 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 News7/11/2022:
Visit our Chapter's Centering Prayer Presenter Training page to meet the Spring 2022 Centering Prayer Presenter Training class and to obtain further information about becoming a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer. Please express your interest for another potential opportunity to become trained as a Commissioned Presenter of Centering prayer in the Fall of 2022. Meet our newest Coordinating Team members... Click here to view the CO-CT Summer 2022 Quarterly Update! We've updated our Prayer Group listings! Listen to the CO-CT Chapter Coordinator, Mike Smoolca, talking about Centering Prayer, Welcoming Prayer and other related topics on the Inner Peace Podcast found in the right column: Scroll down this page a bit and see our list of gently used books for sale. (Updated on 3/20/2022) Upcoming area events of local interest: September 2022: September 10 2022: Body Presence and Contemplative Awareness - BioSpiritual Focusing Day of Presence with Mike Smoolca, Contemplative Outreach of Atlanta, Online over Zoom. September 16 - 18, 2022: The Word of God in Silence and Sound: Centering Prayer in the context of the Divine Office, a weekend retreat with Fr. Justin Lanier, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 October 2022: October 1, 2022: Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop with Nancy Stimac, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 October 15, 2022: Waking Up with the Enneagram: A Guide for your Contemplative Journey with Rev. Nhien Vuong, J.D., M.Div., Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 October 29, 2022: Welcoming Prayer Introductory Workshop with Mike Smoolca, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 November 2022: November 19, 2022: Heart Speaks to Heart: Correspondence as Spiritual Practice with Judith Valente and Brother Paul Quenon, OSCO, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 December 2022: December 10, 2022: Lectio Divina Advent Experience with Frank Pendola and Mike Smoolca, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 January 2023: January 28, 2023: The Contemplative Spirituality of Icons and Iconography with Marek Czarnecki, 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 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 Summer!“For human beings, the most daunting challenge is to become fully human. For to become fully human is to become fully divine.”
― Thomas Keating, Manifesting God Contemplative Outreach of CT Coordinator, Mike Smoolca, talking about Centering Prayer, Welcoming Prayer and related topics on the Inner Peace Podcast - published September 26, 2021.
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 $7 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 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
- Thomas Keating Spirituality, Contemplation & Transformation: Writings on Centering Prayer
- Thomas Keating Consenting to God as God Is
- Thomas Keating Journey to the Center: A Lenten Passage
- Robert Kennedy Zen Gifts to Christians
- Paul Knitter & Roger Haight Jesus and Buddha: Friends in Conversation
- Paul David Lawson Old Wine in New Skins: Centering Prayer and Systems Theory
- 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
- Richard Rohr The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation
- 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 is in it's sixth Retreat Season in 2021 - 2022!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 this fall, Holy Family is entering its sixth 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 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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