June Contemplative Intensive Retreat
The retreat will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey, Lafayette, Oregon.
Sr Joan Saalfeld, SNJM, will lead our retreat, sit with us, present talks and offer interviews. Sr Joan is a member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary currently living and working in Portland, Oregon. She has studied and practiced Zen and Contemplation for 35 years, first with Robert Aitken, then with Fr Willigis Jaeger, OSB, and most recently with Fr Pat Hawk, C.Ss.R., who encouraged her to teach in CIRs.
The retreat will begin with supper at 6:00 p.m.,Thursday, June 27, continue all day Friday and Saturday, and end after lunch on Sunday (about 1:30 p.m.), June 30. Please arrive well before 6:00 p.m.Thursday, check in, and get your room assignment at the Porter’s Lodge.
This CIR integrates most of the monastic liturgies into our schedule – from Lauds and Mass (6:30 a.m.), through the Day Hour (12:30 p.m.), Vespers (5:30 p.m.), and Compline (7:30 p.m.).Vigils (4:15 a.m.) is optional. Our normal sitting schedule will begin at 6:00 a.m. and conclude at 9:00 p.m. All retreatants must commit to participating fully in the entire schedule of group sittings.
The Abbey’s guest facilities limit overnight attendance to 8 people. Each retreatant will have one of the two private rooms in a guest unit, the two sharing a toilet and shower. Bed and bath linens are provided. Meals are prepared by the monks; the fare is vegetarian, simple, and balanced.
We will sit together in the meditation hall in Bethany House, which is big enough to seat about 20 of us, as well as the few monks who will sometimes join us.This means that 10 to 12 additional retreatants can be accommodated as commuters who have a place to sleep outside the monastery and who will provide their own (brown bag) meals. While there is plentiful sitting equipment on hand at Bethany House, you may wish to bring your own to be sure you have what you need or prefer. Dark, layered clothing is right for this occasion. Distracting jewelry and perfumes are not.
The total fee for the 8 overnighters is $280 for Seven Thunders members, and $310 for non members. The deposit to hold your place is $140, with the remaining balance due by June 13. All but $30 will be refunded for cancellation requests received by re- treat coordinator on or before June 13; after that date, all but $140 will be refunded. Commuter fees are $40 per day or portion thereof, payable in full with your registration. Partial scholarships are available to Seven Thunders members. Registrations will be made in the order of postmark dates, alphabetically by last name within each date. When the 8 overnighter places have been filled, all but three of the remaining registration applications and fee payments will be returned. The three applicants will be notified will be notified of their status and, if desired, held on the waiting list. A similar process applies to those who choose to register as commuters.
Please contact retreat registrar Jenny Brausch at [email protected] with any questions. Please send the completed form with your check to: Jenny Brausch, P.O. Box 3119, Albany OR 97321. Alternatively, you may e-mail your registration to her and pay the deposit/fee online.