This gentle class offers a peaceful session to gradually build strength and range of motion. With this quiet practice, experience how mindful movement and breath work can deliver much-needed nurturing, rest, and clarity.

The body is my temple, asanas are my prayers.
– BKS Iyengar

Using gentle and mindful movement as well as nourishing breath work, Gentle Yoga encourages softly stretching and strengthening. In each session, experience conscious awareness of breath, observe sensations in the body, notice thoughts, and expand the heart center.

Dominican Center’s yoga sessions create a healing space for all ages, fitness levels, and physical conditions so poses and breath work are accessible to all. For those new to yoga or working with special concerns and injuries, poses are modified and supported with props and detailed instruction for comfort and safety. Props are provided by Dominican Center at no additional cost.

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Calm the mind and nourish the body with Restorative Yoga. Restorative poses are held on a mat and deeply supported with yoga props. The practice seeks to balance the physical, mental, and spiritual while also experiencing profound rest and relaxation.

Don’t practice yoga to get better at yoga; practice yoga to get better at living.
- unknown

Using gentle and mindful movement as well as nourishing breath work, Restorative Yoga encourages softly stretching and strengthening. In each session, experience conscious awareness of breath, observe sensations in the body, notice thoughts, and expand the heart center.

Dominican Center’s yoga sessions create a healing space for all ages, fitness levels, and physical conditions so poses and breath work are accessible to all. For those new to yoga or working with special concerns and injuries, poses are modified and supported with props and detailed instruction for comfort and safety. Props are provided by Dominican Center at no additional cost.

View Dominican Center’s Refund Policy

In Trauma-Informed Yoga, discover the power of grounding, restoration, identity, and transformation (GRIT), which is an empowering and foundational six-week system for healing from trauma. This model invites you to re-connect with your body through somatic movement, meditation, and creative writing as you explore your relationship with yourself and transform the narrative of your life.

Trauma-Informed Yoga is taught by Kayla Morgan of Resilient Roots Yoga. 

Cost: $10.00 per session

View Dominican Center's Refund Policy

FD: Spirituality

Lectio Divina (literally divine or sacred reading) is a prayerful practice that allows us to become personally immersed in the Scriptures so that the Word of God may penetrate our hearts.

This centering prayer practice is a blend of silence and slow, prayerful reading of Scripture. Father Thomas Keating describes the four stages of Lectio Divina as compass points around a circle, with the Holy Spirit moving seamlessly between them.

The four stages of this prayerful practice:

• Read the Scripture
  Listen with the ear of your heart
• Reflect on the meaning of the Scriptural passage 
  Become aware of what touches you and is meaningful to you in the selected Scripture
• Pray to God
  Respond spontaneously to the Word of God and offer any prayer that rises up
• Contemplate the Word of God
  Rest in the Word of God and allow God to speak in the silence

To learn more about Lectio Divina or to practice this ancient way of praying, join us each Wednesday, Noon – 12:30 pm pm, in the Meditation Chapel located at the back of Dominican Chapel at Marywood. All are welcome.

Chair Yoga uses a chair for greater support and stability within the practice. With an emphasis on the breath, alignment, and taking things at your own pace, Chair Yoga brings simplicity to the practice for easeful connection with the healing and restorative benefits yoga offers.

Yoga begins right where I am –
not where I was yesterday or where I long to be.
– Linda Sparrowe

In each yoga session, experience conscious awareness of breath, observe sensations in the body, notice thoughts, and expand the heart center.

Dominican Center’s yoga sessions create a healing space for all ages, fitness levels, and physical conditions so poses and breath work are accessible to all. For those new to yoga or working with special concerns and injuries, poses are modified and supported with props and detailed instruction for comfort and safety. Props are provided by Dominican Center at no additional cost.

View Dominican Center’s Refund Policy

Chair Yoga uses a chair for greater support and stability within the practice. With an emphasis on the breath, alignment, and taking things at your own pace, Chair Yoga brings simplicity to the practice for easeful connection with the healing and restorative benefits yoga offers.

Yoga begins right where I am –
not where I was yesterday or where I long to be.
– Linda Sparrowe

In each yoga session, experience conscious awareness of breath, observe sensations in the body, notice thoughts, and expand the heart center.

Dominican Center’s yoga sessions create a healing space for all ages, fitness levels, and physical conditions so poses and breath work are accessible to all. For those new to yoga or working with special concerns and injuries, poses are modified and supported with props and detailed instruction for comfort and safety. Props are provided by Dominican Center at no additional cost.

View Dominican Center’s Refund Policy.

Greet the morning in gratitude is an eight-week program of reflective and contemplative walking with one another. This practice helps us start each day anew, step-by-step releasing disappointments and recommitting to joy and hope. We hope to re-inspire those who are in the service of others, which is a category that includes all of us. Whether you walk with your feet or move with the assistance of cane, walker, or wheelchair, we welcome you to Greet the Morning in Gratitude. The pace is your own.

Dates:

• June 19, 2019
• June 26, 2019
• July 3, 2019
• July 10, 2019
• July 17, 2019
• July 24, 2019
• July 31, 2019
• August 7, 2019

Cost: Free-will donation

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FD: Spirituality

In Write Your Heart Out: Shine Your Light, celebrate the summer solstice that graces us with light and warmth by joining us for a transformational writing experience that focuses on shining your own light. As you put pen to paper, observe the radiance that pours from you, discover your deepest truths, and allow your heart’s energy to create both art and change.

Your light is more magnificent than sunrise or sunset.
― Rumi

Write Your Heart Out is a writing circle facilitated by Sandra Mitchell, certified coach and writer. Using stillness, writing prompts, sharing, and non-judgmental feedback, these reflective writing experiences are open to writers of all levels.

This program has reached capacity. Please call 616.514.3325 to be added to the waiting list.

Read more about transformational writing experiences >

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FD: Spirituality

Dominican Associates are non-vowed women and men who desire to practice their Christian faith in the spirit of the Dominican Order of Preachers. They seek to be a power of good in the world, live out their Baptismal call, and to preach the good news joyfully by word and deed. Currently, there are 149 Dominican Associates who journey in solidarity with the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids and with one another. Our Associates are ecumenically diverse.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another.
- 1 Peter 4:10

Many live in Michigan, near enough to participate in programs here at our retreat and conference center in Grand Rapids. Some worship with Sunday Assembly at Dominican Chapel at Marywood. Others, formed in Grand Rapids through Dominican Associate Life, may now live farther afield, yet they maintain their connection and continue to inspire others with their Dominican spirit.

Would you like to discover more about Associate Life? Consider joining us for an afternoon of conversation.

Read the Dominican Associate Mission Statement (click on image)

FD: Spirituality

Using a special pen-resistance technique, you will create seemingly invisible patterns that will stand out when you add color using special colored markers and water brushes. Final touches will include adding tangles and sparkle to your works of art.

The Zentangle Method is an elegant metaphor and model for inspiring a deliberate artistry in life.
- www.zentangle.com

Led by Amy W.M. Kam, Certified Zentangle Teacher, the Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. Learn more at www.zentangle.com.

TOOLS NEEDED: Please bring your standard Zentangle supplies (Micron pen, pencil, tortillon).

*Prerequisite: Must have completed an Exploring or Introduction to Zentangle class.

View Dominican Center's Refund Policy.

Dominican Associates are non-vowed women and men who desire to practice their Christian faith in the spirit of the Dominican Order of Preachers. They seek to be a power of good in the world, live out their Baptismal call, and to preach the good news joyfully by word and deed. Currently, there are 149 Dominican Associates who journey in solidarity with the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids and with one another. Our Associates are ecumenically diverse.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another.
- 1 Peter 4:10

Many live in Michigan, near enough to participate in programs here at our retreat and conference center in Grand Rapids. Some worship with Sunday Assembly at Dominican Chapel at Marywood. Others, formed in Grand Rapids through Dominican Associate Life, may now live farther afield, yet they maintain their connection and continue to inspire others with their Dominican spirit.

Would you like to discover more about Associate Life? Consider joining us for an afternoon of conversation.

Read the Dominican Associate Mission Statement (click on image)

FD: Spirituality

In this contemplative program, Soothing Silence: A Gift to Our World, Jeanne Lound Schaller teaches that children are never too young to help build a better world and adults are never too old to live, daily, honoring their God-given gifts, thus inspiring all generations.

See what needs to be done, do it, and then ask God if it’s possible.
- Jeanne Lound Schaller

At age 73, through her current work as a coordinator for restorative practices in education, Jeanne is committed to helping build a better world by teaching about the gifts of inner and outer silence and how soothing silence can transform how we deal with little and big conflicts.

Sharing stories from her book, Desert in My Backyard: One Woman’s Journey into Silence, Jeanne inspires and teaches through the life journey she shared with her husband and children, and a backyard prayer house built almost 40 years ago in Midland, Michigan.

View Dominican Center's Refund Policy

FD: Evangelization

In A Return to Civil Discourse, we will explore how we all yearn for a connection with others. We gravitate toward people who support our perspectives and worldviews hoping to impact our communities to work for good. Conversely, we find ourselves trying to convince and convert others to our beliefs and points of view.

The campaign season is upon us, and very few are looking forward to being inundated with messages from both sides of the political divide promoting fear and proclaiming who is right and who is wrong.

Civil discourse is a conversation in which there is a mutual airing of views without rancor. It is not a contest of who is right and who is wrong, but it is a process intended to promote greater understanding. It is our ability to do just that, which moves us to a greater level of understanding and engagement to work for the common good. Join us and discover ways to engage in civil discourse, a discourse grounded in the belief that civility is not weakness. And that compromise is not surrender.

Facilitators:

• Victoria Vuletich, Center for Civil Discourse and Western Michigan University Cooley Law School
• Ann Walters, OP, Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids
• Gleaves Whitney, Director of the Haunstein Center (special guest)

Cost: $25 / $10 students (students use code CIVIL at check out)

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FD: Evangelization

Expand your Zentangle practice and explore the interconnected, peaceful paths of Celtic knots. Tangle your way through the loops and consider how they could represent love, friendship, loyalty, or eternity while creating a beautiful work of art.

Anything is possible, one stroke at a time.

Led by Amy W.M. Kam, Certified Zentangle Teacher, the Zentangle® Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. Learn more at zentangle.com.

TOOLS NEEDED: Please bring your Micron pen, pencil, and tortillon.

*Prerequisite: Must have completed an Exploring or Introduction to Zentangle class.

View Dominican Center's Refund Policy

FD: Spirituality

~ Join the community of spiritual directors in contemplative conversations and learning ~

___

In our ministry of spiritual direction, we listen to and companion with directees as they walk their unique journeys. We are gifted with the opportunity to hear life-giving and life-changing stories of joy and pain, of awe and sadness - experiences of gratitude and despair. How do we as spiritual directors honor and reverence our own transformational paths while we live this sacred call?  This Spiritual Director Conversation will focus on widening the space of our hearts to attend to the movements of the Spirit in the other. 

Cost: $15 (Fee waived for spiritual directors actively practicing at Dominican Center. Use the code SPACE at checkout if you are a spiritual director.)

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FD: Spirituality

In this workshop, you will learn how to naturally lower stress and anxiety so you can experience peace in both mind and body. Sam Kalawart with The Healing Space will be teaching you how to effortlessly strengthen your nervous system by using a combination of food, nutrients, breath work, meditation, and mindfulness. If you are ready to embark on a natural healing journey to deepen your own mind+body connection and naturally lower stress in your life this is a starting place.

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FD: Spirituality

Saint Mary Magdalene is “the one who loved Christ and who was loved by Him” and in her honor the “paradigm of the ministry of women in the Church” is recognized. These are the words of Pope Francis celebrating Saint Mary Magdalene’s July 22 Feast Day.

But who was this Mary? Where did all the distortions of her life originate? Why did the Dominicans choose her as the patron of their Order? Together, we will search the Scriptures for her historical footprint and for gender criticism of her story. We will conclude with a short prayer in her honor. Please bring a Bible with you.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,^[a] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. (John 20: 11-18)

DID YOU KNOW?: In 1295, the Dominican Order was given care of the Shrine of St. Mary Magdalene at Le Sainte Baum (the Holy Cave), in southeastern France. Because she carried the news of the Resurrection to the apostles, she was referred to as the “Apostle of the Apostles,” and from the beginnings of the Dominican Order, she was proclaimed co-patroness of the newly founded apostolic Order of Friars Preachers. St Catherine of Alexandria is also named the co-patroness with St. Mary Magdalene.

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FD: Theology

In Trauma-Informed Yoga, discover the power of grounding, restoration, identity, and transformation (GRIT), which is an empowering and foundational six-week system for healing from trauma. This model invites you to re-connect with your body through somatic movement, meditation, and creative writing as you explore your relationship with yourself and transform the narrative of your life.

Trauma-Informed Yoga is taught by Kayla Morgan of Resilient Roots Yoga. 

Cost: $10.00 per session

View Dominican Center's Refund Policy

FD: Spirituality

Awareness Through Movement (ATM) uses slow, mindful movements to achieve powerful effects in terms of strength, flexibility, and holistic integration of body and mind. Unique to the Feldenkrais Method, ATM ties directly into functional movements of daily life, such as walking efficiently, safely lifting objects, and improving one’s posture in sitting or standing.

Our only limitation is our belief that it is so.
– Moshe Feldenkrais

This workshop focuses on ways to greater freedom and ease of movement in the spine, from the neck down through the lower back, and teaches how less can be more as one understands the brain’s way of healing. As we improve our health in body and mind, we open the path for deeper spiritual growth.

Awareness Through Movement lessons will guide you into your sensory experience, accessing the intelligence of your nervous system. There will be time for movement and discussion of the movement lessons, which provide a mode of an inward journey. Learning will happen at many levels and you will walk away with useful life tools. Improving your relationship with yourself can enhance all of your relationships, personal and professional. 

What to Bring/Wear: Loose, flexible, comfortable clothing to allow movement. Bring a mat that allows limbs/trunk to slide or a blanket with a sheet AND a towel to support your head, as needed. This workshop will involve movements in a chair and on the floor.

Cost: $110, includes continental breakfast and lunch.

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In Creative Transformation: Quieting the Voices in Your Head, acknowledge the ways you may be hard on yourself, making it difficult to listen to anything but the negative chatter in your mind. In this session, challenge your inner critic with an art and writing process that focuses on self-love and empowerment. Creative Transformation: Quieting the Voices in Your Head will remind us that we are all children of God, which supports us in befriending and quieting our disempowering thoughts, and helps us move toward living a more spiritually-fulfilled life.

Creative Transformation programs are facilitated by Art Therapist Leara Glinzak, owner of I Light. She is recognized for her gentle and interactive sessions as she guides participants through a creative process that contributes to healing and growth in times of transition and change. Participants do not need any artistic experience….just life experience.

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FD: Spirituality

Uncovering difficult truths is something the Order of Preachers has done throughout history — all for the sake of protecting the common good. In Voices of Change: Michigan and the World, join us for a viewing of The Nuns, the Priests, and the Bombs, followed by post-film reflections by Ardeth Platte, OP, and Carol Gilbert, OP, where we will throw open the windows for a civil discussion about peace, humanity, and care for our common home.

The first casualty of war is truth. The rest are mostly civilians.

For Sister Ardeth Platte and Sister Carol Gilbert preaching and teaching peace are lifetime commitments. They envision a world free from nuclear weapons. Rooted in prayer, community, study, and service, their unwavering resolve to seek right relationship with the global community and with planet Earth inspires hope that action has impact and makes a difference. In the 1980s, they raised their voices against plans to build nuclear missile installations in Michigan; public dissent led to legislators passing permanent laws prohibiting nuclear weapons in our state. Their involvement with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for leading the collective international voices and diplomacy that created the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Watch a trailer for The Nuns, the Priests, and the Bombs

Cost: $15  / Free  to  Pax  Christi  members.                          

Sponsored by Pax Christi West Michigan

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FD: Spirituality

~ Spiritual Director Conversations ~
Join the spiritual director community in contemplative conversation and learning.

___

If you feel called to grow your spiritual direction ministry, but are unsure where to begin, join this Spiritual Director Conversation, Market With Heart.

When you allow yourself to be guided by your vision, your desire to serve, and your inner wisdom, then you are marketing with heart.
– Sandra Mitchell

During this contemplative conversation receive information and guidance to take simple first steps toward sharing the word of your ministry to those who may benefit most; explore what may be standing in the way of you expanding your ministry; learn more about the basic tools of marketing, including websites, social media, and more; and participate in an extended question and answer session.

Cost: $15 (Fee waived for spiritual directors actively practicing at Dominican Center. Use the code HEART at checkout if you are a spiritual director.)

This program is offered in collaboration with Sandra Mitchell, writer, marketing, and coach.

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FD: Spirituality

The beautiful petals of the camellia flower make wonderful strings to fill with tangles in this nature-based Zentangle class.

A wonderful way for a person to grow in a quiet meditative atmosphere, expressing their creativity and sharing in the process with others.
- Zentangle Participant

Led by Amy W.M. Kam, Certified Zentangle Teacher, the Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. Learn more at zentangle.com

TOOLS NEEDED: Please bring your standard Zentangle supplies (Micron pen, pencil, tortillon; the white Gelly Roll is optional).

*Prerequisite: Must have completed an Exploring or Introduction to Zentangle class.

View Dominican Center's Refund Policy.

FD: Spirituality

We are so used to communicating through verbal and auditory ways, yet many of us also communicate visually and learn using visual cues, so why not process visually too? In this session, you will make and use a visual journal to support processing through life’s daily journey and to gain a stronger awareness of the relationships with others and your relationship with yourself. No artistic skill is required.

Creative Transformation programs are facilitated by Art Therapist Leara Glinzak, owner of I Light. She is recognized for her gentle and interactive sessions as she guides participants through a creative process that contributes to healing and growth in times of transition and change. Participants do not need any artistic experience….just life experience.

Cost includes materials. Limited to 15 participants.

View Dominican Center’s Refund Policy

FD: Spirituality

A Spiritual Director holds sacred the many stories heard in a one-on-one relationship or in a trusted group. The Spiritual Director Practicum is a formation program that focuses on how to be present enough to sense how the Holy Spirit is at work in our life and in the lives of others. The practicum is a two-year process filled with contemplative prayer, study, and practice of spiritual disciplines. Participants journey with one another and with spiritual giants who mentor them during the formation process. Participants are encouraged to find meaning in every moment, discover their true self, and make the deep connection with the One who loves us into life.

Details

• Cost: $2000/year, plus book fees
• Application process required
• Prerequisite: Foundations in Spirituality

Dates
Fridays, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

• September 6 and 20, 2019
• October 4 and 18, 2019
• November 1 and 15, 2019
• December 6 and 20, 2020
• January 10 and 24. 2020
• February 7 and 21, 2020
• March 6 and 20, 2020
• April 3 and 17, 2020
• May 1 and 15, 2020

For more information, please visit our Called to be a Spiritual Director page.

Join us for the September Reflective Film Series, If Beale Street Could Talk. This 2018 American romantic drama film was directed and written by Barry Jenkins, and based on James Baldwin's novel of the same name. The film follows a young woman who, with her family's support, seeks to clear the name of her wrongly charged lover and prove his innocence before the birth of their child. African-American teen sweethearts Fonny and Tish are ripped apart when Fonny is wrongly arrested for the rape of a Puerto Rican woman because of the machinations of a racist cop. While seeking justice for Fonny, a pregnant Tish relies on her Harlem community, including her sister, mother Sharon, and future mother-in-law.

Rated R

Popcorn and soda provided.

Co-sponsored by Dominican Associates. Special thanks to Zulema Moret, Dominican Associate, for her generosity.

The 9-month Spiritual Director Supervision Practicum is for experienced Spiritual Directors who feel called to journey more deeply into their ministry supporting other Directors. Recognizing our own shadows and strengths makes us more available to the Spirit through self-awareness and interior freedom. We will explore God’s movements during direction sessions; contemplative prayer using the Examen; models of peer group supervision; and the role of the supervisor.

Spiritual Director Supervision Practicum Dates:

• September 9, 2019
• October 14, 2019
• November 11, 2019
• December 9, 2019
• January 13, 2020
• February 10, 2020
• March 9, 2020
• April 13, 2020
• May 11, 2020

Cost does not include book fee.

View Dominican Center’s Refund Policy

Learn the benefits of the Zentangle Drawing Method, as well as techniques and basic steps of creating a Zentangle work of art. Discover the gifts of relaxation, expanded awareness, enhanced focus, new practices for problem-solving, and uncover new ways to see beauty and to embrace the unexpected. Beginners welcome; no previous experience required. Supplies included.

A wonderful way for a person to grow in a quiet meditative atmosphere, expressing their creativity and sharing in the process with others.
- Zentangle Participant

Led by Amy W.M. Kam, Certified Zentangle Teacher, the Zentangle Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. Created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, learn more about Zentangle at zentangle.com.

View Dominican Center's Refund Policy.

For 100 years the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids have had a significant local and global presence and have been in service to many communities, especially those living in the margins of our society. This Order of Preachers is guided by a common spirituality.

To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.
- St. Thomas Aquinas

Dominican Spirituality is rooted in prayer and study for the sake of service and community. As you come to understand Dominican Spirituality, through this course of study, you will grow in appreciation of the lived experiences and teachings of many holy men and women who have inspired it. Join us as we reflect on the teachings of St. Catherine of Siena, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Dominic, Meister Eckhart, and others. Discover how these teachings remain relevant to us today. We invite you to gain a deeper insight and appreciation for the grounding roots of the Dominican Sisters in hopes of deepening your own spiritual growth.

Series Dates:

• September 10, 2019
• October 8, 2019
• November 12, 2019
• December 10, 2019
• January 14, 2020
• February 11, 2020
• March 20, 2020
• April 14, 2020
• May 12, 2020

View Dominican Center's Refund Policy

FD: Spirituality

JustEngagement: The Power to Change is a module dedicated to understanding how advocacy and organizing affect systemic change. Rooted in Christian teachings, our shared study will enlighten us to how our faith requires us to move to action as we work for justice.

God has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
- Micah 6:8

How do our Christian beliefs align with our desire to walk in right relationship with those living in the margins and in vulnerable situations? We will spend eight sessions finding our voice in the face of injustices and learn about tools and strategies that help us as we advocate and organize. Every contemplative action raises our hope that we CAN transform the world one action at a time. This program was developed by JustFaith Ministries.

Cost: $120 / $90 faith leaders (use the code ENGAGE at checkout if you are a faith leader)
Includes two books, program guide filled with readings and prayers, an immersion experience, and refreshments and Dominican Sisters cookies at each session.

Dates:

• September 12, 2019
• September 19, 2019
• September 26, 2019
• October 3, 2019
• October 10, 2019
• October 17, 2019
• October 24, 2019
• November 7, 2019

View Dominican Center's Refund Policy

FD: Evangelization

A Spiritual Director holds sacred the many stories heard in a one-on-one relationship or in a trusted group. The Spiritual Director Practicum is a formation program that focuses on how to be present enough to sense how the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives and in the lives of others. The practicum is a two-year process filled with contemplative prayer, study, and practice of spiritual disciplines. Participants journey with each other and with spiritual giants who mentor them during the formation process. Participants are encouraged to find meaning in every moment, discover their true self, and make a deep connection with the One who loves us into life.

Details

• Cost: $2000/year, plus book fees
• Application process required
• Prerequisite: Foundations in Spirituality

Dates
Fridays, 6:30 - 9:30 pm, and Saturdays, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

• September 13-14, 2019
• October 4-5, 2019
• November 8-9, 2019
• December 6-7, 2019
• January 17-18, 2020
• February 14-15, 2020
• March 13-14, 2020
• April 3-4, 2020
• May 8-9, 2020

For more information, please visit our Called to be a Spiritual Director page.

The Spiritual Exercises form a structure for encountering and loving God more deeply. They are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices developed by St. Ignatius Loyola to help people deepen their relationship with God.

Go forth and set the world on fire.
- St. Ignatius of Loyola

This adaptation from the 30-Day Ignatian Retreat feeds the hunger of our hearts with the Word of God.  The Ignatian retreat is a retreat in daily life. Through nine months of prayer, contemplation, and community, participants will explore Ignatius prayer methods and insight into the spiritual through personally meditating with Scripture and engaging in small group conversations and reflection.

Series Dates:

• September 17, 2019
• October 15, 2019
• November 19, 2019
• December 17, 2019
• January 21, 2020
• February 18, 2020
• March 17, 2020
• April 21, 2020
• May 19, 2020

View Dominican Center’s Refund Policy.

The Enneagram is a tool for personal and spiritual growth. The identity of your personality using the Enneagram gives you a clarity to better understand yourself and the habits that guide your thoughts and behavior. Knowing yourself is foundational for any psychological and spiritual growth toward becoming fully human and fully alive.

The Enneagram is a tool that awakens our compassion for people just as they are, not the people we wish they would become so our lives would become easier.
― Ian Morgan Cron

The workshop is designed for those new to the Enneagram and who have a desire to understand and gain wisdom of oneself in relationship to interacting with others. Includes continental breakfast and lunch.

Cost:  $75.00

• Registration: 8:30am
• Program begins: 9:00am

FD: Spirituality

View Dominican Center’s Refund Policy

Foundations in Spirituality is a serious reflective study that opens our minds and hearts to the teachings and life examples of the great Christian spiritual teachers that continue to deepen our present spiritual journey.

Christ will make His home in your heart as you trust in Him.
Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.
- Ephesians 3:17

Explore the rich preaching of St. Dominic; the unbreakable faith of St. Teresa of Avila; the deep spirituality of St. John of the Cross; the life-giving wisdom of the Beguines; the fortitude of John Calvin; the daily prayerful life of St. Ignatius; and the lives of many more who continue to enrich our own faith and spirituality.

The course introduces the practice of contemplative prayer and presence as basic to living a spiritual life. It is an experience that strengthens our own response to the longing in our hearts that seeks a deeper relationship with God.

The objectives of this course are to:

• Grow in understanding and appreciation of the diverse ways God has been present to and involved in the lives of the great spiritual teachers and guides throughout history
• Encourage awareness, commitment to, and integration of the spiritual journey in daily life through writing and living a personal rule of life
• Develop an understanding of contemplative attitudes and presence as basic to living a spiritual life
• Provide opportunity for an introductory study of writings from the spiritual classics for the purpose of reflection, discussion, and personal appropriation
• Foster respect for the diversity in past and present theology and spirituality.
• To present basic principles and tools for discernment that are useful for personal, prayerful decision making

Details

• Cost: $600, plus book fees
• A required book of readings will be available for purchase at the Dominican Center Bookstore
• Each session includes lunch

Dates
Saturdays, 9:30am - 4:30 pm

• September 21, 2019
• October 19, 2019
• November 16, 2019
• December 14, 2019
• January 25, 2020
• February 22, 2020
• March 21, 2020
• April 25, 2020
• May 16, 2020

At this Tuesday Tabletalk, Hearing Young Wisdom Interfaith Voices, listen and learn from a panel of voices of young leaders from diverse faith traditions and worldviews. All under the age of 16, they gather to share their stories of faith and their hopes for the future of our community. Let us listen for the wisdom that comes from their lived experiences and the lessons they can gently teach us.

Join us for dinner, civil conversation, and a celebration of youth wisdom.

Tuesday Tabletalk is a collaboration between Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Dominican Center. It is a program that meets at the intersection of a shared meal and conversation

Cost: $25.00 / $10.00 for students, use code StudentTabletalk at checkout (includes vegetarian meal)

View Dominican Center's Refund Policy

FD: Evangelization

The best gift that you can give the world is a you that is fully present. Come, retreat to a place focused on quieting the environment around and all that is within you. Learn to respond to your need and longing for time and space to renew body, mind, and spirit. Come on your own, invite a friend, or gather with a special group to Be Still in Sacred Spaces.

Continental breakfast included.

 Participants may choose three sessions. Some sessions have limited space and are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. You may contact Dominican Center at any time with your session selections or wait until you receive a survey via email to select your preferred sessions. The survey will be sent in late August.

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Gentle Yoga: Come Home to Yourself with Kathy Julien - Return home to yourself as you build awareness of your breath, observe the body's sensations, and expand the heart. Gentle yoga is suitable for all ages, fitness levels, and physical conditions. Limited space.

I Light: Release and Trust the Journey, with Leara Glinzak, MSAT - Using an art experiential, explore how creativity and faith, when woven together, create centering. Ground in your faith and experience a creative process and an art therapy directive that will guide you on an introspective journey.

Labyrinth Walk: Connect With Your Truth, with Susan Duesbery - Known as a path of prayer the labyrinth has an uncanny ability to help access our deepest truths. In challenging times, labyrinth walking graciously offers profound guidance on how to navigate our journeys with an open, loving heart. Limited space.

Sacred Scripture, with Nahed Fernando - Experience a contemplative reading of Sacred Scripture, guided meditation, and time of contemplation. Through stillness, journaling, and sharing we will seek more presence and openness as our spirits move into a deeper awareness of God.

Write Your Heart Out: Finding Stillness, with Sandra Mitchell - Using guided contemplation, a writing prompt, sharing, and non-judgmental feedback, this transformational writing experience is open to writers of all levels. As you put pen to paper, discover your deepest truths and allow your heart’s energy to create healing stillness. Limited space.

Zentangle®: Be Present, with Amy Kam, CZT - The Zentangle® Method is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. This artistic meditation creates a safe space to discover new ways to open up to your self-expression and allows you to see the beauty in all things.

Mexico and the United States share the greatest border between the first and third world. Thousands of migrants expose themselves to every danger as they travel north on a train called The Beast. That's where they meet the Patronas, a group of Mexican women who, every day since 1995, make food and toss it to the helpless as the train rushes by. In the midst of a country at war in a world where all hope seems lost, the Patronas breathe life into a human value that seems to fade with each day: love for one another.

Not rated. Spanish with English subtitles.

Popcorn and soda provided.

Co-sponsored by Dominican Associates. Special thanks to Zulema Moret, Dominican Associate, for her generosity.

Join us for the November Reflective Film Series, Coco. Despite his family's baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

Rated PG

Soda and popcorn provided.

Co-sponsored by the Dominican Associates. Special thanks to Zulema Moret, Dominican Associate, for her generosity.

A once in a lifetime opportunity to attend the world-famous Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany. The villagers of Oberammergau first performed the play in 1634 in fulfillment of their promise to God for sparing them from the Black Plague and it has been presented there every 10 years since then.

Cost: $4,479, includes round-trip airfare from Chicago, first class/select hotels, and most meals.

For more information on this pilgrimage or to register, view the brochure or contact Sr. Nancy Brousseau at nbrousseau@aol.com or 616.560.4580.

FD: Evangelization