An Invitation to Return Home: Connecting with Spirit in Nature
Saturday, September 28, 2024
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Colleen Mollica, M.A.A.T. and Marcie Swift, M.Ed., N.C.S.P., C.M.P.
The natural world is our first and best way of seeking the Divine. Time in nature reawakens us to what we have always known - creation is a source of spiritual connection. Pope Francis reminds us that our common home is like a mother’s welcoming embrace. This program invites us to linger in this reciprocal embrace while providing space for mindful attention to the Spirit and the Earth. We will learn practices to deepen this relationship and consider ways to heal our sacred home. We will also fill our hearts with the deeply healing vibrations of the harp, played by therapeutic musician Marcie Swift, during a guided walk through our labyrinth. Allow the notes to anchor you to our sacred Earth and fill you with the wonder and delight of the Divine’s embrace.
Offering: $75, includes lunch
Tentative Program Outline:
9:00-9:15 a.m. - Welcome and Land Acknowledgement
9:15-9:45 a.m. - Introduction and Centering
Facilitator and Participant introductions / Gratitude practice
9:45-10:15 a.m. - Teaching on themes for the day
(Our relationship with earth and spirit - Laudato Si’)
10:15-11:00 a.m. - Guided meditation and Journaling OR transcendent experience activity
11:00-11:15 a.m. - Break
11:15-12:30 p.m. - Harp and Labirynth (Incorporate themes - seed with reflection questions)
12:30-1:30 p.m. - Lunch
1:30-1:40 p.m. - Return and Centering Practice
1:40-2:00 p.m. - Returning to our senses and earth - Intro to Lectio Natura
2:00-3:00 p.m. - Time on Land / Lectio Natura
3:00-3:15 p.m. - Journaling
3:15-3:30 p.m. - Break
3:30-4:00 p.m. - Closing /sharing circle / Prayer
Presenter Profiles
Colleen Mollica
Colleen Mollica is a Kripalu Certified Mindful Outdoor Guide, Interfaith Campus Minister, and Laudato Si' animator with over 25 years of experience facilitating outdoor leisure, educational, and mindfulness activities. She founded Soulful Earth Connections, offering Mindful Outdoor Experiences (MOEs) for community groups. Colleen is also the Social Justice Outreach Coordinator for the Albert and Amelia Ferst Interfaith Center at Westfield State University and is actively engaged in social and environmental advocacy. She is the visionary behind the installation of the Interfaith Garden at Westfield State University. She is passionate about protecting the more-than-human world and nurturing the human spirit.
Marcie Swift
Marcie Swift is a psychologist and certified therapeutic musician who creates sanctuaries of sound that heal and elevate. She brings her warmth and energy to concerts, retreats, labyrinths, assisted living centers, hospices and private homes. In 2010, Marcie recorded her album “Thread of Life,” showcasing her original compositions, storytelling, and guided imagery. She recently produced a new album with violinist and husband Gordon Swift, as the duo FIDDLE&HARP, called “The Heart is True."
Dietary restrictions? Holy Family is committed to making your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, and to that end, we can accommodate most dietary needs. Please email Ted, our registrar, at tjastrzebski@holyfamilyretreat.org, if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, so that we may make preparations in advance of your retreat.