* individual and group spiritual direction
* writing
* retreat leadership
* teaching
* commitment to sustained prayer for the needs of the world

Faith is developed through practices which: deepen prayer and understanding of God, self and others; and support a lifestyle of justice, kindness and humble service.

A basic challenge of Christianity today is education for a transforming relationship with God. There is no lack of love for God in the church. There is lack of understanding of how that love is purified,matured and released through us into the world in redemptive service.

Helping others grow in relationship with Jesus Christ with deepening faith and personal authenticity is the heart of The Sanctuary Foundation.

• How to Make Holy Ground in the Midst of a Busy Life

• Staying Afloat in Life’s Stormy Sea - Growing through Loss and Change

• Discerning God’s Will for My Life

• The Contemplative Option

• Sarah Laughed - The Spirituality of Women.

Presentations and retreats may be arranged on other topics, seasonal themes, and Bible studies. Sessions include the use of poetry and drama and time for individual and group reflection. Loretta’s understanding of spiritual formation and development are enhanced by her theological degree, and careful listening to the spiritual journeys of many people. With a graduate degree in theatre arts and 36 years of teaching experience, she brings immediacy, drama, and vitality to her presentations.

For further information and to schedule retreat leadership from The Sanctuary Foundation contact us at info@fromholyground.org; 785-354-7122

As Benedictine women, the search for God is central to our ministry to people of all faiths. The offerings of Sophia Center flow out of a rich monastic tradition that fosters a contemplative attitude and calls forth transformation and action. In the spirit of Benedictine hospitality and embraced by the praying community of Mount St. Scholastica, Sophia Center welcomes all who are searching for God, for peace, and for meaning in their lives.

• March 27-28, 2009, Friday 7:00 pm to Saturday 3:30 pm
  Thomas Merton: A Mystical Guide for You Who Seek “MORE”
  Sheila Carroll, OSF
  

Merton leads us to a new dimension of prayer urging us to contemplate God by moving deeply into interior prayer. His search for God involved his search for his true self—the self that God had called him to be. Although the journey is often difficult and tiring, Merton writes, “We will find that, with determination and grace, we can touch and be touched by God, if only for a moment.”

Retreatants are invited for Evening Praise in the Monastery at 5:30 pm on Friday.

Fee: $100 (Deposit $20) Register by March 20. Register online.

Sister Sheila has taught at high school and college level and has served as campus minister at the University of Missouri and the University of Colorado. Her teaching career has taken her to the Indian Missions of South Dakota. For the past ten years she has drawn on her graduate studies of mysticism and prayer of the saints to give retreats and talks on the mystics.

Feb. 10 - April 21
Living in Full Swing
Maximize Your Mind/Body/Spirit Performance With Purposeful Risk Taking - Cathy Newton and Sister Noreen Walter

Synopsis: What if you could…welcome change?…positively influence other people?...create good health?...maintain your integrity?...and grow spiritually? Achievement of these competencies—Innovation, Influence, Immediacy, Integrity and Inspiration—requires some RISK. A negative view of risk can put blinders on your personal growth. Get a power charge to propel you “back in the swing” of purposeful risk taking to improve your MIND, BODY and SPIRIT. Learn practical strategies for maintaining habits that contribute to rather than compromise your performance and well being. Risk it!

Click here for a brochure