INTERNATIONAL THOMAS MERTON SOCIETY NORTH-CENTRAL CONNECTICUT CHAPTER (NCCITMS) Past Meeting Summaries
Our group generally holds in person meetings at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford, CT. Meetings at Holy Family usually take place in the Center Building First Floor Classroom. Other times we simply meet over Zoom.
June 12, 2024
New Seeds of Contemplation, published in 1962 is a modern spiritual classic and a must-read Thomas Merton book. It uniquely represents the last 3 stages of Merton’s life. It is a revision of Seeds of Contemplation (written just after Seven Storey Mountain and published in 1949) and was worked on as he was transitioning from his late-stage Personal Spirituality into Engaged Spirituality.
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The Spring/Summer 2024 Quarterly meeting of the North-Central CT ITMS Chapter took place over Zoom on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. ET
This meeting included a panel discussion which involved some members of a recently-completed Spiritual Book Study group who, over a two-year span, completed reflection and sharing on New Seeds of Contemplation. Mike Smoolca, who facilitated the group provided background on New Seeds of Contemplation and how it evolved from an earlier work, Seeds of Contemplation. He also facilitated the panel discussion. There were opportunities for those attending to ask questions of the panel and to share their own insights on New Seeds of Contemplation. |
February 24, 2024
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The Winter 2024 Quarterly meeting of the North-Central CT ITMS Chapter was a collaboration with the Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family
On Saturday, February 24, 2024 Douglas Hertler presented a Contemplative Day structured around his one-man play, Merton and Me | A Living Trinity in person at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107 |
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September 20, 2023
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The Fall 2023 Quarterly meeting of the North-Central CT ITMS Chapter was held on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time over Zoom.
This meeting focused on listening to and having a facilitated discussion of one of Thomas Merton's recorded teachings. The topic of the teaching to be shared is: "The Feminine Mystique: Focusing on the Whole Person." Merton is often criticized by his use the the masculine language of his time. This talk, given to a group of religious sisters, was aimed at helping bring Merton's own view of the Feminine into greater clarity. |
June 21, 2023
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The Summer 2023 Quarterly meeting of the North-Central CT ITMS Chapter was held over Zoom on Wednesday June 21, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. The evening included a review and dialogue on Thomas Merton's essay entitled The Good Samaritan.
Selected by Thomas Merton for inclusion in his anthology entitled A Thomas Merton Reader, this essay is a wonderful exposition on God's Mercy which both opens up this parable in a new and deeper way as well as provides insights into one of the cornerstones of Merton's own Christian Spirituality. Mike Smoolca reviewed key aspects of this essay and facilitated a dialogue with those attending to allow them to share their insights.
A PDF scanned copy of this essay was provided to those who have signed up to attend. |
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March 18, 2023
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Our Spring 2023 Quarterly meeting was held on Saturday, March 18, 2023 in conjunction with the Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family.
The topic was: The Mystical Experience of Everyday Living presented by Sophfronia Scott, M.F.A. Mysticism is often viewed as the privileged experience of a few chosen, holy individuals. But German Jesuit, Karl Rahner, wrote about "everyday mysticism,” and Carmelite Sister Ruth Burrows described the mystical life simply as “God touching the depths of our being.” God is closer than we think--to all of us. We’ll explore everyday mysticism as life events filled with God's unmistakable presence. Sharing Thomas Merton’s experiences and her own, Sophfronia helped attendees notice, identify, and appreciate mystical encounters in their everyday lives. |
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January 18, 2023
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Our Winter 2023 Quarterly was held on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time over Zoom.
The topic was Contemplative Dialogue as a reflection and extension of Thomas Merton's Contemplative Engagement with the World. Thomas Merton is known for his ability to meaningfully engage with people from a place of deep listening and understanding which found expression through his pioneering work for Interreligious Dialogue. Merton engaged people from the Contemplative Spiritual foundation on which his life was based. The term Contemplative Dialogue is familiar to those who have participated in the bridges to contemplative living with thomas merton series edited by Jonathan Montaldo and Robert G. Toth. The eight principles for sharing presented in the series were derived from a more comprehensive practice for effective interpersonal and organizational interactions developed by Steven Wirth, the founder of The Center of Contemplative Dialogue. Though Contemplative Dialogue is based on Communications and Organizational Theory, one of Steve's early inspirations for developing this method was his experience of facilitating a conference of diverse set of world leaders at the Abbey of Gethsemani in 2000. In our time together we explored the key ideas from Thomas Merton's Contemplative Spirituality that influenced the way he engaged with people and how those ideas are reflected and extended in the formal method of Contemplative Dialogue. This talk was presented by Mike Smoolca and Paul Uccello who have both been trained in and have shared Contemplative Dialogue with others. |
You can download Mike and Paul's presentation here:
Mike Smoolca
Mike Smoolca is a contemplative group and workshop facilitator and a dedicated teacher and student of contemplative practice and wisdom spirituality. He is a Contemplative Outreach presenter and coordinator for the Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family, Contemplative Outreach of CT, and the Northern CT Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society. Mike is a practicing spiritual director and supervisor as well as a BioSpiritual Focusing companion and teacher. Paul Uccello Paul lives in Manchester, CT with his wife, Joanne and their dog, Riley and they have 7 grandchildren. Paul held various executive management positions at United (Raytheon) Technologies Corp as well as the president of Fenn Manufacturing before retiring in 2017. He received several masters degrees in Business and also attended the Harvard Business School Executive management program. Paul also earned a master's degree from Hartford Seminary and did additional post graduate work at the seminary in the field of multi faith chaplaincy. Early in his retirement he was an assisted living and hospice chaplain. | ||
November 19, 2022
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Our fall Quarterly meeting was a public event in cooperation with the Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family. It will be held on Saturday November 19, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time
We spent a Saturday in Contemplative Community with Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO, a Trappist monk of over 60 years and one of the few remaining personal students of Thomas Merton, and his long-time friend, Judith Valente, an award-winning Journalist, Poet and Contemplative Retreat leader. The topic we shared was Heart Speaks to Heart: : Correspondence as Spiritual Practice. In addition to sharing insights on Spiritual Correspondence, we also explored Haiku as a Spiritual Practice and spent time viewing Br. Paul's photographs, listening to him read his poetry and reflect on his Contemplative life as a monk at Gethsemani. Here is collection of his photos and Haiku's as well as a video Judith interviewing Br. Paul that was the beginning of their friendship. |
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Other resources from this day:
July 13, 2022
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Our Summer 2022 Chapter Quarterly Meeting was held on Wednesday July 13, 2022 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
This was a hybrid meeting held over Zoom and in person at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT. The topic of Visual Arts and Creativity - Influences on Thomas Merton's Spiritual Journey was presented by Mike Smoolca and Paul Uccello. Thomas Merton's parents were both artists and Merton's perspective on art was something that was influenced a great deal by his father. It provided his first real insight into Spirituality. His perspectives were further influenced by studying Jacques Maritain and William Blake. Though he wrote comparatively little about art, he was a lifetime artist and what he did write revealed deep Spiritual insight. Drawing, printing and photography were his visual mediums of choice and, especially after becoming a monk, his art seemed to be a form of spiritual expression for him. In our time together we covered the following:
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The Presentation and additional research are available below:
The following is the video from our meeting: |
March 18, 2022
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Our Spring 2022 Quarterly Chapter Meeting was held on Friday, March 18, 2022 from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. online over Zoom.
We will shared a time online with Brother Paul Quenon, OSCO from the Trappist Abbey at Gethsemani, KY and Judith Valente, Author and Journalist. Brother Paul was one of Thomas Merton's novices. He and Judith recently published a book together entitled How to Be. Here's an interesting recent article on Br. Paul: https://www.wkyufm.org/2022-02-19/monk-who-aged-in-kentucky-sees-environmental-changes The talk is organized into 3 sections:
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This is the recording of our Zoom session.
January 26, 2022
Our Winter 2022 Quarterly Chapter Meeting was held on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. online over Zoom.
Based on the votes of those who expressed an interest to attend, we'll shared the Tuesday with Merton video by Jonathan Montaldo entitled: Thomas Merton's Contemplative Exercises for Entering the School of Our Lives. Following our viewing a facilitated discussion based on what Jonathan shared was held.
Here are some questions folks were asked to ponder as they listen to Jonathan's talk:
Based on the votes of those who expressed an interest to attend, we'll shared the Tuesday with Merton video by Jonathan Montaldo entitled: Thomas Merton's Contemplative Exercises for Entering the School of Our Lives. Following our viewing a facilitated discussion based on what Jonathan shared was held.
Here are some questions folks were asked to ponder as they listen to Jonathan's talk:
- Notice what remarks touched you most deeply and why?
- Was there anything particularly true and/or particularly challenging that Jonathan shared?
- How have you found yourself kneeling with Merton (in his writings) in prayer waiting for Graces that you could not give yourself?
- How have Jonathan's reflections invited you along with Merton to ponder the School of your own life?
- What experiences with Merton have invited you to hear things that have been said by "the One who lives in and speaks to us both?"
- Who would you include in the Index of your lives of the people who formed you including those whom you own much to for their goodness?
October 23, 2021
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Our Fall 2021 quarterly meeting was our annual public event which was a partnership with the Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family. Sophfronia Scott, an award winning author and winner of the 2021 Louie Award for her book The Seeker and the Monk - Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton, presented a rich day on the Humanity of Thomas Merton both online an in-person at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford, CT. It was a wonderful day of teaching, reflection, silent prayer and sharing with the central premise being that though Thomas Merton lived as a contemplative monk studying, writing, and praying, he remained vulnerable in his humanity, making him most accessible to us. Seen through the lens of grace, Merton’s teaching can help us learn to reach for God through our imperfections.
Click here to get Sophfronia’s handouts from the day. |
July 21, 2021
Our Summer 2021 quarterly meeting was held in person and on Zoom. We met at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford, CT on July 21, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time. Mike Smoolca shared background on the part of Merton's life depicted in the film and his essay "Day of a Stranger", we watched and then held a facilitated discussion on the newly released film on Thomas Merton entitled Day of a Stranger.
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Links to the trailers are provided to the right. You can rent or purchase this beautifully made film at: vimeo.com/ondemand/dayofastranger
Other resources referenced during out time together: www.goodreads.com/book/show/351726.Dancing_in_the_Water_of_Life Journal in which Merton;s Day of a Stranger essay was originally written: A Thomas Merton Reader contains the published version of that same Essay: www.goodreads.com/book/show/351728.A_Thomas_Merton_Reader A paper written by Lawrence S. Cunningham about Thomas Merton and the Stranger: thomasmertonsociety.org/Dark/Cunningham.pdf |
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April 14, 2021
Our Spring Quarterly meeting was held over Zoom on April 14, 2021. We featured a discussion with Sophfronia Scott around her new Book, The Seeker and the Monk which was released on March 16,2021.
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Sophfronia Scott is the author of The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton. As a novelist, essayist, and leading contemplative thinker, her work has appeared in Time, People, O: The Oprah Magazine, and numerous other outlets. When her first novel, All I Need to Get By, was published, she was nominated for best new author at the African American Literary Awards and hailed by Henry Louis Gates Jr. as "one of the best writers of her generation." Her other books include Unforgivable Love, Love's Long Line, and This Child of Faith. Scott holds degrees from Harvard and the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the director of the MFA in Creative Writing program at Alma College in Alma, Michigan and lives in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
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January 12, 2021
Our Winter Quarterly meeting was held on January 12, 2021. It was a facilitated discussion of the participants notes from Merton's invitation to Nonviolence presentation at our Fall 2020 public Quarterly meeting. Material from the Fall 2020 Quarterly meeting, Thomas Merton, an invitation to non-violence. was posted on our past NCCTIMS meeting page and provided a basis for discussion.
November 4, 2020
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Our Fall 2020 Quarterly meeting on Thomas Merton's Invitation to Nonviolence was held on Wednesday November 4, 2020 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. with lively discussions continuing afterwards.
This was our annual public event held over Zoom and was supported by Our Lady of Calvary Retreat Center, 31 Colton Street, Farmington, CT. You can download the material from this workshop by clicking here! |
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August 19, 2020
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Mike Smoolca facilitated a discussion of Merton's essay "Letters to a White Liberal" over Zoom from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Prior to attending this meeting members were encouraged to read either read the full version of "Letters to a White Liberal" (published in Seeds of Destruction) or the partially transcribed copy posted here. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Burmingham Jail" which inspired Merton to write this essay were also provided as suggested reading. This session was an inspired and engaging discussion of the topics from the essay that touched folks deeply and on the essay's themes of "the ineffectiveness of Laws at changing hearts" and "what Christians are called to do in the face of racism." |
March 22, 2020
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On Sunday March 22, 2020 from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. Mike Smoolca presented the program entitled THOMAS MERTON: THE ARC AND INSIGHTS FROM A MODERN CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATIVE JOURNEY over the Zoom Online Platform. This was a public event endorsed by Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center, 53 Mill Street, Westfield,MA.
Download handouts by clicking here! |
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January 15, 2020
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On January 15, 2020 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. we held our winter quarterly meeting of the North-Central Connecticut ITMS Chapter at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road in West Hartford, CT.
We viewed and discussed Merton: A Film Biography produced by Paul Wilkes. |
October 10, 2019
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On October 10. 2019 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. we held our fall quarterly meeting of the North-Central Connecticut ITMS Chapter on the subject of Thomas Merton and Nature at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center. Mike Smoolca presented background and material gathered from various Merton works and writings about Thomas Merton and facilitated group discussion. You can access and review the handouts here.
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May 29, 2019
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On May 29, 2019 we had a combined 2nd and 3rd quarter Chapter meeting of the North-Central Connecticut ITMS Chapter at Our Lady of Calvary Retreat Center, 31 Colton St, Farmington, CT 06032.
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Mike Smoolca presented a workshop entitled A Monk’s Insights on Love - Thomas Merton’s realization on the core of the Spiritual Life which focused on Thomas Merton's Journey and Insights on Love.
You can download handouts from the workshop here.
You can download handouts from the workshop here.
January 31, 2019
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We spent the evening listening to and discussing Merton's teaching the Novices at Gethsemani from his recorded lectures. You can listen to some Audio Clips of Thomas Merton on the Thomas Merton Center Website.
Here's the agenda for the evening. For those of you interested in the program we listened to you can find it at Now You Know Media. |
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November 8, 2018
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On Thursday, November 8th we spent the evening on a book study of The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton: A New Look at the Spiritual Inspiration of His Life, Thought, and Writing by Fr. Daniel P. Horan OFM.
View Mike Smoolca's notes that guided our discussions. |
View the above video to get to know Fr. Daniel P. Horan and his perspectives on Franciscan Spirituality and Thomas Merton.
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July 26, 2018
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On Thursday July 26, 2018 our quarterly Chapter meeting consisted of the following two parts:
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This movie is distinctive because it was produced, directed, photographed and edited by the monks themselves. Nearly all of the music was composed, arranged and performed by the monks as well. Even the cover art was designed by a monk (by Fr. Elias, our abbot). "One Day" covers one day, but it has been two years in the making.
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April 25, 2018
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On April 25, 2018 our quarterly Chapter meeting of the North-Central Connecticut ITMS Chapter was held at Our Lady of Calvary Retreat Center, 31 Colton St, Farmington, CT 06032.
Mike Smoolca presented a workshop entitled Making the Insights of Thomas Merton Accessible which focused on Thomas Merton's Spirituality, his understandings of the True Self and Contemplation and the Christian call to engage the World Nonviolently. |
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Download the Handouts from the Presentation below:
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January 25, 2018
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The primary topic for this session was viewing and discussion of the latest DVD on Thomas Merton life entitled:The Many Storeys and Last Days of Thomas Merton. This DVD focused on 1968, the last year of Merton's which seems fitting as 2018 marks the 50th year since his passing.
We started by the reading of a passage from Thomas Merton's writings from an Essay from Faith and Violence published in 1968. The Essay was entitled Apologies to an Unbeliever and it can be downloaded from here. After reading the Essay we shared how it touched us. |
Here's the trailer for the DVD we watched.
You can find more information on the film here: http://tommerton.com/ You may download the Essay we shared below:
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October 10, 2017
Don Da Ros lead us during this evening. One of our members, Debbie Gilbert, a local poet provided a poet's insights into the poems that we reviewed.
The agenda for this evening's meeting was:
The agenda for this evening's meeting was:
- The poems below were read in a group one at a time and time was taken to reflect and share on each individually. In addition, Don brought in copies of another Merton Poem entitled: FOR MARGIE IN OCTOBER for us to share as a group.
- Don provided a brief background presentation on Merton as Poet and his poems
- Attendees will be invited to share another Merton poem (or two if time) each and why they liked those poems. A number of Merton's poems can be found online using the links below.
July 26, 2017 |
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Our July 2017 quarterly Chapter meeting of the North-Central Connecticut ITMS Chapter was held at Our Lady of Calvary Retreat Center, 31 Colton St, Farmington, CT, 06032
Many of our members attended Dinner and a Presentation entitled Thomas Merton on Interreligious Dialogue. This was a wonderful opportunity to support Our Lady of Calvary Retreat Center as well. |
Download the Handouts from the Presentation below:
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April 27, 2017Our April 2017 quarterly meeting covered the following topics:
A document containing the drawings Don discussed is to the right. These drawings represent the different phases of Merton's artwork but are only a minute fraction of the artwork that Merton created throughout his lifetime. |
Don's Bibliography on Merton's artwork is as follows:
THE MAN IN THE SYCAMORE TREE- THE GOOD TIMES AND HARD LIFE OF THOMAS MERTON, BY EDWARD RICE; THOMAS MERTON DIALOGUES WITH SILENCE- PRAYERS AND DRAWINGS, EDITED BY JOHATHAN MONTALDO; THOMAS MERTON RAIDS ON THE UNSPEAKABLE; ANGELIC MISTAKES- THE ART OF THOMAS MERTON BY ROGER LIPSEY; THE MERTON ANNUAL VOLUME 18- FONS VITAL 2005, PAGES 237-255, BY PAUL PEARSON; PORTRAIT OF THE MONK AS ARTIST- DEBORAH KEHOE: THE MERTON SEASONAL VOL 31, NO 3, FALL 2006: PGS 32-34. SIGNATURES OF SOMEONE NOT AROUND-REVIEW OF ANGELIC MISTAKES: THE ART OF THOMAS MERTON BY ROGER LIPSEY, BY DONNA KRISTOFF, OSU; THOMAS MERTON SELECTED ESSAYS, PATRICK F. OCONNELL, EDITOR, Selection: Chapter 7, Theology of Creativity pgs. 86-101 | |||
January 26, 2017
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Our January, 2017 quarterly meeting of the newly organized Thomas Merton Society took place on Thursday January 26, 2017 at Holy Family Passionist Retreat in West Hartford from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
During this meeting we:
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October 13, 2016At this kick-off meeting we came to know one another and we shared in a discussion of the ideas and structure of the group. We watched the DVD Soul Searching, The Journey of Thomas Merton.and shared in discussion of the movie.
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Find out more about Soul Searching by Morgan Atkinson here:
http://www.morganatkinson.com/images/merton.html |