 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 Leadership Team. |
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Latest News7/28/2021:
Our Chapter has completed another online Centering Prayer Presenter Training. Visit our Chapter's Centering Prayer Presenter Training page for further information about becoming a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer. Scroll down to read about our new spring Presenter's in Training. Click here to view the CO-CT Summer 2021 Quarterly Update! Scroll down this page a bit and see our list of gently used books for sale. (Updated on 4/26/2021) Upcoming area events of local interest: August 2021: Saturday, August 14, 2021 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EDT, Lectio Divina Online Workshop, The Contemplative Outreach Lectio Divina Service Team (Lesley O’Connor, Nancy Stimac) August 15-18, 2021, PRESENT TO PRESENCE: A SILENT CENTERING PRAYER RETREAT, Anne A. Simpkinson, MERCY BY THE SEA, 167 Neck Road, Madison, CT 06443 August 19-21, 2021, PRESENCE, PRAYER AND WRITING FROM THE HEART, Anne A. Simpkinson, MERCY BY THE SEA, 167 Neck Road, Madison, CT 06443 September 2021: Saturday, September 18, 2021, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. - Body Presence and Contemplative Awareness, Donna O’Connor and Mike Smoolca, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 October 2021: October 8-10, 2021, Contemplative Immersion Retreat, Alan Krema, Frank Pendola and Mike Smoolca, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 Saturday, October 23, 2021, 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. - The Humanity of Thomas Merton, Sophfronia Scott, MFA, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 November 2021: Saturday, November 6, 2021, 8:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. - Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop, Mike Smoolca or Nancy Stimac, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 Saturday, November 20, 2021, 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. - C.G. Jung Through a Christian Contemplative Lens, Rev. Peter Fritsch, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 December 2021: Saturday, December 11, 2021, 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. - Lectio Divina Introductory Workshop for Advent, Frank Pendola and Nancy Stimac, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 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 Chapel of St. John the Divine - 10 Church Way (at Willett Rd.) Saunderstown, R.I., 02874 Rev. Robert Travis, 401-295-0193, fatherrobtravis@gmail.com Thursdays 10:30 a.m. 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 Find our more and express your interest in local Centering Prayer Presenter training! |
Thought for the Summer Season!"St. Teresa of Avila wrote: 'All difficulties in prayer can be traced to one cause: praying as if God were absent.' This is the conviction that we bring with us from early childhood and apply to everyday life and to our lives in general. It gets stronger as we grow up, unless we are touched by the Gospel and begin the spiritual journey. This journey is a process of dismantling the monumental illusion that God is distant or absent.”
Thomas Keating Become familiar with two CT Contemplative Outreach Chapter Leaders by listening to the following interview of Mike Smoolca and Grace Padilla. Mike speaks first about his connection with Thomas Merton and Father Thomas Keating and then Grace shares about her deeply personal experiences with Centering Prayer through acquaintance with Father Basil Pennington and Father Keating.
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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.
Opportunity to acquire Contemplative Books at a remarkable price!
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During these difficult times, Contemplative Outreach-CT is fortunate to be able to spread the good news of contemplation by making used books available for purchase at a standard price of $10 each, which includes postage.
To arrange for purchase contact Gregory Kay, CO-CT Team Used Book Coordinator, at gregorymkay@gmail.com Also please contact Gregory if you have gently used Contemplative books to donate to our Chapter. |
Check out our initial list of gently used books; it will be updated as others become available.
You might find an inspiring book to accompany you during the summer season. The proceeds from the sales of these books support the ongoing work of the Contemplative Outreach of CT chapter!
You might find an inspiring book to accompany you during the summer season. The proceeds from the sales of these books support the ongoing work of the Contemplative Outreach of CT chapter!
- Nancy Ellen Abrams: A God that Could be Real-Spirituality, Science and the Future of Our Planet
- Nancy Ellen Abrams & Joel Primack: The New Universe and The Human Future
- Beatrice Bruteau: The Grand Option- Personal Transformation and a New Creation
- Ruth Burrows: Ascent to Love-The Spiritual Teaching of St. John of the Cross
- Ruth Burrows: Before the Living God
- Ruth Burrows: Interior Castle Explored (CD)
- Judy Connato: Field of Compassion-How the New Cosmology is Transforming Spiritual Life
- Tony D'Souza & Bud Wonsiewicz: Discovering Awareness-A Guide to Inner Peace, Strength and Freedom
- Anthony DeMello: Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Reality
- Michael Harter, SJ-Editor: Hearts on Fire-Praying with Jesuits
- Thomas Keating : Awakenings
- Thomas Keating: Intimacy with God
- Robert Kennedy: Zen Gifts to Christians
- Paul Knitter & Roger Haight: Jesus and Buddha- Friends in Conversation
- William A Meninger: Bringing the Imitation of Christ into the 21st Century
- Thomas Moore: Meditations: On the Monk Who Dwells in Daily Life
- Albert Nolan: Jesus Before Christianity
- Henri Nouwen: Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons
- Henri Nouwen: Writings Selected with an Introduction by Robert A. Jonas
- Diarmuid O'Murchu: Incarnation- A new Evolutionary Threshold
- Raimon Pannikar: Christophany- The Fullness of Man
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: The Future of Man
- Jean Vanier: Drawn into the Mystery of Jesus through the Gospel of John
- Cletus Wessels: The Holy Web: Church and the New Universe Story
- Peggy Wilkinson, OCDS: Finding the Mystic Within You
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The Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family Retreat Center enters it's fifth Retreat Season in 2020 - 2021!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 fourth 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 the Wisdom teaching and methods of Cynthia Bourgeault and her International Wisdom network. |
Beginning this fall, Holy Family is entering its fifth 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. However, due to the COVID pandemic, this season will be a bit different from other seasons and will consist of a combination of Zoom online events as well as on-site events as prudence and safety permits.
Holy Family also invites you to participate in their Thursday evening Christian Contemplative Prayer group which is currently being offered 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 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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