MARIE JOSEPH SPIRITUAL CENTER


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PROGRAMS:  2010 - 2011

Click below for specific programs
Weekend Programs       Week  Long Programs       Summer Programs     Day Programs      Evening Programs    Outreach
 

WEEKEND PROGRAMS
 

NOVEMBER 12 – 14, 2010
Will the Authentic Self, Please Show Your Face!
with
Kim Le Nguyen

     During this weekend, participants will engage in a trusting journey and depend on each other to form their authentic faces through mask-making techniques.  Everyone will make at least four masks of their own face and will also decorate them.  Each will have a chance to meet individually with the provider who will process and analyze their “authentic” selves.  Prayers, reflections and personal sharing will also serve as tools for this spiritual journey.

NoteThis workshop is open only to participants of previous Watercolor and /or Mask weekends given by Kim in the past.
Participants may want to bring acrylic paints, colored tissue paper, beads, feathers, glue and anything else to decorate the masks.

Cost:  $170.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                     Departure:  1:00 PM Sunday
                                        


 
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NOVEMBER 12 – 14, 201
“But Only Say The Word, and I Will Be Healed”
                                                     Matthew 8: 5-13
with
Fr. Daniel O’Connell

     There is power in the Word of God.  Christ is the WORD made flesh and through Him the Father offers peace.  This weekend will focus on the growth in faith that happens as we follow Jesus and witness the healing power of His presence.  Our relationship with Him is deepened through every day events.
    We will listen to the Word of God proclaimed, preached and presented in a way that will lead to personal prayer.  This retreat will help participants appreciate what it means to encounter Christ in our ordinary day to day living, ponder the significance of what it means to grow into a deeper relationship with Christ and hear once again the call to be witnesses of Christ’s presence in the world.

Cost:  $150.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                   Departure:  1:00 PM /Sunday


 

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NOVEMBER 26 – 28, 2010
Yours Are the Hands of Christ
with
Helene Cote, p.m.

     Have you ever taken a good, long look at your hands?  Over the course of centuries, Christians have been called to be the “hands, the feet and the heart of Christ” in the world.  Today, this continues to be our challenge.  During this time of retreat, we will look more closely at the hands of Christ; hands that prayed, touched, healed, served, fed the hungry and hands that were pierced and wounded.  In looking more closely at Christ’s hands, we will be invited to look with gratitude at our own hands which continue to be Christ’s presence in the world today.

Cost:  $150.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                    Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday



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DECEMBER 3-5, 2010
24th Annual Rivier Retreat
Meetings with Mary

Come close to me; take your place in my school. 
                                                            
(Sirach 51:23)
with
Marie May Lausier, p.m. And a Team of Rivier Associates

 

     Throughout the centuries and across the world, Mary has visited ordinary people of every race and culture, from scholars to illiterates, from devout to unbelieving, from children to the dying.  The Apostles, Saint Ignatius, Teresa of Avila, and Marie Rivier were awakened by Mary’s presence to the love of Jesus and invited into God’s heart.
     Her recent visits are a challenging and continuous exercise of her maternal mission to lead us all to a greater holiness. Those who listen to her voice develop eyes to see and ears to hear His voice in the quiet of their hearts.
     Come to the Marian weekend open to receive her visit.  Let the Queen of Apostles teach and lead you as only she can, to that sacred place where the Holy Spirit transforms us into bearers of The Word.

          To linger in the domain of Mary is a divinely great thing. 
                                                                              
(Romano Guardini)
* For members of Rivier's Family.

Cost: $150.00
Arrival: 6:30 PM / Friday                             Departure: 1:00 PM / Sunday

                    

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DECEMBER 10-12, 2010
Young Adults’ Advent Retreat:
Keeping Our Eyes Fixed on Jesus

with
William Brown, OMV
Jeremy Paulin, OMV

     From the very first moment we were born, there was and is a need for us to be connected to others.  For most people those persons were our parents, particularly our mothers.  They were the ones who provided us with stability, security and reliability.
     As we mature, we develop attachments to other people and things; some are healthy while others are unhealthy and disordered.  The disordered attachments give us the wrong impression that we can depend upon them for our happiness and security.  They take the place of God and keep us from keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb. 12:2) who is the ultimate source of our happiness and peace.
     In preparation for Christmas, this Advent retreat for young adults in their 20's and 30's will provide an opportunity to discover how the disordered attachments in our lives keep us from ordering our life to Christ and experience the freedom He desires for us.

Cost: $145.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                       Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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DECEMBER 10–12, 2010
God Calls ~ We Respond
For Single Women Ages 18 – 35
with
Linda Mae Plourde, p.m. and the Vocation Team

     For those who are about to give direction to their adult life, this weekend retreat will provide adequate information on vocations:  Married life, single life and religious life.  Thought provoking questions, the process of discernment, personal time to reflect, common prayer and informal sessions to address questions or comments will be woven into this weekend retreat.  If you are interested in strengthening your relationship with God and others, and want to consider how you can best do that, this retreat could be of great value to you.   

Cost:  $135.00  (This includes five meals and two overnights.)
Arrival: 7:00 / Friday                         Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE.

 Registration is to be done by phone to Sr. Linda Mae at 207-284-5671 due by Dec. 6.  Insufficient number of registrations will results in the cancellation of the retreat.

 

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JANUARY 7 – 9, 2011
From Wholeness to Holiness –
Thinking Outside the Box
with
Don Harriman

     Laughter is good for the soul.  It is one of our unique gifts form our Creator God.  This retreat for men is designed to help recognize the infinite love and care our Creator has in providing each of us with an appreciation of humor and all things funny.  There is a time to weep and a time to laugh.  This is your time to laugh and look at life with “fresh eyes” as you journey from wholeness to holiness.  Won’t you join and share with us your amazing gift of humor!

Cost:  $150.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                      Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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MARCH 11 – 13, 2011
Chewing the Bread of The Word
with
Aline Plante, p.m.

     God’s Word is always fresh and new, multi-layered like an onion.  This retreat on the Word of God is not a theological, historical, analytical study of the Bible.  The focus is simply learning to better pray with Scripture.
      * It is for those who want to add breath and depth to their  
        prayer and to their lives.
      * It is for those who yearn for joy and meaning in their lives.
      * It is for those who want to grow in a deeper relationship with  
        the person of Jesus Christ.
    Come and eat at this “smorgasbord” of God’s Word and see for yourself how nourishing and tasty it can be.  The “Menu” will consist of the seven I Am statements of Jesus; the Forty-four questions of Jesus, all found in John’s gospel; Meditating and Contemplating a Gospel text, Guided Imagery and Lectio Divina. 

Please bring your Bible.

Cost:  $150.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                      Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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MARCH 18-20, 2011
Entering the Inner Chamber of the Soul:
Teresa’s Interior Castle

with
Ann Harriman

I began to think of the soul as if it were a castle made of a single diamond or of a very clear crystal in which there are many rooms, just as in heaven there are many mansions… In the center and midst of them all is the chiefest mansion where the most secret things pass between God and the Soul … Teresa of Avila from the Interior Castle

     This weekend will be an opportunity for us to get our minds out of our soul’s way.  St. Teresa of Avila will be our guide, and Mary will be our model.   They will be our resources in helping us to open the doorway to the inner rooms of our heart.  For the little time we have, we will be “mystics without monasteries” as we still our busy minds and hearts to identify some of the fears and doubts (“reptiles”), that prevent us from “feeling God in the walls of our soul”.

Cost: $150.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                      Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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MARCH 25 – 27, 2011
Open Your Heart to Pray the Psalms
Your ways, O Lord, make known to me,
teach me Your paths, guide me in Your truth. 
(Ps. 25:4-5)
with
Susan Frederick, p.m.
 Sylvia Genesse, p.m.

 

     How can the Psalms guide and enlighten our prayer?  The way of prayer modeled in the psalms involves the bringing of one’s heart into obedient, faithful harmony with the ways of God.  By offering us the gift of expression, the psalms give us powerful words and images to express our deepest desires to God.  Wholeheartedness in prayer involves attentiveness, decision, choice, emotion and willingness to see threads of connection between our identity and experience, and the identity and way of God.  The Psalms help us express the various moods of the soul and direct us to the Holy Spirit who purifies our heart and unites us to God.  We will explore praying with the psalms.

Cost: $150.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                        Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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APRIL 15-17, 2011
Palm Sunday Young Adults Retreat:
By His Wounds We Are Healed
  (Is. 53:5)
with
William Brown, OMV
Jeremy Paulin, OMV

     In Richard Rohr’s series, On Transformation, he notes that what is not transformed is transmitted.  Unless we transform the pains and sufferings in our lives, we are bound to transmit them onto others.  In order to be transformed, however, we have to be willing to face and deal with the pains and their root causes.  Presenting them to Christ, by whose wounds we are healed, (Is. 53:5) is the key to experiencing the healing God desires for us.  In preparation for Easter, this Lenten retreat for young adults in their 20’s and 30’s provides an opportunity to discover how the sufferings we have experienced in life can be the means by which we are transformed by God’s grace, and helps us to be empathetic instead of reactive in our relationships with others.

Cost:  $145.00
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                        Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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MAY 13-15, 2011
Praying with Hearts and Hands
While the mind and body are toiling,
the heart can also be at its own work. – (Blessed Marie Rivier)

with
Connie Bartelson
Marylee Johnson
Beverly Libby

      Join the Holy Knitters Prayer Shawl Ministry as we joyfully share in the care of God’s people by using the gifts of our hands to knit or crochet sacred prayer shawls.  Our prayers and blessings are woven into the shawls as our hands work to fashion them. Shawls are then given to people for comfort, healing or in celebration.  Whether you will be making your first shawl or you are a seasoned prayer shawl disciple, you will experience helpful assistance and new ideas in a beautiful and prayerful setting.

*Basic knitting or crocheting skills are a prerequisite for this retreat.  A list of required materials will be sent upon registration.

Cost:  $145.00                                                     
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                            Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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MAY 27-30, 2011
Mid-Life Directions
Workshop for Personal & Spiritual Growth
We cannot live the afternoon of life
according to the program of life’s morning. – C.G. Jung

with
Helene Cote, p.m.
Certified Mid-Life / Long Life Directions Consultant

 
    
A Mid-Life Directions workshop is an opportunity for any adult 40 – 70 + to explore his or her spiritual and psychological growth in a non-threatening atmosphere.  It combines insights from Jungian Psychology with Judeo-Christian Spirituality.  The workshop includes facilitated discussion, meaningful spiritual exercises, journaling, and a time for reflection and prayer.

Cost: $ 250.00                                           
Arrival:  6:30 PM / Friday                            Departure:  1:00 PM / Sunday

 

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WEEK LONG RETREATS
FOR WOMEN RELIGIOUS

 

FEBRUARY 27 – MARCH 6, 2011
The Passionate Love of God
with
Br. Michael Laratonda, FMS

            This retreat will explore the passionate love God has for each of us and the passionate love for God that we are invited to have nurtured within us.  Each day will include morning prayer and a daily conference.  Conferences will include obstacles to prayer, blocks to freedom, God’s passionate love, passion for God, mystery of suffering, forgiveness, and the compassionate life.  Brother Michael’s retreat work often uses the arts (film, poetry, etc.) to exemplify particular themes which help to deepen the spiritual journey.

Cost:  $ 475.00

Arrival: 3:00 PM / Sunday           Departure: Sunday after breakfast

 

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MAY 15 – 22, 2011
Living a Life of Beatitude
with
Fr. Jim Mattaliano, S.J.

            In the beatitudes, Jesus identifies qualities of those who find themselves in the Kingdom of God.  This retreat focuses on how the beatitudes may be used as a blueprint for living a happy, blessed and full life.

Cost:  $ 475.00
Arrival: 3:00 PM / Sunday                      Departure: Sunday after breakfast

 

NOTE:  The two preached retreats above are the annual retreats for the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary.  Once the sisters of the Community have registered, they will be open to Sisters of other Religious Congregations.

Registrations can be made after January 1st.
 

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WEEK LONG RETREATS
FOR LAY AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS

 

JUNE 11– 18, 2011
In His Image:  A Journey with St. Teresa of Avila
and St. John of the Cross
with
Fr. William Jarema

     St. John of the Cross invites us into a dynamic journey and teaches us how to adventure the Pathways and Prayerways up the mountain to the Ascent of Love.  During these spiritual awakenings, St. John reveals how an intimate relationship with God can be borne from human suffering and transformed into redemptive suffering. 
    We will then explore the Seven Dwelling Places of St. Teresa of Avila.  Each dwelling place offers the spiritual pilgrim opportunities for conversation, radical encounters with transforming grace and mystical experiences that will lift us into a heavenly language and divine knowledge of God’s presence in our life.  This retreat is not for the faint hearted or beginners.  Intensive prayer, humble self-disclosure and a readiness to meet God’s unpredictable ways are included in this opportunity for inner exploration and the quest for holiness.

Cost: $475.00
Arrival:  3:00 PM /  Saturday                Departure:  Friday after breakfast



 
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JULY  2 - JULY 9, 2011
Living Into a Healthy Spirituality
with
Br. Don Bisson, FMS

     This guided, silent retreat will invite us to a deeper awareness of a healthy, holistic spirituality of surrender, authentic prayer and self knowledge.  It will also invite us to let go of our unhealthy perfectionism, control and addiction issues which block a full life in God.

Cost:  $ 475.00         
Arrival:  3:00 PM / Saturday         Departure:  Saturday after breakfast

 

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AUGUST 20 – 27, 2011
Walking with Ruth and Naomi:
Exploring the Defining Moments in Every Woman’s Life
with
Helene Cote, p.m.

  This retreat is open to women who desire to reflect on their life experiences.  With the Biblical figures of Ruth and Naomi as companions, we will explore what it means to be whole women, spiritual women, women of God.  We will ponder some of the defining moments in every woman’s life … moments of loss, change, transformation, aging, self-definition and how our responses to these shape who we become.
     There will be one conference in the morning, reflection papers on the theme of the day and prayer in late afternoon.

Cost:  $ 475.00
Arrival:  3:00 PM / Saturday          Departure:  Saturday after breakfast


 

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Women's silent, private and directed retreats are available during the Week Long Retreats.

Cost:  $405.00 / Private
          $475.00 / Directed
 

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SUMMER RETREATS  2011

*Arrival:     Saturday at 3:00 PM only

*Departure: Saturday after breakfast
 

Women’s Silent Retreats, Private Directed Retreats

                                  June  25 - July 2
                                         July   23 - July 30
                                         July   30 -  Aug. 6

Cost: $405.00 / Private                                               $475.00 / Directed

 

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Women's Silent Retreats: Guided
July 2-9

"Living Into a Healthy Spirituality"
 

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Women's Silent Retreats: Guided, Private & Directed

June 11-18
“In His Image ~ A Journey with
St. Theresa of Avila and John of the Cross”

August 20 – 27
“Walking with Ruth and Naomi-
Exploring and Defining Moments in Every Woman’s Life”



(Please see above for description of the guided retreat)

Cost:   Guided Retreat:   $475.00
           Private Retreat:   $405.00                          
           Directed Retreat: $475.00
 

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Men's Silent Retreats: Private & Directed

JULY 9-16

Cost:   $405.00 / Private                                            
           $475.00 / Directed

 

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Women Religious’ Vacation Weeks

 AUGUST 6-13
 AUGUST 13-20

  Cost:   $405.00

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ANNUAL & SPECIAL INTEREST RETREATS

 ~ Please call the Center for specific program information ~

DAY RETREATS
MONTHLY PROGRAMS
 

Be Still and Know that I Am God(Ps. 46:10)
Contemplative Retreats
with
Aline
Plante, p.m.

10:00 AM - 2:00PM

                      2010                                              2011

                October 7th                               March 17th,    April 14th
                November 11th                          May 12th
                                                                 

            Our heads are filled with chatter; our hearts with emotions.  We replay history and rehearse the future.  We wander away from the present moment by making lists, making plans for supper, or anticipating an argument, or remembering who said and what to whom  at yesterday’s meeting.  In the silence we begin to realize that we are everywhere but, here(Jane E. Vennard)

            Jesus often withdrew to pray and He taught His disciples to come away to a quiet place and rest a while.  In the midst of our busy lives, He also invites us to come for a day of retreat and be filled with the peace and joy that comes only from God so that we can return to our lives and be “Jesus” for others.

The day will consist of:

* A presentation on how to meditate and contemplate a Scripture
   passage of the Gospels.
* Some personal quiet time to ponder, reflect and integrate the
  Scripture text in our lives.
* Lunch time.
* An experience of “Guided Imagery”.

Cost:  $18.00 includes hot meal. 
          $10.00 bring bag lunch. 

Bring bible.

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.                                       

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December 9, 2010

One Day Advent Retreat
On Forgiveness
with
Aline Plante. p.m.

            What better way during Advent to prepare for the coming of Christ than to free our hearts and minds from fear, anger, resentment, suffering and pain.  Forgiveness is not for the other’s sake, but for your own.

Cost:  $30.00  includes hot meal.  10:00 AM – 3:00 PM


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Women Gathered Together in Faith
with   
Sylvia Genesse, p.m.

            This monthly program is for women who desire quiet time and space to grow in their relationship with God.  Following a Scripture centered  presentation, there is personal time for prayer with directives to ponder the Word of God. Participants are enriched as they come together to share insights gleaned from their prayer experience. 
Held the 1st Wednesday of the month from 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM

                     2010                                            2011
             
November 3rd                     February 2nd           April 6th
              December 1st                      March 2nd                May 4th    
                                           

Cost:  $10.00                                         Bring Bible and a bag lunch.
 
This program is held the 1st Wednesday of the month
from 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM on the following days:

                   
               
For each One Day Retreat of Day Program, please call (207) 284-5671 to register.
 

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The Journey of Praying Throughout Our Lives
For Single Women Ages 18 – 35
with
Linda Mae Plourde, p.m., and Team of Presenters

    The Spirit within us moves us to pray… and so we approach our God with all of our longings, with all we are grateful for and all that besets us.  At times, we wonder:  Is there a fitting way to pray?  Even the first apostles had this concern.  Seeing Jesus at prayer they asked:  Lord, teach us to pray.  Jesus taught by example the value of personal prayer and the importance of praying in common. 

The following one day retreats will focus on the various ways to pray throughout the seasons of our lives.

September 25, 2010       Praying Through the Seasons of our Lives
                                      “Speak Lord, I’m listening”

March 19, 2011            Eucharistic Adoration   
                                      Forms of Common Prayer

May 14, 2011               Liturgical Worship and Liturgy of the Hours
                                      Praying the Psalms

Arrival:  10:00 AM / Saturday                 Departure: 4:00 PM / Saturday

             Registration is required at least three days prior to the retreat and is made by calling Sr. Linda Mae at 207-284-5671.  Insufficient number of registrations will result in the cancellation of the retreat day.

 

 

Updated: September 3, 2010