Please contact us for registration or more information through this site or calling our office: 828.319.7240 

Program Schedule for 2012

23-27 July, 2012: The Three Sacred Mothers of Wales, Join us at Gladstone's Library in North-Wales for a week of exploration into the lives and spirituality of St. Nonn, St. Melangell and St. Winifred, the three sacred mothers of Wales.  As part of our week together we will journey out by bus to the holy sites of St. Melangell and St. Winifred.  More information to follow.  To register go to:

http://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/

3-6 December, 2012: Mary, the Reed of God; An Advent Retreat   Join Emily and Katie Warren at Valle Crucis Conference Center in the mountains of NC for an opportunity to pray ourselves into Advent. 

Drawing on the book The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander (British 1901-1954) participants are invited to reflect on the images of a reed flute, bird nest and chalice as metaphors for Mary, Mother of Christ, how Mary can inform our experiences as modern people, and how we, like Mary, are invited to be Christ-bearers in the world.  Using these images along with prayer, poetry, music, small group and personal reflection and the intuitive process of SoulCollage ® for making payer cards our time will be undergirded by the gift of silence and rest, as we prepare ourselves for the season. (No art experience is necessary. If you can cut and paste, you can do this.)

Learn more about Emily on our "About Us" page. 

Our art facilitator, Katie Warren, MAEd., is a spiritual director and art facilitator. She provides individual spiritual direction and art and group spiritual direction as a provider with the Potter's Touch--a counseling and spiritual direction network of the United Methodist Church. Katie completed the Sursum Corda Spiritual Director's Formation Program. She is trained as a SoulCollage(R) facilitator.

Cost: $285.00 includes lodging, meals and program.                          Location: Valle Crucis Conference Center in Banner Elk, NC.

Contact Valle Crucis to register:

http://www.highsouth.com/vallecrucis/ or (828) 963-4453

Next Program 

 The Three Sacred

Mothers of Wales

23 - 27 July, 2012

at

Gladstone's Library

Hawardan, North Wales

United Kingdom

Join Emily Wilmer and David Keller at Gladstone's Library in North-Wales for a week of exploration into the lives and spirituality of St. Nonn, St. Melangell and St. Winifred, the three sacred mothers of Wales. As part of our week together we will journey out by bus to the holy sites of St. Melangell and St. Winifred.

A five-day exploration of Christian life in early medieval Wales through the lives of three women whose lives mirror:

 Celtic society in Wales from the fifth through seventh centuries

• The formation, patterns, and influence of monastic life in early Welsh society
• The influence of the desert mothers and fathers of Egypt on the lives of Welsh saints and monastic life
• The role of local Celtic saints on the formation of early Welsh society 

We will reflect on the unique faith, courage, and prayerful witness to the presence of Christ in the lives of saints  Melangell, Nonn, and Winefride and relate their wisdom and inspiration for living to the challenges and cultural transitions in the evolving Christian life of the Twenty-first century. 

The programme will combine lectures, video presentations, discussion, worship in the Celtic tradition, and visits to Pennant Melangell and St. Winefride’s Holy Well. Our leaders are David Keller and Emily Wilmer whose years of research on Celtic saints will guide our week.

For more information and registration to go: 

http://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/

Photo is the Church of Saint Melangell, containing the Shrine of Melangell, at Pennant Melangell, Wales. (Photo by David Keller)

Photo on the left was taken on the Close of the General Theological Seminary, New York City, at the entrance to the Desmond Tutu Center for Reconciliation.