The worst thing that can happen to me is that I stop being me. Affirming living is a way of being, an attentive presence of being who I really am in all my authenticity. This enables me to live as an affirming presence with myself and others. We will examine ideas, ideals and experiences of different persons, answer a questionnaire, take time to pray, reflect and share, and so be better equipped to live a life that is affirming to myself, others and the whole of creation.

We all experience change in our lives, and most of us have known times when that change, whether arising from a voice within or prompted by something external, amounted to a conversion or transformation. You may be in such a moment right now! While we know we have to negotiate the way through our own conversion journey, we can draw inspiration from others who have walked this path before us. Saints Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac and Elizabeth Ann Seton, key figures in the Sisters of Charity tradition, are striking examples of persons whose lives embodied change and transformation. This program will explore conversion themes in their lives and invite participants to engage their own conversion themes. Program days will include input, personal reflection/prayer time, and group conversation.

Come; enjoy a series of movies, some popcorn and a lively discussion of the films in light of your faith.

Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
In collaboration with a local sea kayaking operation (East Coast Outfitters) we offer this exciting adventure in nature, a day for beginners and expert paddlers alike. The guides are professionally certified to work with all skill levels. Before leaving the dock on the shores of Terence Bay, your guide will assist you in selecting a boat and gear to meet your specific needs. After a period of instructions you and your guide and companions will set out on a route through scenic coastal bays and inlets allowing the richness, depth and beauty of the moment to speak to your heart. Then it’s back to the Centre for reflection and sharing followed by dinner at 5:30 and an evening around the fireplace. Stay overnight at the centre if you wish.

Sunday 10:00 a.m. –  3:00 p.m.
Sunday offers us an opportunity to enjoy the day on a beautiful, relatively wild island off Terence Bay. A boat will transport us to Mahar’s Island (site of the S.S. Atlantic) where we will spend the day walking the trails, exploring the beaches, resting, reflecting and praying, surrounded by God’s unspoiled nature. Come for the entire weekend or for one of the days.

Group Spiritual Direction is an opportunity for spiritual deepening and community support in our relationship with God. Like individual spiritual direction, group direction helps us recognize and articulate the action of God in our lives. In a group setting we become aware of God’s ways as we hear one another speak of God’s presence and action in each one’s life. Come enjoy a small group of journeyers and delight in the manifestation of God in our midst.

Just think of the changes you have experienced during your lifetime! What have these experiences taught you that can help you find energy and hope for the changes facing you now and in the future? How does faith help? These are the questions we will explore together today. This program has particular significance for those of you at a turning point in life through age, retirement, illness, loss of a loved one, inviting you to explore these changes and allow them to open you to the new life they offer.

The New English translation of the Mass gives us an opportunity to reflect on the words of the Eucharistic prayers. They invite us to reconciliation, justice and unity.

Come and join us for a day of input, reflection and sharing.

Fr. Jim Richards is pastor of Immaculate Conception and Saint Peter Parishes in Dartmouth, N.S. He has an MA in Liturgy from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. Though parish based pastoral work has been his principal ministry, he has also been involved in the areas of mission/justice and liturgical formation in the Archdiocese and beyond.

The core of the Rhineland mystics’ spirituality lies in their intimacy with creation, which led them to a deep consciousness of the presence of God in all. Come, join Hildegard, Mechtild, Meister Eckhart and others in their appreciation of the wonder and awe of our universe. Perhaps your prayer with these great mystics will encourage you to be more aware of God’s journey with you through the gift of creation.

Our experience of Sabbath as a day of rest and relaxation has been almost totally lost in the busy-ness of our task-oriented lives. Yet the sense of Sabbath, as spiritual leisure, is needed today in our hurried, time-starved world. This day will help us explore how everyday moments can be transformed into Sabbath moments and how we can know sacredness in our everyday lives. The day will include time for Sabbath living, reflection and sharing.