Thomas Merton
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Spring And Summer 2017
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Our Lady of Calvary Retreat Center
Sisters of the Cross and Passion
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During Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in October 2015 he addressed a Joint Session of Congress and singled out Thomas Merton as one of four “great Americans.” Of Merton, the Pope remarked that:
“He remains a source of spiritual inspiration and a guide for many people… Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the Church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions.”
It is wonderful to explore to share the legacy of Thomas Merton together through the following two programs:
Please see more details below.
“He remains a source of spiritual inspiration and a guide for many people… Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the Church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions.”
It is wonderful to explore to share the legacy of Thomas Merton together through the following two programs:
- CONTINUING TO EXPLORE CONTEMPLATIVE LIVING WITH THOMAS MERTON’S NEW SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION (March 21 - May 16, 2017) - Register today at the Spiritual Life Center.
- Thomas Merton on Interreligious Dialogue (July 26, 2017) - Register today at Our Lady of Calvary.
Please see more details below.
Continuing to Explore CONTEMPLATIVE LIVING WITH THOMAS MERTON’S NEW SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION
Five Tuesday's, March 21 - May 16, 2017 7:00 - 9:00 pm
The following themes will be covered
Please Register in advance at Spiritual Life Center!
The following themes will be covered
- March 21 – Discipline and Integrity (Chapters 12,14)
- April 4 – Sin, Evil and Hatred (Chapters 13,16,17)
- April 18 – Faith, Wisdom and Understanding (Chapters 19,31)
- May 2 – Humility and Obedience (Chapters 25,26)
- May 16 – Detachment and Renunciation (Chapters 28,35)
Please Register in advance at Spiritual Life Center!
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Please obtain a copy of New Seeds of Contemplation to follow along with us during each session.
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New Seeds of Contemplation
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New Seeds of Contemplation is one of Thomas Merton's most widely read and best-loved books. Christians and non-Christians alike have joined in praising it as a notable successor in the ancient Contemplative tradition of St. John of the Cross, The Cloud of Unknowing, and the medieval mystics.
For Merton, "Every moment and every event in every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men. "
It's exciting to have the Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton return to the Spiritual Life Center! During our 3-month Contemplative journey we’ll continue exploring Thomas Merton’s insights on Contemplative Living that was begun in the spring of 2016 at Our Lady of Calvary. New Seeds of Contemplation is structured as a series of independent chapters, so newcomers can easily join in our workshop sessions.
In each session we’ll explore themes and writings from Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation and consider questions designed to engage us in the process of self-exploration and personal sharing. Participants seek to incorporate insights gained each evening into their lives during the intermediate period between sessions and we’ll have time to share them at the start of each session.
We hope you will join us!
For Merton, "Every moment and every event in every man's life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men. "
It's exciting to have the Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton return to the Spiritual Life Center! During our 3-month Contemplative journey we’ll continue exploring Thomas Merton’s insights on Contemplative Living that was begun in the spring of 2016 at Our Lady of Calvary. New Seeds of Contemplation is structured as a series of independent chapters, so newcomers can easily join in our workshop sessions.
In each session we’ll explore themes and writings from Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation and consider questions designed to engage us in the process of self-exploration and personal sharing. Participants seek to incorporate insights gained each evening into their lives during the intermediate period between sessions and we’ll have time to share them at the start of each session.
We hope you will join us!
Thomas Merton on Interreligious Dialogue
Wednesday, July 26, 2017,
Dinner at 6:00 p.m.
Program at 7:00 p.m.
Click here to register
Thomas Merton (1915 – 1968) was a converted Catholic, Trappist monk, mystic, prophet, spiritual master, intellectual and prolific writer. He was responsible for the rebirth of Christian Contemplation in the 20th Century, a key leader in Peace and Justice and Interreligious Dialogue in the 1960’s. Thomas Merton had connected with and guided countless individuals and well-known spiritual thinkers, activists and writers including each Pope from John XXIII onward, Dorothy Day, Daniel and Philip Berrigan, Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama. His writings attracted many men and women to religious life among them Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM and Fr. James Martin, S.J. who credit him as being important in opening them up to their vocations.
Thomas Merton’s Spiritual Journey led him to engage deeply in Interreligious Understanding and Dialogue. His inspiration is captured by the following: Since I am a Catholic, I believe, of course, that my Church guarantees for me the highest spiritual freedom. …. At the same time, this aspiration to spiritual, interior and personal freedom is not foreign to other branches of Christianity and to the other great religions of the world. It is the one thing that all the higher religions have in common…. I will be a better Catholic, not if I can refute every shade of Protestantism, but if I can affirm the truth in it and still go further. So too, with the Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhists, etc. This does not mean … careless friendliness that accepts everything by thinking of nothing. There is much that one cannot “affirm” and “accept”, but first one must say “yes” where one really can.
During our time together, we’ll review Thomas Merton’s life and spiritual journey with particular focus on Merton’s Christian Spirituality leading to an openness for Interreligious Dialogue. We’ll conclude by focusing on the Spiritual and Contemplative insights Merton obtained after years of study and deep dialogue with leaders of other religions.
Dinner at 6:00 p.m.
Program at 7:00 p.m.
Click here to register
Thomas Merton (1915 – 1968) was a converted Catholic, Trappist monk, mystic, prophet, spiritual master, intellectual and prolific writer. He was responsible for the rebirth of Christian Contemplation in the 20th Century, a key leader in Peace and Justice and Interreligious Dialogue in the 1960’s. Thomas Merton had connected with and guided countless individuals and well-known spiritual thinkers, activists and writers including each Pope from John XXIII onward, Dorothy Day, Daniel and Philip Berrigan, Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama. His writings attracted many men and women to religious life among them Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM and Fr. James Martin, S.J. who credit him as being important in opening them up to their vocations.
Thomas Merton’s Spiritual Journey led him to engage deeply in Interreligious Understanding and Dialogue. His inspiration is captured by the following: Since I am a Catholic, I believe, of course, that my Church guarantees for me the highest spiritual freedom. …. At the same time, this aspiration to spiritual, interior and personal freedom is not foreign to other branches of Christianity and to the other great religions of the world. It is the one thing that all the higher religions have in common…. I will be a better Catholic, not if I can refute every shade of Protestantism, but if I can affirm the truth in it and still go further. So too, with the Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhists, etc. This does not mean … careless friendliness that accepts everything by thinking of nothing. There is much that one cannot “affirm” and “accept”, but first one must say “yes” where one really can.
During our time together, we’ll review Thomas Merton’s life and spiritual journey with particular focus on Merton’s Christian Spirituality leading to an openness for Interreligious Dialogue. We’ll conclude by focusing on the Spiritual and Contemplative insights Merton obtained after years of study and deep dialogue with leaders of other religions.
Both Programs Presented by Mike Smoolca.
Mike Smoolca is coordinator of the Northern CT Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society. He has been presenting Thomas Merton programs and facilitating workshops over the past 5 years. Mike has been reading Thomas Merton for over 10 years and applying insights he’s obtained to his own spiritual journey.
Mike is a Spiritual Director and active in several ministries in his parish, St Mary’s in Simsbury, CT. Mike is a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer, Chapter Coordinator for Contemplative Outreach of CT, an experienced contemplative group and workshop facilitator and dedicated student of Contemplative practices. A few years ago Mike retired from a nearly 30 year career in Business and Technology to focus on deepening his relationships, spirituality, teaching and service to others.
Mike Smoolca is coordinator of the Northern CT Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society. He has been presenting Thomas Merton programs and facilitating workshops over the past 5 years. Mike has been reading Thomas Merton for over 10 years and applying insights he’s obtained to his own spiritual journey.
Mike is a Spiritual Director and active in several ministries in his parish, St Mary’s in Simsbury, CT. Mike is a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer, Chapter Coordinator for Contemplative Outreach of CT, an experienced contemplative group and workshop facilitator and dedicated student of Contemplative practices. A few years ago Mike retired from a nearly 30 year career in Business and Technology to focus on deepening his relationships, spirituality, teaching and service to others.