the teaching and practice of Christian Meditation, what makes it Christian, and it will provide practical guidance, with resources, for how it can be introduced into the classroom, religious education and Sunday School programs, congregations, camps, to parents and their children.

presenter: Cynthia Comiskey, CSJ, a licensed Clinical Social worker in private practice. Cynthia is a former elementary school teacher, school counselor, and a member of the world Community for Christian Meditation (wCCM). She has conducted workshops on teaching meditation to children around the country and at the NCeA (National Catholic education Association).

WHEn: Saturday, March 1, 9:30 am to 12:00 noonCOst: $30.00, free for students with id.

MEditatiOn: a Way OF COntEMpLativE prayEr

Meditation is a form of contemplative prayer in which we move beyond words, thoughts, and images. we open ourselves to god’s mysterious and silent presence within us and it becomes more and more the reality of our lives. From this place of prayer we engage in our work in the world. this spring, wisdom ways offers several ways to gather in silence. we invite you to experience this way of Christian contemplative prayer.

tuEsday EvEning MEditatiOn tiMEs OF prayEr

during these times of prayer, we will sit in silent meditation with others. Meditating together is a way of deepening and supporting our personal practice. Come as often as you are able. the weekly sessions include a short reading and one 25-minute meditation.

WHEn: tuesdays, January 7 – June 10, 7:00 pm to 7:40 pm COst: Registration is not required and sessions are free.

EMbOdy

EmbodySpiritual Practices for Everyday Living

MEditatiOn

“ Learning to pray is learning to live as fully as possible in the present moment.”

* JoHN MAiN, oSb


wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014

EmbodyEMbOdy

Spiritual Practices for Everyday Living

MEditatiOn

CHristian MEditatiOn during LEnt

lent is a time of preparation. through prayer and fasting, we ready ourselves to enter into the celebration of the central Christian mystery of Jesus’s death and resurrection. wisdom ways offers varied ways to move toward the transforming experience of this sacred event.

asH WEdnEsday MEditatiOn

enter into the season of lent by gathering with others for contemplative prayer. the evening includes a short reading, a 25-minute sitting meditation and walking meditation, followed by a second 25-minute sitting meditation for those who wish an extended time of prayer.

WHEn: wednesday, March 5, 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm (includes both sittings)

COst: the session is free and registration is not required.

tuEsday EvEning MEditatiOn

the weekly sessions include a short reading and one 25-minute meditation.

WHEn: tuesdays, March 11 – April 15, 7:00 pm to 7:40 pm COst: Registration is not required and sessions are free.

saturday MOrning MEditatiOn

these meditation sessions include a short reading from Cynthia bourgeault’s The Wisdom Jesus, two 25-minute sitting meditations, and a walking meditation. Come for one or all Saturdays.

WHEn: Saturdays, March 8, 15, 29, April 5, 12, 9:00 am to 10:15 am

COst: Registration is not required and sessions are free.

day OF COntEMpLativE prayEr

A lenten day of contemplative prayer provides a more extended and focused time to deepen our existing practice of meditation. on this day, a pattern of sitting and walking meditations, teachings, mindful movements, and chanting will offer an experience of prayer and silence.

WHEn: Saturday, March 22, 8:30 am to 3:15 pm COst: $40.00, includes lunch

HOLy saturday MEditatiOn

enter into the emptiness of Holy Saturday. this time of prayer includes a short reading, two 25-minute sitting meditations, and walking meditation.

WHEn: Saturday, April 19, 9:00 am to 10:15 amCOst: the session is free and registration is not required.

Facilitators: deborah Chernick, a CSJ consociate and long-time meditation practitioner, is on the board of the trust for the Meditation Process. She is a financial management con-sultant for nonprofits. Spiritual director and group facilitator susan Oeffling, CSJ has practiced meditation for years. She has master’s degrees in theology and counseling and spiri-tual direction training from the Center for Spiritual guidance.

“ We have to go beyond the outer appearances of the senses and beyond the concepts of the mind, and open ourselves to the reality of Christ within, the Christ of the resurrection.”

* bede gRiFFitHS


WaLking in HarMOny: a LabyrintH JOurnEySecond Fridays, February – June

in the midst of daily challenges and conflicts within our greater communities, cultivating a spirit of harmony and peace is a gift for yourself and the world.

You are invited to walk the labyrinth indoors at Carondelet Center, whether this is your first walk or you are developing a spiritual practice.

After a brief reflection, you are welcome to walk as often as you wish. there will be space for writing and artist play as well as time for quiet prayer and meditation.

in 1997, wisdom ways Center for Spirituality mowed an outdoor labyrinth in the lawn of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the first in the twin Cities community. wisdom ways has introduced the labyrinth to thousands through the many labyrinth conferences, programs and events we have sponsored since then.

in 2014, a new permanent labyrinth will be designed and created on the grounds of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Facilitators:Lisa gidlow Moriarty, Past President of the international labyrinth Society and owner of Paths of Peace, is a professional labyrinth maker and an internationally known speaker and labyrinth facilitator. She has offered several wisdom ways labyrinth bus tours and labyrinth programs. Marilyn Larsen has been making labyrinths since 1996. She creates labyrinths for personal and public spaces in a variety of media, most recently the labyrinth for the Spiritual Center at Hennepin County Medical Center.Mary kaye Medinger oversaw the development of a wide-ranging labyrinth ministry at wisdom ways from 1997 to 2008. A certified labyrinth facilitator who has walked labyrinths from San Francisco to France, she leads retreats, contemplative pilgrimages and other programs at parishes, congregations, and retreat centers. MJ Mcgregor, Ph.d., Advanced Veriditas Certified Facilitator, introduces and facilitates labyrinth walks nationally and in Chartres Cathedral, France. MJ leads pilgrimages in Chartres, where she is a seasonal resident, and most recently co-guided a walking pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres Cathedral.

WHEn: Fridays, February 14, March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13, 9:30 am to 11:30 am

COst: donations. RSVP to 651-696-2788 or www.wisdomwayscenter.org

EMbOdy

spirituaL praCtiCEsEmbodySpiritual Practices for Everyday Living


wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014 EMbOdy

WaLking tHE anCiEnt rOad: a piLgriMagE FrOM paris tO CHartrEs

what does it mean to be a pilgrim rather than a tourist? Join MJ Mcgregor and lisa gidlow Moriarty as they share images and stories of walking the ancient pilgrimage route through the French countryside from Notre dame de Paris to Notre dame de Chartres. Come explore the challenge of pilgrimage and the deep desire that calls us along ancient routes to sacred places. Readings, music and a contemplative labyrinth journey will infuse our evening experience.

WHEn: Friday, February 21, 7:00 to 8:30 pm COst: $20.00

piLgriMagE: CrEating a saCrEd JOurnEy All of us are pilgrims on a spiritual journey of life. what experiences of pilgrimage have occurred in your life, intentionally and unintentionally, anticipated and unexpected? this quiet winter day will be filled with learning, sharing and experiencing pilgrimage through poems, songs, images, stories, journaling, silence, and ritual.

• learn of historic and ancient pilgrimage locations• explore the difference between travel and pilgrimage• explore pilgrimage from the call to journey to arrival

and homecoming • Practice packing what is essential and what to leave

at the threshold• Use the labyrinth as a journey of prayer

Facilitators: MJ Mcgregor and Lisa gidlow Moriarty are experienced retreat leaders, spiritual tour guides and advanced labyrinth facilitators. together they led a small group of women on a walking pilgrimage along an ancient French pilgrimage route from Paris to Chartres in May 2013. A similar pilgrimage is planned for September 2014.

WHEn: Saturday, February 22, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Check in at 9:00 am.

COst: $55.00, includes lunchFriday evening and Saturday special rate $60

EMbOdy

“ Pilgrims are poets who create by taking journeys.” RiCHARd NiebUHR

Set out! Your head does not know Where your feet are leading your heart.Set out!Your were born for the road—The pilgrim’s road.

* ANoNYMoUS

Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.

* JeReMiAH 6:16A


EmbodyEMbOdy


CirCLE OF LOvE prayEr braCELEtsCome and learn about how to use prayer beads to deepen our prayer experience. the word bead comes from the middle english word bede, which means to pray. After a prayer service using Circle of love Meditation bracelets, we will explore the history and use of prayer beads and the origin and development of Christian prayer beads, including the rosary. we will make a circle of love bracelet using beads of Czech glass, semi-precious stones, and other materials. we’ll share our designs and how we plan to use our bracelets before blessing our creations and our time together with worship.

presenter: Spiritual director and Advanced Certified Veriditas labyrinth Facilitator sue swanson, M.div., helps people find Sabbath time in their busy lives by teaching them how to practice spiritual patterns together. Her classes and retreats explore spiritual concepts such as prayer, breath, simplicity, creativity and Sabbath. Her beadwork has been published by Beadwork and Bead and Button. She studies traditional craft techniques in order to make them meaningful in our 21st Century lives and offers opportunities to explore them through her company, Purple Apple Arts.

WHEn: Saturday, April 5, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm COst: $55.00, includes supplies

spring LabyrintH tOur the labyrinth bus tour is back by popular demand! Join a bus full of labyrinth enthusiasts to visit twin Cities labyrinths in a variety of locations associated with healthcare, healing and spiritual wellbeing.

tour guide and past president of the international labyrinth Society Lisa gidlow Moriarty has offered several wisdom ways labyrinth programs and bus tours. She is a professional labyrinth maker, an internationally known speaker and advanced labyrinth facilitator who offers her services through her company, Paths of Peace.

WHEn: Saturday, April 26, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Check in at 8:45 am.

COst: $65.00, includes lunch and guide book

COMing HOME: Writing FrOM tHE sOuLa rEtrEat FOr WOMEn imagine being with a group of vibrant women who are tending their souls in a lovely, safe space. You will share this enriching time and space with others who come to experience writing as an entrance to the deeper self, doing so in the context of creative reflection, song and dialogue. there will be time to relax, reflect and develop your writing skills, plus the gift of relating to others equally intent on further discovery and celebration of their purpose and direction in life.

Joyce Rupp offers her extensive experience of spiritual growth through creative ritual and reflective conferences. Mary Kay Shanley draws on her teaching and workshop experience to lead inventive processes that develop and hone writing abilities. gift yourself with three days set apart just for YoU!

presenters: Joyce rupp describes herself as a “spiritual midwife,” one who assists others in birthing their true self. the author of twenty books who gives con-ferences and retreats nationally and internationally, Joyce is a Servite Sister and a volunteer for Hospice. to learn more, visit www.joycerupp.com

Mary kay shanley, iowa Author of the Year for 2012, has written nine books, including the bestselling She Taught Me to Eat Artichokes. She’s happily discovered a second career—helping other women bring forth their writerly selves via workshops and classes she designs and conducts. to learn more, visit www.marykayshanley.com

WHEn: thursday, May 1 – Sunday, May 4. thursday, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm; Friday, 8:45 am to 5:00 pm; Saturday, 8:45 am to 5:00 pm, followed by a social hour and dinner; Sunday, 9:00 am to noon.

COst: $350.00, includes snacks, lunches and dinner on Saturday

spirituaL praCtiCEs


wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014 EMbOdy

bLEssing tHE day: Making a sMaLL dEvOtiOnaL bOOk back by popular demand! the practice of art has the power to connect us to our deepest selves, the wider community, the life of the spirit. the calligrapher donald Jackson says that to choose a text that resonates with us and to render it carefully on beautiful paper will alter the way we understand that text. Poet william Stafford writes that our art making will reflect our inner coherence, that akin to all spiritual practice, it will inform and remind us who we are.

in this workshop, you will make a small, beautiful, hand-crafted book on the theme of blessing the day using poetry or prose and simple images. Your book may contain original writing or a chosen text. we will also reflect on the creative process and explore how our art making might be integrated

into our personal and community lives. the focus will be on shaping a well-made book that can be made with inexpensive tools on a kitchen table or a desk.

presenter: regula russelle loves teaching book arts to college students at Augsburg College and to community members at the Minnesota Center for book Arts. She also runs a small, independent press, Cedar Fence Press, and enjoys collaborating with others to get word and image into print. Her work is shown nationally and she has won several honors including the 2011 Minnesota book Artist Award. She is a long-time member of Prospect Hill Friends Meeting. See more of Regula’s work at www.regularusselle.com.

WHEn: tuesdays, May 13, 20, 27, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pmCOst: $90.00, includes supplies. limited to 12

participants. No previous art experience is necessary.

It is possible to make a gorgeous book on a desk or on a kitchen table with tools and materials that cost less than ten dollars. It takes a bundle of good paper, a pen, brush, some India ink, a needle, and a piece of linen thread. The actual making of a book is uncomplicated.

A simple pamphlet stitch or an accordion book can be learned in the span of an hour. Begin by folding pages with the grain so that the book will open and close with ease. Then, say something that matters, that deserves repetition, documentation, recalling, questioning. It could be a salute to spring, a plea for libraries and benches, a love poem to the city, a call to revolution, a testament to grief. With a hand-made book, a condensed text paired with imagery works best. This might be a tiny little love letter, a petition, a manifesto, or a wayside shrine. Consider an edition of three: One small book to keep, another for someone you know, and a third for a stranger to discover.

* RegUlA RUSSelle©


EmbodydruMMing tHE suMMEr sOLstiCE the summer solstice celebrates the turning of the year to the time of growth, warmth and long days. Come bless your drum for the new season, learn drum techniques and celebrate with a solstice ritual. bring your drum or let us know if you need one. limited to 24 people.

presenter: gabriel ross, M.A. Catechetics and liturgy, University of St. thomas, is the director of Creative Spirit, a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring spirituality through the arts. She has taught adult education courses for over 25 years. gabriel leads women’s spirituality groups, Celtic drum and ritual groups, “Soul Journal” workshops and “Mystics at the River.”

WHEn: Sunday, June 22, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm COst: $25.00

spirituaL praCtiCEs

EMbOdy



wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014 additiOnaL OppOrtunitiEs

CELEstE’s drEaM: spirituaLity FOr yOung aduLtsEngage in Community * Nourish Spirit * Inspire Social Actionwe are a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Rooted in the Catholic, Christian faith, we welcome people from all spiritual traditions. we offer young adults 20-35 years old an opportunity to integrate their education, values, spirituality, and work in the context of community.

Community garden 2014weekly gardening tuesdays 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm starting in May• learn organic growing methods and enjoy healthy

heirloom produce • Participate in a local food system and build community

with earth and other gardeners

visiting Women’s religious Communities - saturday, February 22Visit four different religious communities to meet, learn, share meals, and pray with Catholic Sisters. we will visit local communities of benedictines, Franciscan Poor Clares, School Sisters of Notre dame, and Sisters of St. Joseph. For more information, go to www.csjstpaul.org/celeste, call 651-696-2873.

CsJ Earth day Celebration – saturday, april 26 Join us for ritual and action that celebrates earth. Find program details at www.csjstpaul.org/celeste

JustiCE COMMissiOnthe Justice Commission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates, St. Paul Province, acts for justice and equality for all by always moving toward profound love of god and neighbor without distinction. we join with other groups in addressing issues influencing human dignity and earth.

11th day prayer for peaceCreated in 2001 and offered on the 11th of each month, 11th day Prayer for Peace provides the opportunity for those gathered to pray for peace in situations throughout the world where it is needed. themes include a variety of issues such as anti-human trafficking, dismantling racism, eco-justice, immigration reform, life from womb to tomb and more.

WHEn: 11th day of each month, 6:30 pm to 7:15 pmWHErE: the Chapel of the Presentation of our lady

(CSJ Chapel), 1890 Randolph Ave., St. Paul

January 11: immigration, Racism, Anti Human traffickingFebruary 11: theme tbdMarch 11: international women’s dayApril 11: waterMay 11: theme tbdJune 11: gospel of lifeJuly 11: St. Paul Nagasaki Sister City

breaking the impasse v: Call for action to Eliminate povertyFeaturing simone Campbell, SSS, executive director of NetwoRK: A National Catholic Social Justice lobby and nancy Maeker, director, A Minnesota without Poverty. FRee and open to the public! Presented by Justice Commission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates, Myser initiative on Catholic identity at St. Catherine University, and NetwoRK: A National Catholic Social Justice lobby.

WHEn: tuesday, February 18, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pmWHErE: Coeur de Catherine ballroom, St. Catherine

University, 2004 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul


additiOnaL OppOrtunitiEs

CsJ MEMbErsHip and assOCiatiOnthe CsJ Way: Community, spirituality, and Justice – a half-day retreat!

Spend a Saturday morning with the Sisters of St. Joseph and Consociates learning about the many ways to become involved with this energetic, contemporary community of spirituality and justice. the morning will include prayer and stories focusing on this community’s mission and spirituality. learn about how you can engage as program participant, volunteer, Consociate and/or Sister. Healthy, nourishing snacks will be provided. Join this movement! event is free.

WHEn: Saturday, March 15, 9:00 am to 12:30 pmWHErE: CSJ Administration Center,

1884 Randolph Ave. St. PaulCOntaCt: Joan Pauly Schneider at 651-690-7063,

[email protected], or Mary Kaye Medinger at 651-690-7082, [email protected].

rituals to Mark the seasons – Celebrating the Journey season by season

gather together at Carondelet Center to connect with earth rhythms and ancient wisdom traditions in prayer and ritual to celebrate the change of seasons. bring a drum or other rhythm instrument if you would like.

January 29 Candlemas/brigid’s day: the growing light on Your Journey

March 19 Spring equinox: Celebrate the Mystery of life

April 30 beltane: Celebrate the Juiciness and beauty of Your Journey

June 18 Summer Solstice: the light, the Joy, the grace of Your Journey

July 30 lammas: gathering the First Fruits of Your Journey

WHEn: gather at 5:30 pm; ritual from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. events are free.

WHErE: Carondelet CenterCOntaCt: Mary lou Flandrick at 612-724-6008

sECOnd sundaySecond Sunday is a community circle in which women and men and families gather to reflect together on the Sunday scriptures. Second Sunday began among the Sisters of St. Joseph in three community houses.

we reflect on the Sunday gospel and nourish one another’s lives with this sharing. we share bread and wine and lift up the prayers of all gathered and concerns for the world. Following, we drink coffee and enjoy treats. All are welcome and invited to come when you can. the group is a new blessing each month. WHEn: Second Sunday of each month, 10:00 amWHErE: Carondelet Center, 1890 Randolph Ave., St. Paul COntaCt: therese Sherlock, CSJ, 651-690-7011

spirituaL dirECtiOn Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine. in spiritual direction, space is created for one to learn and grow in their spirituality. the person seeking direction shares stories of his or her encounters of the divine, or how he or she is experiencing spiritual issues.

Spiritual direction nurtures a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human. it is not counseling, psychotherapy or financial planning. if you seek spiritual direction, the following CSJ Spiritual directors are available to support you on your journey.

elizabeth Kerwin, CSJ 651-641-0008Margaret l. Kvasnicka, CSJ 651-696-2805 (women only)Mary lamski, CSJ 651-695-5387Susan oeffling, CSJ 651-696-2757Cathy Steffens, CSJ 651-696-2760Jill Underdahl, CSJ 651-696-2873 gina webb, CSJ 651-696-2757

rEtrEat CEntErCarondelet Center welcomes individuals and groups for meetings and retreats.

Visit www.carondeletcenter.org or call 651-696-2741.

SiSteRS oF St. JoSePH SPiRitUAlitY MiNiStRieS


wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014 EvEnts in tHE WidEr COMMunity

CELtiC COntEMpLativE COMMuniOn a Celtic Journey into the Mysteries

January 12 take Me as i Am

February 9 Ready to dance for the world

March 9 taking Parts of Us into Places Never Planned

April 13 Always beginning as it goes

nOrdiC COntEMpLativE EvEning prayEr

the rich and haunting music of the Scandinavian peoples

January 26 Make light of darknessGuests: Cloudberries, American Swedish Institute Women’s Choir

February 23 i have listened to You Morning and NightGuests: Rocky Mjos and Peggy Larson

March 23 it is in Vain to wander So Far

April 27 You dare Your YesGuests: Twin Cities Hardingfelelag

saint CLair sunday EvEnings at piLgriM LutHEran CHurCH“The Beautiful Crying Forth of the Ideas of God”

Are you in the first half of life – between 20 and 40? Come journey with John Philip and Ali Newell for a weekend pilgrimage of renewal, connection, and contemplative experiences.

Perched a few blocks from the Mississippi River at westminster Presbyterian Church, pilgrims will learn spiritual practices to sustain a life of greater connection to god, neighbor, earth, and self. learn chants, prayers, and how to interact with holy texts from the three Abrahamic faiths (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim) as a means to harmony and peace. through guided meditation, large and small group processing, all will be invited to let the experience touch the deepest parts of their heart. Pilgrims will be given tools to access the brokenness and suffering in their own lives, and more presently and compas-sionately approach it in the surrounding world. guided interactions with the outdoor landscape will help us come to a new awareness of the interconnected relationship of earth’s family: we are all one.

presenters: Rooted in the Celtic tradition, rev. dr. John philip newell will offer teaching, insights, and stories while drawing from thousands of years of Abrahamic wisdom. through tai Chi, dance, and Mandala work, ali newell makes the learning experience profound and tangible with the intention of sparking spiritual growth and fostering the intimate bond of earth and body.

Event takes place Friday, august 1 – sunday, august 3 at Westminster presbyterian Church, Minneapolis. For more details and to register, visit www.pilgrimageforchange.com

All evening services are at 6:51 pm at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, 1935 St. Clair Ave., St. Paul. For more information, go to www.pilgrimstpaul.org, or call 651-699-6886

piLgriMagE FOr CHangE: a WEEkEnd OF COntEMpLatiOn and rEnEWaL FOr tHE First HaLF OF LiFE

EvEnts in tHE WidEr COMMunity


WisdOM Ways rEsOurCEs

LabyrintH rEsOurCEs tO rEntone mission of wisdom ways is to share resources in ever-expanding circles. wisdom ways has over 70 multiple-sized labyrinths and ritual items for rent. Canvas labyrinths are available to rent for church or community events, business retreat days, civic gatherings, weddings, celebrations and personal use. Additional ritual and creative resources are also available. to see selection, visit www.wisdomwayscenter.org or call 651-696-2788 to make arrangements.

our labyrinth facilitators are available to bring presentations and portable labyrinths to your site or to guide you in the use of your own labyrinth. Contact us at 651-696-2788 to make arrangements or visit www.wisdomwayscenter.org

Librarywisdom ways’ collection of more than 2,500 books, audio, videotapes and Cd/dVds on spirituality-related themes is located in the west parlor of Carondelet Center. browse our labyrinth section of inspiring images and background on the labyrinth.

dirECtiOns tO CarOndELEt CEntErCarondelet Center is located at 1890 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, between Cleveland and Fairview Avenues. From i-94, take the Snelling or Cretin/Vandalia exit south to Randolph Avenue. travel west from Snelling or east from Cretin. From i-35e, take the Randolph exit west past Fairview to 1890 Randolph. turn in at either of the two driveways marked by the brown and teal signs marked CSJ, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Free parking is available.

Randolph Ave.

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AdminCenter

Carondelet Center


wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014 WintEr/spring 2014 CaLEndar

January date program page 1/7 tuesday evening Christian Meditation begins Series: tuesdays, 1/7 – 6/10 16

1/31 brigid & the Celtic way of wisdom: in the Footsteps of St. brigid: gaelic S/Hero & Holy woman 4

FEbruary

date program page

2/1 brigid & the Celtic way of wisdom: in the Footsteps of our Ancestors: wisdom & Prayer from the Celtic tradition 4

2/1 brigid & the Celtic way of wisdom: irish Music & dancing and lots of Celtic Craic! 4

2/5 Men’s Spirituality Series: A Peace of My Mind 13

2/10 Hedgerow initiative: Shall we look for Another? 10

2/12 Men’s Centering Prayer 15

2/14 walking in Harmony: A labyrinth Journey 18


2/21 walking the Ancient Road: A Pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres 19

2/22 Pilgrimage: Creating a Sacred Journey 19


2/25 Storying & Re-Storying after Personal & Family Changes 11

2/27 etty Hillesum: A guided book discussion 5

MarCH

date program page

3/1 teaching Christian Meditation to Children & Youth 16



3/5 Men’s Spirituality Series: Vocation of the business leader 13

3/5 Ash wednesday Meditation 17


3/8 Saturday Morning Meditation 17




3/12 Shakespeare’s Othello in Script & Performance 5

3/13 Rediscovering Morality’s Foundations in “the givenness of love:” etty Hillesum as Moral guide 6




3/18 Shakespeare’s Othello in Script & Performance 5


3/22 lenten day of Contemplative Prayer 17






WintEr/spring 2014 CaLEndar

OngOing OFFErings

tuesday evening Christian Meditation: Times of Prayer Tuesdays, January 7 – June 107:00 pm to 7:40 pm

20th anniversary of Wisdom Ways, Fall 2014For 20 years wisdom ways Center for Spirituality has been generating ever-widening, overlapping circles of explora-tion and study, contemplation and conversation in the twin Cities. Join us in celebrating two decades of meaning-mak-ing at wisdom ways at several exciting special events to be announced later this year.

LOOking aHEad

apriL

date program page

4/1 Cage-Free Christianity 12

4/5 Circle of love Prayer bracelets 20






4/11 Sacred Art of living & dying, 4/12 Unit 2 6




4/19 Holy Saturday Meditation 17

4/19 Natural Rising: writing our way toward dawn 7


4/23 Men’s Spirituality Series: Courageous Conversations for Nice Minnesotans 14

4/26 Spring labyrinth tour 20


May

date program page

5/1 Coming Home: writing from the Soul: 5/2 A Retreat for women w/ Joyce Rupp 5/3 & Mary Kay Shanley 5/4 20 5/7 Men’s Centering Prayer 15 5/8 landscapes of Memory: thinking about Cemeteries 7 5/9 walking in Harmony: A labyrinth Journey 18

May continued

date program page

5/13 blessing the day: Making a Small devotional booklet 21 5/14 Men’s Spirituality Series: evil Men 14 5/15 landscapes of Memory: thinking about Cemeteries 7 5/20 blessing the day: Making a Small devotional booklet 21 5/27 blessing the day: Making a Small devotional booklet 21

JunE

date program page

6/4 An evening with Storyteller Kevin Kling 15 6/11 Men’s Centering Prayer 15 6/13 walking in Harmony: A labyrinth Journey 18 6/22 drumming the Summer Solstice 22

indEx and rEgistratiOnrEFLECtiOn

Sometime in the late 1960’s, many people found the experience of their own story changed, shaken, illuminated. once we had the blessing of seeing an image of our spinning planet from space, we began to understand in a deep way our particular, unique yet tiny place in the Universe. do you remember that day, that image?

“once upon a time, in a land far away,” so the telling begins. we are drawn to shores stacked high with cold, gray, out-jutting rocks that are reminiscent of a landscape left behind by an ancestor in search of a new life story. we reach into rich, dark soil, allowing its coolness to sift through our soft, city fingers, remembering seeds planted, purposeful toil, crops harvested. we walk tentatively into icy water or stand on soft, sand beaches looking toward a land we can no longer see but somehow know is there.

our stories find a home in particular landscapes. we know this to be true because we come into a place we have never been before and are bathed in a certain comfort or a nagging sadness or a deep disappointment that has no name. the cave paintings of the ancients are still telling their stories through us. Home. danger. loss. desire. Fear. longing.

once while visiting South Carolina i learned of the gullah people, uprooted from the life they knew in Africa, made slaves by white settlers, planted in a new land. they buried their dead at the water’s edge so their loved ones could still look out toward where their story began, and finally be carried home by the Spirit of eternity.

what is the landscape of your story? what hills and valleys give shape to the climbing and resting of your life? what imprint of earth grounds your life-story? what body of water makes your spirit sing? what place on this precious earth makes its home in you?

landscape of Story* SAllY Howell JoHNSoN©

A poem i wrote after experiencing my own story in the landscape of wales and Scotland.

pilgrim song i praise you god, for all the ancient places,For giant, jagged stones embracing the energy of earth,digging deep into dirt and rising toward steel, blue heavens,Speaking a Mystery only the depth of my bones can know.i praise you god, for sacred groves of trees,oaks with gnarled roots, moving deep into the earth,Holding me steady in their strength,while at the same time jutting above the ground,Forming serpentine spirals of wood and veins,Connections through time,they create a sanctuary of cool, calm shade,As they guard the holy circles.i praise you god, for the brilliant cold of water,oceans vast with promise,icy waves holding land and island together.the holy ones sought solace and prayer on this island shore,burrowed deep in their hives, they listened for the voice of godon the ocean wind, in the song of cormorant and puffin,while seals, with human searching eyes stood guard on the rocks,beacons of land and sea, myth and mystery.i praise you god, for the mighty highlands,dark and haunting with unbloomed heather.Sheltered in the gathering clouds of stormtheir power stands sure against time.they cradle the innocence of sheep and cattle,waiting for the perfect autumn moment to send forththat flood of purple splendor.there is a music that runs deep within these stones, these trees,this water, these mountains.the whistle and bagpipe capture only the tiniest hint of the melancholyMajesty that sings here.the drum holds the heartbeat of those feet which have danced on this ground,Calling toward the Holy one.Somewhere in the cells of my body runs a longing that is primal,For the simple yet symphonic sound that drifts off the windAnd splashes up from these shores,that ripples on these leaves and feeds the base of these heathery hills.this longing was placed there by You, o god,when you formed me from the clay of this landthis ache, the marrow deep-desire,Flows through my prodigal journey, my turning toward home,in the music of this land, i find who i am.

* SAllY Howell JoHNSoN©

rEFLECtiOn


wiNteR-SPRiNg 2014

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prEsEntErs in aLpHabEtiCaL OrdEr - WintEr-spring 2014

rEgistratiOn inFOrMatiOn

ted bowman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Michael dennis browne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11deborah Chernick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Pádraigín Clancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Cynthia Comiskey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Mary desRoches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 James dawes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14louie doering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15dennis doyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4tom esch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14gayle gaskill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Susan Hames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Karen Hering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Kevin Kling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Marilyn larsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Mary logue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11John Marboe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

william (bill) Mcdonough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6MJ Mcgregor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 19Mary Kaye Medinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 18Joan Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10lisa gidlow Moriarty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 19Michael Naughton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13John Noltner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Susan oeffling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17James Silas Rogers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7gabriel Ashley Ross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Joyce Rupp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Regula Russelle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Mary Kay Shanley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20terry Shaughnessy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Joyce Sutphen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Sue Swanson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Ways to register:Online registration at www.wisdomwayscenter.org • We accept American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa and personal checks.• Phone registration at 651-696-2788 or email at [email protected].• Mail registration to: Wisdom Ways, 1890 Randolph Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105• gift certificates are available, call 651-696-2788.• Financial assistance is available. • Full refunds with a week advance notice.

indEx and rEgistratiOn

Unless otherwise noted, all events will be held at the Carondelet Center, 1890 randolph avenue, saint paul, MnFree and ample parking.

A Ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet1884 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105

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NoN-PRoFit oRgUS PoStAge

PAidtwiN CitieS, MNPeRMit No. 1990

wisdom ways spring 2014 catalog

Documents

painful stories of genocide

sacred wisdom

celtic way of wisdom

missionwisdom ways center

landscape of story

divine mysteries

spiritual path

spiritual formation