Comments from Past Participants: “Spending time practicing silence and contemplative prayer was both a valuable and rewarding exercise. The facilities and facilitators made the process easy to access and allowed us time to practice and reflect about our own personal experiences. What could be better? Adding a group of Sacred Heart educators to the mix! The retreat was truly a gift.” - Sergio Vasquez San Francisco “For three days, I had an opportunity to reflect on my personal faith journey while being in the company of other members of the Sacred Heart community. It was my first introduction to centering prayer which has now become a daily part of my life. During her talk on St. Madeleine Sophie and contemplative prayer, Sr. Suzanne Cooke told us that “Sophie would say she did not found the Society, the Holy Spirit did.” I believe the Spirit gave me the gift of the retreat for which I am most grateful.. - Janet Egyhazi New York City

Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center is situated on 26 acres on the Palm Beach Intracoastal Waterway. The simple beauty of the architecture, the many gardens, the various shrines, the landscaped Stations of the Cross, the many green lawns and the quarter-mile waterfront afford an ideal contemplative space.

Introduction to Centering Prayer Retreat & Workshop March 19-22, 2018 “We are called to create silence.” ~RSCJ General Chapter 2016

Sponsored by : Conference of Sacred Heart Education Network of Sacred Heart Schools Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart

“I kept remembering St. Madeleine Sophie’s words… ‘The essential thing is to keep interior spirit in the midst of all this fracas.’ This retreat was a gift in the search for that essential.” - Isabel Singletary’69 Miami “The opportunity to reflect upon and experience the contemplative tradition that lies at the very heart of what we are about as Sacred Heart educators was an invaluable one for me, both personally and professionally. The retreat allowed time and space for personal prayer and silent reflection but also did a fine job in encouraging us to discern how the fruits of these gifts might be made manifest in our various roles at schools across the Network. It was a way for me to connect in a very real way with a spiritual tradition that I knew about in theory, but had never had the time or opportunity to explore …a ‘spiritual homecoming’ of sorts. Anyone committed to the mission of Sacred Heart education would benefit from what this experience has to offer.” - Tony Lemon Bethesda.

Our Lady of Florida Spiritual Center 1300 US Highway 1 North Palm Beach, FL 33408-3218 (561) 626-1300 www.ourladyofflorida.org

www.contemplativeoutreach.org

Schedule Monday 4:00

Arrival at Spiritual Center; time to settle into rooms

5:15

Welcome Social

6:00

Dinner

7:00

Introduction to the facilities of the spiritual center and to the schedule

7:30

Contemplative Outreach and Sacred Heart Spirituality

Tuesday 7:30

Mass

8:30

Breakfast

9:30

Prayer as Relationship ~ Lectio Divina

10:30

Madeleine Sophie and Inner Life

1:00

Lunch

2:00

The Centering Prayer Method

2:30

Experience of Centering Prayer

3:30

Break

6:00

Dinner

7:00

Thoughts and Use of the Sacred Word Discussion

Opening themselves to the transforming power of the Spirit of God, members of the school community engage in personal and communal prayer, reflection and action.” Goal I.4

“Rooted in the love of Jesus Christ, the school promotes a personal relationship with God and fosters the spiritual lives of its members.” Goal I.1

Wednesday — A Day of Silence

Thursday

7:30

Mass

7:30

Mass

8:10

Centering Prayer

8:10

Centering Prayer

8:30

Breakfast

8:30

Breakfast

9:30

Interior Freedom

9:00

Room Clean-up/Luggage to front

10:00

Centering Prayer Experience followed by Q/A session

9:45

Contemplative Prayer and Sacred Heart Spirituality “Wholly Contemplative; Wholly Apostolic.”

11:00

Break

11:00

Break

12:00

Lunch

11:15

2:00

Active Prayer

Discussion How to Bring Centering Prayer to School, Network and Home; Next Steps

2:30

Sophie’s Sense of Christ

12:00

Lunch and Final Blessing

3:00

Break

12:30

Departures

3:30

Centering Prayer

4:00

Discussion/Q&A

5:00

Break

6:00

Dinner

7:00

The Welcoming Prayer Discussion

Registration and Fees - $350 $100 Deposit Due For more information, please contact

Bus leaves for Carrollton

“Make prayer your delight: there find your rest and your happiness.” - St. Madeleine Sophie Barat