| Typical Course Descriptions | Sabbatical Schedule | Rates & Reservations | Testimonials |
Atmosphere and Daily Rhythm:
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he emphasis of the Contemplative Study and Retreat Sabbatical is on spirituality, specifically spirituality that is anchored in a contemplative attitude and approach towards life. The atmosphere provided by the Sonoran Desert is essential to the experience. The desert, if we allow it to serve as a metaphor for our spiritual journey, can provide unique access to God. We believe that the desert experience is an important part of what makes the Contemplative Study and Retreat Sabbatical opportunity unique.
The Retreat Sabbatical is envisioned as a program that will complement the Sonoran desert experience. Each participant will receive a private room with bath. There are no telephones or televisions in the rooms.
The participants will have for their use a variety of amenities to enhance their physical and spiritual development and well-being. Chief among them are the common room (Francis Seelos room), oratory, art studio, bookstore, swimming pool, labyrinth and a library. They will have access to Internet, daily newspaper, television, laundry room and massage (with discount rate). Outdoor activities such as walking and hiking on local trails behind our Center are also popular among past Sabbatical participants. The art studio is well equipped.
The teaching and study component of the Retreat Sabbatical is offered usually in the morning for two hours (9:30-11:30 a.m.) Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday is scheduled to be the Desert Day when participants would meet with an assigned spiritual advisor individually on one week and as a group in another week to process their sabbatical journey. The opportunity for daily meditation, Morning Prayer, and Eucharist is provided. Participants are free to come and go as they wish and free to participate in any part of the course they may find appealing. The afternoons and the evenings are unscheduled, providing plenty of opportunity for reading, rest, and recreation.
Three meals a day are served; every effort is made to accommodate all diet requests. Multiple choices are routinely provided by the kitchen staff and for those participants requiring or preferring a vegetarian option.
The staff of the Redemptorist Renewal Center understands that Retreat Sabbatical participants are coming to the Center for a variety of reasons. An essential component in a sabbatical program is to provide a welcoming atmosphere and a sense of belonging. Our only expectation will be to serve you and to contribute to the best of our ability to your renewal of mind, body and spirit.
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Descriptions of Typical Course Offerings
Orientation Week
Since ancient times people have gone to the desert to encounter God. The physical desert can be a metaphor for our spiritual journey and lead us into a new understanding of the nature of God. Depending on the availability of staff and volunteers, field trips to some of the following can be arranged: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Saguaro National Park, Mount Lemmon, Mission San Xavier and other places of interest will help sabbatical participants to understand the mysteries of the physical desert. (Coury, Santa, Wiest, Tran, Patterson)
Desert Spirituality
In the desert, the seeds of grace are everywhere only waiting the heavens' rain. The week will begin with the an introduction to the spirit a desert calls forth. During the week participants will explore how the austerity of the desert can lead to solitude, silence, prayer and contemplation. The message of the prophet Hosea blesses the desert: “Listen to the desert and I will speak to your heart” (Hosea 2:16). For centuries men and women of every faith tradition have come to the desert to listen for God’s voice. Desert spirituality is a contemplative stance in which there is silence, attention to God, and an open heart. Desert Spirituality is a time to explore and listen to the voices that the desert will bring to you. (Wiest)
How Archaeology Teaches about Religiosity of Desert People
This course encourages attendees to think about how the ways of ancient desert people teach us about living a religious life today. How did these people relate to their god or gods? How did the desert help form their spiritual or inner life and help them relate to the divine? What can we infer from evidence of religious values of the Hohokam peoples who inhabited southern Arizona that might be comparable to or remind us of who we are? The study will include real ancient artifacts to help students travel back in time mentally, to envision the lifestyle, possible beliefs and worldview of the Hohokam. It also includes a visit to the petroglyph site here at the Redemptorist Renewal Center. (Dart)
Native American Spirituality
This course wil explore Native American spirituality, including some of the cultural practices, rituals, and ceremonies of this diverse group of people. The facilitator invites open discussion of matters that speak to the hearts of American Indians. (Steele)
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Christian Tradition of Spiritual Discernment
How do we know what God is calling us to do or be? Traditionally, Christians use a prayerful process of discernment. Spiritual Director Teresa Blythe will spend time exploring what discernment is and how people experience God in discernment. Day One will explore Ignatian style discernment and Day Two will explore Quaker style discernment. (Blythe)
Spirituality of Self-Care
The health of a person’s spirituality is determined largely by how well they take care of themselves. A human person can be viewed as “all-four-one,” meaning that we have four aspects of our selves (mental, emotional, physical and spiritual) that blend together into one whole person. We are all stewards of the one sacred life that God has given us. This means we are responsible for our mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. No one else is. The Spirituality of Self-care will help attendees to integrate all of these aspects of self-care. (Wehrley)
Growing in Faith and in Prayer through Contemplation of Nature
The program's presentations will explore what the natural sciences reveal about our amazing universe -- its vastness, history and intricacy, our profound connection with it, and God's active and loving presence within it. Scripture, theological understanding and guided prayerful reflection will enrich these explorations. The aim of the program is a deeper appreciation and awareness of the Mystery of creation, its divinely given freedom, integrity and dynamism, and its fertility, transience and fragility which is consonant with Christian experience and spirituality. (Stoeger)
Finding Balance in Ministry
As we conclude our sabbatical time, it is helpful to note what supports we can develop to maintain balance in our spiritual lives while reentering ministry. This workshop will explore three legs on which we balance the challenges of a busy working life. It will incorporate input, reflection, silence, sharing, and music. We will explore ways to bolster any weaknesses we anticipate as challenges to retaining our composure after this time of sabbatical. (Verploegen)
Spirituality of the Heart
As Christians we are called to the fullness of an ever new and transformed life. This newness calls for healing and growth. God is the center of this growth and so we learn to gently participate in it. Participating in our growth is like being a gardener. We create an ecology in which the seeds that God has planted and which God brings to fruition can thrive. In the Spirituality of the Heart we will explore this inner ecology. (Coury)
The Wisdom Tradition in the Old Testament and Contemplative Spirituality 
When we hear "wisdom" in the Bible we might think of an intellectual tradition that attempted to answer some of the hard questions of life: the problem of suffering or the questions that surround death. But wisdom, in the Old Testament, was more than just answers. It was a skill set that was acquired through experience as well as revelation. It was and still is the capacity to look deeper into the way things are and see what is often missed. In this way it is a tradition that has much in common with a contemplative way of life. In this unit participants will examine the foundations for a biblical wisdom theology using the commonly accepted Wisdom texts from the Old Testament: Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes. The focus of these presentations is to provide an update in current thinking on the biblical books and to make connections between them and contemplative spirituality . (Parker)
Uncovering the Spiritual Through Art
The imagination is a living river that seeks an outlet into the world. One of the outlets you can discover on your spiritual journey of renewal is Art. This course will invite you to engage in an art medium that you feel drawn to. You will then use this medium to explore your own imagination and your spiritual journey. The medium will help you to relax, engage your imagination, and ultimately find a spiritual path to a higher creativity. (Coury)
Mind/Body/Spirit Connection through Yoga
Yoga can be for everybody. It can enhance any physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual practice that already exists. A focus on slow, mindful movement and breath awareness is the perfect vehicle for developing present moment awareness that is essential for reducing stress and evoking healing responses. Mind/body mechanisms are innate but not developed in most of our daily activities. By using yoga, meditation and mindfulness tools we are reminded how to connect mind/body/spirit, and then how to deepen self-awareness for our healing and the healing of others. (Korshak)
Restoring Sabbath Time
The spiritual practice of “keeping the Sabbath” is an ancient one. The practice is meant to help us keep our perspective on life and to provide rest and renewal on the journey. It gives us an opportunity to restore balance into the rhythms of our life. Going on a sabbatical is a process that has steps and sometimes challenges and distractions. This class will focus on restoring Sabbath time and Sabbath practices into your life while you are on sabbatical. We will discuss “attitudes” that can help support the sabbatical process and address some of the challenges that can pop up while being on sabbatical. You will be invited to look at your own motivation for going on the RCC sabbatical and then invited to set your intentions for this particular sabbatical through a simple ritual. This class is meant to help you move into the transition from active ministry into Sabbath time. (Wiest)
The Second Journey
C.G. Jung wrote, “A person in the second half of life…no longer needs to educate their conscious will, but….to understand the meaning of their individual life, needs to experience their own inner being.” We travel in stages through the experience of human life and the second half of life calls each of us to individuation and interiority. The desert invites us to deepen our interiority and to learn to listen with the ear of our heart to where and how Spirit is calling us at this time in our lives. This class will focus on both of these calls. We will examine the tasks and challenges of the second half of life and explore some of the archetypes hidden in our unconscious that could be of great service to us in experiencing new meaning and purpose.
Encountering the Wisdom of Jesus
“Putting on the mind of Christ,” has been one of the clarion calls of the Christian tradition from the very beginning but how are we to know the mind of Christ? How may we encounter the wisdom of Jesus? One way to begin the process is to try and understand the historical Jesus within the context of his times and to take into account many of the streams of Christian tradition that have carried his message and his wisdom throughout the centuries. Once we know who Jesus is, or at least have a beginning understanding, we can then begin to study his wisdom, particularly the Parables of Jesus and the Beatitudes which most scholars agree serve as the primary entry point into understanding his wisdom and his teachings. (May)
The Mystics and Contemplative Life Today
This course will be a journey encountering both classic and contemporary mystics in Christian tradition and applying the themes we discover to our lives today. We will begin by considering the place of mysticism and contemplation in our own spiritualities and ministries. Then, drawing on the lives and practices of both medieval and modern figures of faith and service, we will take the opportunity to "try on" their spirituality through sessions incorporating both reflective and active learning. (Foraker)
Contemplation as a Way of Life
Contemplation is not only away of prayer, but a way of life. Participants will explore how to practice contemplation within the demands of busy lives. Jesus was a model of this life of contemplation in action. The course will also look at Christian and other faith traditions as the guide to understanding of the life of contemplation, its depths and rewards (Renouf)
Retreat Experience
Choose your own retreat experience during this week of sabbatical. (Availability of all retreats is subject to prior scheduling of the retreat director).
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Taking the Sabbatical Home
A sabbatical can be a time of refreshment and renewal, different from the often frenetic pace of our everyday lives. It can be a time of new spiritual insight and decisions for change. A variety of guided meditations, exercises and journaling will help guide participants in the identification of life areas that may need change. How the learning from the sabbatical - emotional, intellectual, and spiritual can be integrated into daily life will also be explored. (Wiest)
Rates & Reservations:
Participation is limited to ten persons. The complete cost for the 10-week program is $6,750.00. This cost includes full board and accommodation (including weekends) and all course work. A non-refundable deposit of $150.00 is requested in order to confirm your reservation. Payment in full of the final invoice is due prior to the completion of the event.
For those who wish to arrive early or extend their stay, arrangements should be made at the time of registration.
Application Forms:
Scheduled Sessions for 2011-2015
Spring and Fall Sessions for 2011-2015
2012: March 11-May 18 -- FULL (Spring); October 7 - December 14 (Fall)
2013: March 17-May 24 (Spring); October 6 -December 13 (Fall)
2014: March 23-May 30 (Spring); October 5 -December 12 (Fall)
2015: March 8-May 15 (Spring); October 4-December 11 (Fall)
Testimonials:
"The desert is a perfect backdrop for spiritual growth."
-Sr. Carol Karnitsky, SSCM
"A very effective process because there was lots of personal time to reflect; the length of time for the program was excellent. The bonding that occurred among the participants was a great gift for me. "
-Patrick Lenon
"The perfect combination of content and solitude! We were able to engage into solitude as each of us desired and needed. Individual persons could freely choose and select what they needed on any given day. No finer place to begin my sabbatical year."
-Rev. Jim MacNew, OSFS
"There was such a total commitment on everyone's part to make this a great experience. The balance of input and quiet time was perfect. Every speaker was different in style, personality, presentation and created an enriching environment of contemplation - nothing earth-shattering but definitely life-changing. The content was always toward directing us to discover our own personal journey, our own contemplative awareness. The desert environment was a positive plus in that -- 'pause, be still and know I am (your) God.'""
-Sr. Marianne Poole, SBS
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