ENTER THE CHAOS: ENGAGE THE DIFFERENCES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, FEBRUARY 20-23
If you have wondered, “what can I do?” to better participate in our polarized societal discourse . . . if you have ever felt the urgency for a new approach in communicating with friends or family members whose views are different from your own . . . then please consider joining us for this very special retreat February 20-23, 2020.
This is a unique opportunity which combines …
- The transformative power of extensive centering prayer practice
- The teaching of Ken Wilber’s Integral theory of stages of personal growth and development, as formulated in the Spiral Dynamic context and developed by Don Beck
- New engagement skills for real situations characterized by tension among different stages of consciousness and seemingly opposing value systems
The combination will grow the power of personal engagement with your life’s relationships in a dramatic opening of boundaries, using the mind to serve the heart.
Retreat Guides
Nancy Sylvester, IHM
Nancy Sylvester, IHM founded the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue (ICCD) in 2002 in response to her experiences working for justice and right relationships in church and in society. She serves as President of the Institute and as Executive Director designing, planning, and implementing, the Institute’s various programs. Nancy brings to this project her commitment to dialogue and collaborative work style. Nancy is committed to the transforming power of communal contemplation in one’s life and the life of the community. She believes it invites the shifts in consciousness so necessary to embrace our evolutionary journey and engage the critical issues facing us in ways that foster dialogue, relationships, compassion and justice. She is a published author and well-known speaket nationally and internationally.
Margaret Galiardi, OP
Margaret Galiardi, OP, a Dominican Sister from Amityville, New York, joined the staff of the Institute in 2011 to assist with the Transformation in a Time of Uncertainty (TITU) program. More recently she has worked with Nancy Sylvester, IHM in designing and facilitating the Exploring Exercising Contemplative Power (EECP) program and Enter the Chaos-Engage the Differences to Make a Difference. In addition to her work with ICCD, Margaret offers spiritual direction/ accompaniment both to individuals and groups, and directs retreats at various centers particularly in the northeast. She sits Zazen regularly with Insifada Zen, a Long Island interfaith meditation community. Margaret has lectured nationally on the integration of ecological theology, justice, and spirituality, and the thought of Thomas Berry, and has authored two books.
Vernice Solimar, PhD
Dr. Vernice Solimar joined with the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue (ICCD) in 2018 to assist in designing and implementing Enter the Chaos-Engage the Differences to Make a Difference. She was founder and chair of the Integral Psychology M.A. program, and former chair of Consciousness and Transformative Studies at John F. Kennedy University. With Dr. Monica Sharma, former Director of Leadership and Capacity Development for Developing Countries at the United Nations, Vernice founded and directed the Leadership for Personal and Social Transformationcertificate at JFKU. She has also taught at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. Vernice is a Founding Member of Ken Wilber’s Integral Institute in Colorado, and was co-faculty of several Integral Field courses in Latin America. She continues to coach and facilitate psycho-spiritual development and leadership for social change with individuals and organizations.
About the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue
Contemplative Outreach Chicago is delighted to have this opportunity to partner with the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue (ICCD), the organization that designed and developed this retreat. ICCD believes that the crises we experience today need to be addressed at a new level of consciousness and that contemplation invites us to that transformation. Since its foundation in 2002, ICCD has attracted social justice activists, educators, spiritual directors, leaders of religious congregations—people committed to working for systemic change. Please visit the ICCD website for more details.
About the Portiuncula Center for Prayer
Nestled in a lovely wooded 55-acre campus of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, the Center provides a peaceful environment for renewing body, mind, and soul. It is a place where you can enter your heart’s center to rest, refresh, and meet again the God who loves you. The Center is located 45 minutes south of Chicago near the intersection of Route 45 and I-80 and is accessible from Chicago airports by shuttle services: Portiuncula Center for Prayer, 9263 W. St. Francis Road, Frankfort, IL 60423. Phone: (815) 464-3880. Fax: (815) 469-4880. Please visit the Portiuncula Center’s website for additional information.
Accommodations and Costs
Check-in for the retreat begins at noon Thursday at the Port, with the first session to begin at 2:00pm. There will be after dinner sessions on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, ending at about 8:00pm. The event will end with lunch on Sunday.
Retreat materials and nine meals will be provided, starting with dinner on Thursday and including lunch on Sunday. (There is also a designated refrigerator for those who bring their own dietary foods.)
Accommodations will include both single and double rooms, as well as the option to participate as a “commuter,” without staying overnight. The rooms are private with shared bathrooms. The facilities are air-conditioned and handicapped accessible.
The costs are:
Single room – $480
Double room – $440 per occupant
Commuter – $380
There is a $50 cancellation fee. No cancellations can be accepted after February 7, 2020.
Two ways to Register
Please click here for secure online registration.
Please click here if you prefer to download the mail-in registration form.
Questions?
Please contact the registrar at registrar@centeringprayerchicago.org.