Annual Summer Retreat

Get to know our facilitators

Click the video here to hear more from our presenters. See the drop down menu below for further information on the retreat.

About the Retreat

Join Christina and Sarah to practice the foundations of contemplative prayer. Participants will engage in prayer practices throughout the day as they explore the always maturing tenets of non-judgement, curiosity, listening and discernment.

This retreat is intended for congregants from all partnering grant congregations. All others who are interested are welcome to register.

Have a question about the retreat? - fill out the contact us page.

Presenter Bios

Christina Leaño, MA

Associate Director

Laudato Si’ Movement

Christina Leaño serves as Associate Director of the Laudato Si' Movement, a global movement mobilizing the Catholic family worldwide for climate and ecological justice where she provides spiritual and strategic leadership for the organization. Christina is also a trained spiritual director and retreat leader drawing upon two decades of contemplative study and practice. She leads programs on contemplative practice, nature based spirituality, compassion, and more. She lives in the New York City area with her daughter Malaya. www.christinaleano.net

Sarah Cledwyn, MA

Saint Catherine University

Sarah is the Guiding Spiritual Practices Teacher of our Lilly grant and was a practice leader and consultant for the first 5 year grant. Sarah also founded Grow Soul LLC and serves as a spiritual director, supervisor, retreat leader, and ritual creator for individuals and groups. Sarah is excited to bring her experience in spiritual direction and practice to our current grant and its partner congregations. Sarah lives in St. Paul with her two children Theo and Loki. www.sarahcledwyn.com

Registration: There is still time -- Register today!

Head to this page to register! We'd love to see you there!

Schedule

AGENDA

8:30 a.m. Arrival Light breakfast, and settling

9:00 a.m. Welcome & Prayer Introductions and common agreements

9:25 a.m. What is contemplation?

9:45 a.m. Sitting Practice with music

10:05 a.m. Participant Reflection

10:30 a.m. Break

10:50 a.m. Intention Practice, contemplative dialogue, and group reflection

12:00 p.m. Curiosity and Nonjudgment Teaching, practices, and reflection

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:45 p.m. Curiosity and Nonjudgment cont. Practice, contemplative dialogue, and group reflection

2:30 p.m. Discernment Teaching What is discernment and relationship to contemplation practice?

2:50 p.m. Sitting Practice & Question

3:15 p.m. Journaling

3:20 p.m. Contemplative dialogue

3:40 p.m. Q and A

4:10 p.m. Closing Ritual & Prayer

4:30 p.m. End

Parking and Directions

Retreat Location

We will gather in the Rauenhorst Ballroom

This is the ballroom on the third floor of the Coeur de Catherine(CDC) #3 on the map

St Catherine University

2004 Randolph Ave

St Paul, MN 55105

Parking

The Library, Wishbone and Dew Drop Parking Lots are reserved and non-ticketed for the full day for retreat participants.

The closest parking lot to the retreat is the "Library Lot". That would be a good lot if you need accessible parking. It is to the south of our student center and the most direct way to that lot is by entering the campus entrance gate on Fairview Avenue and driving "straight back" (due west) until you arrive in the Library lot. The Dew Drop Parking lot is one parking lot past the Library.

You can access the "Wishbone Parking" off of Cleveland Avenue. This is a large triangle shaped drive with parking along it and a 10-12 parking spot lot at the tip inside campus. The tip is adjacent to Derham Hall, building 1 on the map.

Getting to the Ballroom

Once you are parked walk towards the Coeur de Catherine(CDC), which should be open. You can take the elevator or stairs to level three and you will emerge just outside the ballroom, our retreat space.

Land Aknowledgement

St. Catherine University and CSJ St. Paul Community Land Acknowledgement Statement

We begin with honor and respect for the land and for the first people of this land.

We are on the ancestral homelands of the Dakȟóta People. We desire to honor and respect the first people and recognize their caring for our common home. Other sovereign American Indian nations including the Anishinaabe also have a long history with these sacred lands: past, present, and future. We, both personally and institutionally, continue to have a deepening awareness of our complicity, of the complex history of colonialism, genocide and broken treaties. We seek to understand the troubled acquisition of this land by unjust U.S. Government practices including the stealing of these lands and the forced removal from the birth place of the Dakȟóta people without any compensation to the American Indian communities. We acknowledge the past, current, and future impacts of this history on our relationship with our American Indian sisters and brothers.

In our commitment to social justice and the “love of dear neighbor without distinction,” we are called to acknowledge and to deepen our understanding of our participation in interlocking systems of oppression. We seek to journey farther together to respond boldly in working toward dismantling these systems.

We, St. Catherine University and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates, know that these words are inadequate, imperfect and must extend beyond this verbal acknowledgement. This is only our beginning of a much larger journey of listening, learning, building relationships and advocating for and with American Indian nations for a more just world for all.

What is a land aknowledgement?

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