One way to share the fruits of your own prayer life and to support Contemplative Outreach’s vision is to become a commissioned presenter of the method of Centering Prayer.  

We invite you to express your interest in participating in this training below. By expressing your interested and preferences below, you will contacted as the details about this program develop.

This training is one component of becoming a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer. 
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions On Becoming a Presenter of Centering Prayer

What are the suggested guidelines for learning to become a presenter?

1. Participation in a Contemplative Outreach sponsored Centering Prayer Introductory Program.
2. Faithful to a daily practice of Centering Prayer for at least three years.
3. Whenever possible, recommended by chapter Coordinator/Contact Person or someone from Contemplative Outreach.
4. Attendance at a 5-to-10-day Intensive Retreat or willingness to attend during the Presenter-in-Training period.
5. Knowledge of Open Mind Open Heart by Thomas Keating, and familiarity with Invitation to Love, Intimacy with God and the “Spiritual Journey” series.

Where and with whom will I do my formation?
Anyone who is a commissioned presenter may provide the formation either one-on-one, in a small group or remotely.  

How much does the formation to become a presenter cost?
The provider of the formation will determine the cost, based on materials needed, possible stipends for the person/persons involved and other considerations. Our suggested offering for this training will be between $250 - $300 / student. This amount may change based on the number of those interested in formation and the number of trainers involved.

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Our Spring 2021 Presenter Formation Class - 5/21-5/22/2021 and 5/28-5/29/2021

The folks in the photo (top to bottom, left to right) are:  Deacon Darrell Blackwell (trainer), Mike Smoolca (trainer), Carol Tolonen, Ruth Oakley, Rev. Dianne Easdon, Tricia Knight-Bellisle, Suzanne Roy

Five New England candidates deeply steeped in their Centering Prayer practice were trained by, Mike Smoolca and Deacon Darrell Blackwell. Mike Smoolca is a veteran Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, long-time Centering Prayer group facilitator and the Contemplative Outreach of CT Coordinator. He is also coordinator for the Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family and the Northern CT Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society. Mike is a practicing spiritual director, spiritual director supervisor and BioSpiritual Focusing companion and instructor. Deacon Darrell  Blackwell is a commissioned presenter for Contemplative Outreach and coordinator for the newly formed Contemplative Outreach of Maine chapter. Darrell is a deacon in the Catholic Church, Diocese of Portland, ME and recently celebrated 25 years in diaconal ministry.

The following provides some background of the Presenters-In-Training that completed this training:

Tricia Knight-Bellisle, Rhode Island
Tricia Knight-Bellisle graduated from Duke University School of Law in 1979.
She is a student of Centering prayer and learned the technique from a student of Basil Pennington. She had the opportunity to meet Basil Pennington at St. Joseph’s Abbey and this experience confirmed for her the value of a contemplative practice. She practiced Zen meditation for eight years at the New Haven Zen Center and has participated in several Christian-Buddhist retreats. She is also a Reiki practitioner. Tricia in 1993 joined the Child Protection Unit of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General, prosecuting child abuse and neglect cases. In May,2018, after retiring from the full time practice of law, she graduated from the Spiritual Director’s Internship training program at the Spiritual Life Center. Since 2018, Tricia has been a practicing spiritual direction and has facilitated a variety of spiritual groups.

Rev. Dianne Easdon, Connecticut
Rev. Dianne Easdon is a retired psychiatric nurse, substance abuse counselor, hospice chaplain and an ordained Congregational minister in the  United Church of Christ. She was introduced to Centering Prayer in 1998 at a retreat on Enders Island Mystic Connecticut. Following that she attended a conference with Fr. Thomas Keating to further advance her practice. Over the years Dianne has led and attended many contemplative retreats, conferences and workshops all in support of her Centering Prayer practice and ministry to others. The daily practice of centering prayer has allowed Dianne to be more fully present when ministering to all those she has cared for. 

Ruth Oakley, Maine
Ruth Oakley lives in Lewiston Maine and has been practicing Centering Prayer for four years. She belongs to the Contemplative Outreach of Maine Chapter. She worked for the Diocese of Portland in Faith Formation and the Missions Office until retiring in 2017. As a young teen, she was introduced to Thomas Merton’s influence beginning with Seven Story Mountain; eventually leading her to religious life temporarily and then to Providence College for a degree in Religious Studies and a masters in Theology/Spirituality. Her faith journey introduced her to many different ways of praying. She admits however, that the Centering Prayer practice feels like “home”. Ruth hopes to share her love of prayer, especially contemplative prayer, by training to become a Commissioned Centering Prayer Presenter.

Suzanne Roy, Maine
Suzanne Roy, lives in Auburn Maine. She is retired health educator with a Master in Adult Education. Suzanne has been practicing centering prayer for five years. She began her journey in the practice of centering prayer when she attended a World Community for Christian Meditation Conference, held in Sherbrooke Canada. The following year, she attended an Introduction to Christian Contemplative Prayer workshop in Kennebunk Maine. As a result, these two events created a deep desire in her to incorporate the practice of contemplative prayer into her prayer life. These past years of practicing centering prayer has deepened Suzanne’s relationship with the Persons of the Blessed Trinity as well as increased her desire to share the richness of contemplative prayer with other Christians. Suzanne co-facilitates centering prayer meetings at her parish church. Suzanne is eager to discover where contemplative action will lead her next!

Carol Tolonen, Connecticut
Carol comes to Centering Prayer with a background as a developmental psychologist and psychotherapist and as a lifelong seeker of answers to the questions “What is human nature?” and “What is our relationship to the Source of our being?” Her own rooting in the Christian contemplative tradition leads her to see Jesus as a teacher and model of awareness of our divine indwelling and through this, of the interconnectedness of all beings which enables us to grow in our capacity to love our neighbors as ourselves. She sees Centering Prayer as a foundational practice in facilitating growth in awareness of and intimacy with God and is eager to share the practice with seekers of all faiths and walks of life.

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Our Fall 2020 Presenter Formation Class - 11/6-11/17/2020 and 11/13-11/14/2020

The folks in the photo (top to bottom, left to right) are:  Frank Pendola, Mike Smoolca (trainer), John Pagano,  Denise Sleeper, Rev. Vern Wright, Suzanne Robinson

Five New England candidates deeply steeped in their Centering Prayer practice were trained by, Mike Smoolca, a veteran Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, long-time Centering Prayer group facilitator and the Contemplative Outreach of CT Coordinator. He is also coordinator for the Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family and the Northern CT Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society. Mike is a practicing spiritual director, spiritual director supervisor and BioSpiritual Focusing companion and instructor. 

The following provides some background of the Presenters-In-Training that completed this training:

John Pagano, Connecticut
John Pagano has been practicing centering prayer for 6 years and enjoys attending workshops and prayer group meetings. He wishes to continue to expand his knowledge of centering prayer through becoming a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer.  John works as an occupational therapist in an adolescent psychiatric hospital.  He has a Ph.D. in marriage and family studies and presents workshops internationally on working with youth who have complex behavioral challenges. 

Frank Pendola, Rhode Island
Frank is a retired teacher, husband, father and grandfather who currently serves as song leader in two local parishes in R.I. He began practicing Centering Prayer after a few years of attempting to start a "contemplative" practice. A friend recommended that he read something by Thomas Keating and he  was immediately drawn to Centering Prayer. Even though the closest group that he could find was at Holy Family in West Hartford, CT,  an hour and a half away, Frank gladly made the drive to attend  Centering Prayer meetings. That was about six years ago and the rest is history.

Suzanne Robinson,  Maine
At present,  Suzanne Robinson and her husband Davis  live in Kennebunkport, Maine.  She was first introduced to Centering Prayer in the year 2000 when a friend sent her a Christmas card with an enclosure about Centering Prayer Basic Retreat with Fr. Thomas in Snowmass. Colorado. The retreats were said to be “Full”, but she called and Pat Johnson answered, responding,  “We have just had a cancellation for the retreat that begins next week.”  Suzanne felt it was a sign to attend.   While in Snowmass she discovered that she was drawn to Centering Prayer, and so it has been ever since.  When the opportunity to train to become a Commissioned Center Prayer Presenter came to her attention this fall, Suzanne felt that it was a natural next step on her journey.
 
Denise Sleeper, New Hampshire
Denise Sleeper  lives in Laconia, New Hampshire. She retired from a twenty five plus year career working with people with developmental disabilities and acquired brain disorder when her husband was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease at age 47. Denise shared that it was a devastating journey that traveled like a tsunami through their lives. She began her Centering Prayer journey when she attended a silent retreat soon after her husband transitioned to a nursing home just two years after his diagnosis. Denise’s  hope for the future is “to help people to connect to their true source in a deep and personal way, which is  what ultimately will help people to ride the storms of life with confidence and grace and come to know God as He Is...Pure Love.”
 
Rev. F. Vernon Wright V,  Massachusetts
Reverend Wright is an ordained parish minister for the United Church of Christ in Scituate, MA. A husband and father of three children, Reverend Wright, currently serves the First Trinitarian Congregational Church in Scituate. His first entry into Centering Prayer began in 1998 while he was in seminary near Boston. He submits that contemplation opened his eyes to becoming a parish minister. Ordination followed in 2001 and his Centering Prayer practice began in earnest while serving a UCC church in Helena Montana. Since his return to MA in 2008 to serve the Second Congregational Church, UCC, Rev. Wright has continued to practice, stating that Centering Prayer is the keel to the sailboat of who he is. His hope is that by becoming an official Centering Prayer presenter, he will become better at sharing the grace this method has brought to his own life.

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