 Mike Smoolca, Chapter Coordinator, Contemplative Outreach of Connecticut
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Welcome to the Contemplative Outreach of Connecticut Chapter website!
Our Mission is to support, grow and share the Contemplative Outreach Prayer Practices as well as to foster and enhance the Christian Contemplative Community in the Connecticut area. Our Vision is to align with the latest practices and principles of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. and to endorse a comprehensive view of the Keating legacy. Please see our Information Page for more details. We welcome you to our online presence! Please browse our site, sign up to be on our email list (below), register your Centering Prayer Group with us (below) and request an Introductory Workshop, other Program for your Parish or Group as well as additional information or assistance on our Contact Page (found under Resources). - Mike Smoolca, Contemplative Outreach of CT Chapter Coordinator. Meet our Chapter Coordinating Team. |
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Latest News8/12/2023:
Click here to view the CO-CT Fall 2023 Quarterly Update! Visit our Chapter's Centering Prayer Presenter Training page if you're interested in becoming a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer. We are anticipating holding another class in the Spring of 2024. We completed our fourth Presenter Formation Training class over Zoom on the following dates: May 26,27 and June 2, 3 2023. Please visit our Centering Prayer Presenter Training page to learn more about those who have participated in our Presenter Training classes, to find our more information about becoming a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer and to express your interest in this training. We've continue to update our Prayer Group listings! If you are a Prayer Group facilitator and want to connect to other Prayer Group facilitators on a quarterly basis over Zoom, please contact Patricia Wildes, who leads our Prayer Group facilitator support team! Our summer Quarterly meeting is on July 16, 2023 Upcoming area events of local interest: August 2023: August 5, 2023 & August 12, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. EDT: The Contemplative Outreach International Lectio Divina Service team is hosting an Introduction to Lectio Divina in two parts over Zoom. Each session is 90 minutes long. Please register here to attend: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYuduqhqT4rHdDK52056W3wz1EJgcq41L6B#/registration September 2023: Saturday, September 23, 2023: Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop with Frank Pendola, Mike Smoolca, or Nancy Stimac, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom Saturday, September 30, 2023: Francis and Clare of Assisi and the Contemplative Franciscan Way of Peace with The Rt. Rev. Br. Mark D’Alessio, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom October 2023: Saturday, October 14, 2023: The Power of Story: Exploring Hasidic Tales as a Path to Blessing with Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom Wednesday October 18, 2023, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: Welcoming Prayer Introductory Workshop with Mike Smoolca, Contemplative Outreach of CT, online over Zoom November 2023: November 10 - 12, 2023: Entering the Circle: A Contemplative Enneagram Soul Journey with Reverend Nhien Vuong, J.D., M.Div, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 Saturday, November 18, 2023; Meister Eckhart’s Insights in the Context of Centering Prayer with Fr. Justin Lanier, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom December 2023: Saturday, December 9, 2023: Finding Fullness through Simplicity with Mark Kutolowski, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom January 2024: Saturday, January 27, 2024: BioSpiritual Focusing – Welcoming an Embodied Experience of Grace, with Donna O’Connor and Mike Smoolca, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom Please check our Current Events Page for additional events as they are added over time! The following local Prayer Groups are offering online meetings via Zoom: Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center (Public Chapel), 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT Mike Smoolca, msmoolca@hotmail.com, 860-798-8992 Thursday evenings 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Mary Gate of Heaven, Windsor Locks, CT Nancy Stimac, nstimac@comcast.net, 860-683-4490, Wednesday evenings Please contact the person listed to find out how to join. If you are a local group holding an online Centering Prayer meeting please let us know and we'll list you here. Contact us at: contact@co-ct.org If you'd like to move your Prayer Group to use Zoom the following link which also provides a way to getting to a National listing of online groups: https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/general-tips-using-zoom-staying-connected |
Thought for the Fall
― “The Points of Agreement” from 20 years of annual Interreligious Conferences held in Snowmass, CO (1984 - 2004). Published in The Common Heart. |
Updates have been made to our list of Prayer Groups: http://www.co-ct.org/prayer-groups.html
We would like to list your Prayer Group on our page, please fill out the form on the previously linked page to provide us information about your group and we'll list so others will know how to find you.
Here's the link to Fr Thomas's tribute page on this site.
We would like to list your Prayer Group on our page, please fill out the form on the previously linked page to provide us information about your group and we'll list so others will know how to find you.
Here's the link to Fr Thomas's tribute page on this site.
If you have an interest in becoming more actively involved in serving the Contemplative Outreach of CT Chapter please contact Mike Smoolca at: msmoolca@hotmail.com
Contemplative Outreach of CT has developed a flyer as a way of concisely describing who we are. We invite you to download our new flyer coming soon and share it with your Prayer Group and others.
Contemplative Outreach of CT has developed a flyer as a way of concisely describing who we are. We invite you to download our new flyer coming soon and share it with your Prayer Group and others.
Contemplative Outreach of CT will continue to offer opportunities to acquire Contemplative Books at a remarkable price!
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We are currently consolidating our used book list and will publish our revised list once we've completed this.
The proceeds from the sales of these books support the ongoing work of the Contemplative Outreach of CT chapter! |
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The Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family Retreat Center is in it's eighth Retreat Season in 2023 - 2024!After years of offering Contemplative Programming and working closely with local Christian Contemplative Prayer Community Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, CT formally began to offer a structured program and community-building effort around Christian contemplative prayer during its 2016-17 retreat season. From introductory workshops to daylong immersions to weekend and longer intensives, the multi-tiered programming offers those curious about the topic and those more experienced many opportunities to meet, share and explore the contemplative tradition together. This program, known as the Christian Contemplative Experience (CCE) is entering it's sixth year at Holy Family.
CCE is informed by the principles, prayer practices and teachings of Contemplative Outreach, LTD, founded by Thomas Keating in 1984. It includes the methods of Lectio Divina, Centering Prayer and Welcoming Prayer, among others. CCE is also enriched by various classical and modern Christian Contemplative spiritual masters.. |
Beginning the fall of 2023, Holy Family is entering its eighth season offering the Christian Contemplative Experience (CCE), a structured series of workshops and retreats that support the Christian Contemplative Community. The Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family has a full set of programming as in past seasons. Since COVID, CCE offers much of its programming using a Hybrid Approach, allowing participant to attend in-person or over Zoom whichever approach works best for them.
Holy Family also invites you to participate in their Thursday evening Christian Contemplative Prayer group which is currently being offered alternatively in person and over Zoom. Please contact Mike Smoolca by email at cce@holyfamilyretreat.org for further information on these meetings.
The Christian Contemplative Community that has gathered at Holy Family is an important part of their programming which they hope enriches and strengthens individuals and the Community during this difficult time. Your involvement and support matter and help sustain and grow this important offering.
All are welcome to join the Contemplative Community at Holy Family in West Hartford. You're invited to learn more at: http://www.holyfamilyretreat.org/cce. We encourage our community to visit it often as we will make updates as circumstances necessitate
Holy Family also invites you to participate in their Thursday evening Christian Contemplative Prayer group which is currently being offered alternatively in person and over Zoom. Please contact Mike Smoolca by email at cce@holyfamilyretreat.org for further information on these meetings.
The Christian Contemplative Community that has gathered at Holy Family is an important part of their programming which they hope enriches and strengthens individuals and the Community during this difficult time. Your involvement and support matter and help sustain and grow this important offering.
All are welcome to join the Contemplative Community at Holy Family in West Hartford. You're invited to learn more at: http://www.holyfamilyretreat.org/cce. We encourage our community to visit it often as we will make updates as circumstances necessitate
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The Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family was pleased to welcome The Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, one of the great contemplative guides of our times. along with other well-known Contemplative teachers for a retreat from November 8 – 14, 2019.
Here is link to the resources from the Retreat. |
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Register with us
If you're not already on the Contemplative Outreach of Connecticut email list or if your Centering Prayer group is not listed in our list of Prayer Groups please provide us with your information below.
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For Introductory Workshops, Programs and other requests please use our Contacts page.
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