IN VIA LUMEN, LLC
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Welcome to
In Via Lumen

(On the Way - Light)

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Opening people to encounter and experience the Divine in everyday life through workshops, communities, facilitation, teaching, spiritual direction/companioning, supervision and other resources. Focused on seekers pursuing the path of Christian Contemplative Spirituality.

In addition to the resources available at this site, In Via Lumen offers services to groups and to individuals on their spiritual journey. You can find out more about these services on the  Assistance and Contact page.
​Current Highlights: - updated on 9/4/2023

View our latest email announcement!

​Material from the Summer 2023 Quarterly meeting of the North-Central CT ITMS Chapter has been posted to our past meeting's page!

We will be holding our fall Chapter meeting on Wednesday September 20, 2023. Visit our Chapter's page for more details and to express your interest in attending.

Here's a current list of Featured Events through the end of the year:

Ongoing Programs:
New Seeds of Contemplation Contemplative Study Group, Mondays 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Mondays September 25 - November 27, 2023. Offered over Zoom. Group is close to capacity, please email Mike Smoolca; msmoolca@invialumen.org, for more information and to express your interest.

LIVING THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS AND CANONICAL GOSPEL BEATITUDES, Mondays 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Mondays September 25 - November 27, 2023. Offered over Zoom. Group is currently at capacity.

A Topical Review of the Gospel of Thomas, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Tuesdays September 26 - November 28, 2023. Offered over Zoom. You can get more information and register here.

Preview of Winter Programming to be offered over Zoom:
Mystical Poetry Reflection and Sharing with Paul Uccello and Mike Smoolca, Wednesdays 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time, January 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, 2024

Aramaic Lord's Prayer - Teaching, Reflection and Sharing with Rev. Henry Schoenfield, Tuesdays 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time, February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2024

BioSpiritual Focusing: Book Study and Practicum with Donna O'Connor and Mike Smoolca, Wednesdays 6:30 – 8:30 pm Eastern Time, February 21, 28, March 6, 13, 20, 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24, 2024

Introduction to Meditations on the Tarot and the Hero's Journey with Fr. Michael K. Holleran, Wednesdays 7:00 – 8:30 pm Eastern Time, Tuesdays March 5. 12, 19, 26, 2024

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September 2023:
​​Wednesday September 20, 2023, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time:
"The Feminine Mystique: Focusing on the Whole Person"  a recorded talk by Thomas Merton, North-Central CT International Thomas Merton Chapter Quarterly meeting

Saturday, September 23, 2023: Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop with Frank Pendola, Mike Smoolca, or Nancy Stimac, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom
 
Saturday, September 30, 2023: Francis and Clare of Assisi and the Contemplative Franciscan Way of Peace  with The Rt. Rev. Br. Mark D’Alessio, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom 

 
October 2023:
Saturday, October 7, 2023: BioSpiritual Focusing: Day of Presence, Genesis Spiritual Life and Conference Center, 53 Mill Street, Westfield, MA 01085

Saturday, October 14, 2023: The Power of Story: Exploring Hasidic Tales as a Path to Blessing with Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom 

​​Wednesday October 18, 2023, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: Welcoming Prayer Introductory Workshop with Mike Smoolca, Contemplative Outreach of CT, online over Zoom
 

November 2023:
November 10 - 12, 2023: Entering the Circle: A Contemplative Enneagram Soul Journey with Reverend Nhien Vuong, J.D., M.Div, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107
 
Saturday, November 18, 2023; Meister Eckhart’s Insights in the Context of Centering Prayer with Fr. Justin Lanier, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom 

 
December 2023:
Saturday, December 9, 2023: Finding Fullness through Simplicity with Mark Kutolowski, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom 
 
January 2024:
Saturday, January 27, 2024: BioSpiritual Focusing – Welcoming an Embodied Experience of Grace, with Donna O’Connor and Mike Smoolca, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom ​

Our Featured Events list continues to be updated to reflect those events in which In Via Lumen, LLC is involved. More events may be added as time goes on.

Mike Smoolca continues to offer Thursday evening online Contemplative Prayer meetings on Zoom. These sessions run from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. and will use the following format:
  1. Body Scan into Welcoming Prayer
  2. Video/Audio teaching with Sharing. 
  3. 20 minutes of Centering Prayer
  4. Scholastic Lectio Divina Practice on an excerpt from the upcoming Sunday Gospel

Participants are encouraged to join the Zoom meeting at 6:45 p.m so that any issues can be resolved in advance and so that the group is able to start on time. Please contact Mike Smoolca via email (msmoolca@hotmail.com) directly if you're interested in participating in these sessions!

Please visit the Contemplative Outreach of Connecticut Chapter web site!

I will continue revising the In Via Lumen, LLC web site to stay current with the inspirations of my developing spirituality and areas I'm actively engaged in.  -- Mike Smoolca

Featured Programs
Current Workshops and Groups
Spiritual Direction and Supervision
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Body Presence Practices
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Thomas Merton
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Christian Wisdom
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Engaging the World 
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Of Lasting Interest:


In the fall of 2021, Mike Smoolca was interviewed by Dr. Kevin Reese for his Inner Peace Podcast. Our conversation just came out and I invite you to listen to it.

You can find Kevin's other podcasts here:https://linktr.ee/inner.peace.pod
​Please visit the web page for the newly forming Farmington Valley League of Light Multifaith Community.  This community is a wonderful means of Multifaith solidarity. I'd like to draw your attention to the Contemplative Dialogue page.

I'm keep a running history of the pages I've changed below until the site has been updated to my satisfaction:
  • Reflections (7/7/2018)
Updated the About page with additional biographical information.

Latest Blog Entry finalized on 9/25/2016.

Here's a link to the archived recording of my recent radio interview on:  WESU's Reasonably Catholic Radio show.


The Day of Christian Contemplative Reflection on June 11, 2016 sponsored by the Christian Contemplative Prayer groups of Northern CT and being hosted by Holy Family was a wonderfully enriching Contemplative experience exploring the Spirituality of Thomas Merton.

We've completed two years (2014-2015, 2015-2016) of the Contemplative Outreach, Contemplative Formation Program in Central CT. Here are the Community pages for both years:
​
      Community Page for Living Flame 1 Experience
      Community Page for  Living Flame 2 Experience  

In the Summer of 2015 Contemplative Outreach Boston sponsored Contemplative Outreach Centering Prayer Presenter Training offered in the greater Hartford Area. Seven folks were trained over two weekends, since then, 2 of the 7 have become Commissioned Presenters of Centering Prayer.

​Here are the final updates on the Second Annual Day of Prayer held on June 6, 2015.
Divinely Inspired by the Holy Spirit..
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