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.
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 7/11/2026
The Spring/Summer 2026 North-Central CT International Thomas Merton Society (NCCTITMS) Chapter Meeting was held on June 17, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Slides from our Spring/Summer Chapter meeting have been made available on our Past Meetings page.
View our latest email announcement!
We continue to update our list of programs for the current season, continue to watch this space and check our Featured Programs page for additional listings!
The Spring/Summer 2026 North-Central CT International Thomas Merton Society (NCCTITMS) Chapter Meeting was held on June 17, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Slides from our Spring/Summer Chapter meeting have been made available on our Past Meetings page.
View our latest email announcement!
We continue to update our list of programs for the current season, continue to watch this space and check our Featured Programs page for additional listings!
Here's a current list of upcoming programs:
August 2026:
August 13 - 18, 2026 Guided BioSpiritual Focusing Weeklong Retreat,Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center, 53 Mill Street, Westfield, MA 01085
September 2026:
September 22, 2026 - March 16, 2027 Becoming a BioSpiritual Focusing Companion, online via Zoom
October 2026:
Saturday, October 3, 2026, 8:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop with Mike Smoolca and Noel Terranova, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom (Formation – Introductory Workshop)
Saturday, October 10, 2026 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. For the Beauty of the Earth: Sculpture as Prayer; Beauty, the Apophatic and Hope with Fr. Sam Fuller OFM Cap, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom
Saturday, October 24, 2026 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. The Good Eye Opens: An Introduction to Contemplative Photography with Ronald Barnett, PhD, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom
November 2026:
November 6-8, 2026 Modern Mystical and Contemplative Wisdom: Spiritual Insights from Howard Thurman, Evelyn Underhill, and Ram Dass with Carl McColman, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom (Overnight Retreat)
Saturday, November 21, 2026 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Becoming Aware and Releasing Obstacles to Grace Through Centering Prayer with Colleen Thomas, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom
December 2026:
Saturday, December 5, 2026 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M I AM – the sacred doorway of the Aramaic Heart of Jesus with Rev Henry Schoenfield, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom
See our Featured Events list for more programming. This page continues to be updated to reflect those events in which In Via Lumen, LLC is involved. Events may be added as time goes on.
August 2026:
August 13 - 18, 2026 Guided BioSpiritual Focusing Weeklong Retreat,Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center, 53 Mill Street, Westfield, MA 01085
September 2026:
September 22, 2026 - March 16, 2027 Becoming a BioSpiritual Focusing Companion, online via Zoom
October 2026:
Saturday, October 3, 2026, 8:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop with Mike Smoolca and Noel Terranova, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom (Formation – Introductory Workshop)
Saturday, October 10, 2026 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. For the Beauty of the Earth: Sculpture as Prayer; Beauty, the Apophatic and Hope with Fr. Sam Fuller OFM Cap, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom
Saturday, October 24, 2026 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. The Good Eye Opens: An Introduction to Contemplative Photography with Ronald Barnett, PhD, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom
November 2026:
November 6-8, 2026 Modern Mystical and Contemplative Wisdom: Spiritual Insights from Howard Thurman, Evelyn Underhill, and Ram Dass with Carl McColman, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom (Overnight Retreat)
Saturday, November 21, 2026 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Becoming Aware and Releasing Obstacles to Grace Through Centering Prayer with Colleen Thomas, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom
December 2026:
Saturday, December 5, 2026 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M I AM – the sacred doorway of the Aramaic Heart of Jesus with Rev Henry Schoenfield, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 and via Zoom
See our Featured Events list for more programming. This page continues to be updated to reflect those events in which In Via Lumen, LLC is involved. Events may be added as time goes on.
A BioSpiritual Focusing Approach to Supervision for Spiritual Direction
Using BioSpiritual Focusing during spiritual companionship can open the door to new insights and deep noticings of the movement of the Spirit. Using it in the context of peer supervision can be equally powerful. If you are familiar with BioSpiritual Focus and would like to hone your skills within the supportive peer supervision circle, join facilitators Nancy Benben and Mike Smoolca on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, 6:30pm to 8:00pm, beginning September 8, 2026.
The year will be broken down into two sessions: September - January and February - June. The suggested offering for each session is $50, with accommodations available for anyone who may need them.
Please email [email protected] if you're interested in joining us. A registration page will be made available soon.
Using BioSpiritual Focusing during spiritual companionship can open the door to new insights and deep noticings of the movement of the Spirit. Using it in the context of peer supervision can be equally powerful. If you are familiar with BioSpiritual Focus and would like to hone your skills within the supportive peer supervision circle, join facilitators Nancy Benben and Mike Smoolca on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, 6:30pm to 8:00pm, beginning September 8, 2026.
The year will be broken down into two sessions: September - January and February - June. The suggested offering for each session is $50, with accommodations available for anyone who may need them.
Please email [email protected] if you're interested in joining us. A registration page will be made available soon.
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:
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 ([email protected]) 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
- Body Scan into Welcoming Prayer
- Video/Audio teaching with Sharing.
- 20 minutes of Centering Prayer
- 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 ([email protected]) 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
|
|
|
Thomas Merton
|
|
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:
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.
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)
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.