Led by Jill Benet via Zoom
Intensive Retreats provide an opportunity for participants to immerse themselves fully in the practice of Centering Prayer as taught by Contemplative Outreach, often proving to be a watershed in their practice. There will be up to three hours of Centering Prayer each day and time outside meetings is held in silence, with time for personal reflection, contemplative liturgy and Lectio Divina. We will draw on material from Thomas Keating’s last teaching video series, ‘That We May Be One’. The retreat is recommended for those who have practised Centering Prayer for at least six months. All meetings will be online using the Zoom platform.
Jill is a teacher of Centering Prayer. She is the London Co-ordinator of Contemplative Outreach, founded to teach the method of Centering Prayer and to support Centering Prayer groups and communities. She has studied in-depth the conceptual background and has attended several retreats led by its founder, Father Thomas Keating, as well as retreats led by Cynthia Bourgeault and Richard Rohr, among others. She has trained in the US and UK and leads groups, Introductory Days, Quiet Days and retreats. Jill is a co-founder of the Silence in the City series of talks on the contemplative life.
Retreat from home cost: £290
Concessions may be available and are allocated according to need. If you are able to contribute the full cost, or more, this allows us to offer a concessionary rate to those who most need it. We are very grateful for all donations towards concessionary places. Please get in touch for more information.
Experiences from online Centering Prayer retreats:
‘I find that joining with others while at home helps to integrate my practice into everyday life.’
‘God clearly has no trouble working online! The retreat was a very rewarding experience, and very encouraging. Something I particularly appreciated, as well as Jill’s sensitive leading, was that she fully participated in the retreat as a member of the group.’
‘It worked remarkably, and satisfyingly, well. Everyone entered fully into the retreat and we were so thankful to have been given this opportunity. I hope we’ll be able to have more retreats on zoom, for many reasons - not least of which is that it makes it possible for people who would otherwise be unable to attend an in-house retreat (physically and/or financially) to be able to benefit from this spiritually nourishing experience.’
‘Attending a Centering Prayer Retreat online helped deepen my commitment to its practice. Geographical distance between participants became meaningless when we practised Centering Prayer online together, a powerful and profound experience. Its impact has lingered beyond a weekend that exceeded my expectations.’
‘We were a small group, part of a greater whole, interconnected via the internet, that mirrored our inter - connectedness into a greater Mystery, the body of Christ.’