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Each year, as I plan the talks I will give on retreat and create practices for our group, I go where the Spirit leads, which is always exactly where we are meant to be and not always where I set out to go. That is part of the beauty of any retreat and of the spiritual life in general. If we are so set on where we think we need to be going and what we think we need to be doing, to the point that nothing else is considered, we are following our own spiritual plan, not necessarily God’s plan for us. We often have to get out of our own way and open ourselves up to possibility in order to see the next step on the path.

In this year’s retreat, the ­presentations and practices spanned the Catholic treasury of prayer. We practiced lectio divina (sacred reading) but also visio divina (sacred seeing), using icons, images and even nature. We dug down deep into silent contemplative prayer, something that harkens back to the beginning of our faith tradition, and used methods based on Centering Prayer, which comes out of “The Cloud of Unknowing,” a 14th century anonymous book and, in more recent years, the work of Trappist Father Thomas Keating. We shared how adoration is its own form of contemplation, one that puts us directly before Jesus in the Eucharist, adding a singular beauty and power to this style of prayer. We wrote poetry and created spiritual collages; we did yoga and went for meditative walks or paddles; we ate silent breakfast and sat in silent prayer as community.

But sometimes fear wins out. One person, ahead of the retreat, questioned how this could be a Catholic retreat if it included optional yoga (stretching). And then one person, new to Pyramid, questioned why this retreat was “so Catholic” and said that she didn’t know any Catholics who were talking about adoration, Liturgy of the Hours, lectio divina, or Thomas Merton — a mainstay of the Stillpoint community since my Pyramid experience was forged on the spiritual ground of Merton in the Mountains under the guidance of the wonderful and brilliant Walt Chura.

If one out of 30 people thinks the Stillpoint Retreat is not Catholic enough and one thinks it’s too Catholic, it’s probably exactly where it’s supposed to be. But what struck me even more in both of those instances was the opportunity that’s lost when we make assumptions and close ourselves off to possibility rather than see where the Spirit wants to take us.

When I went on my first silent Merton in the Mountains Retreat at Pyramid 12 years ago, I almost backed out when Walt told me we not only needed to remain silent but were not supposed to read, write or make casual eye contact. I decided to forge ahead, and I am so grateful I did. It opened my eyes to how many obstacles I put between myself and God, and it led me to a part of my spiritual journey I otherwise would have missed.

Don’t shut down wonder. God has so much in store just on the other side of fear. The Spirit is always teaching us, if we are willing to find our still point and just listen.

The next Stillpoint Retreat at Pyramid Life Center will be Sept. 5-7, 2025. What the Events page here for details.
This column originally appeared in the Sept. 12, 2024, issue of The Evangelist.

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I was blessed to be the retreat presenter for the weekend and relished the opportunity to walk alongside an incredible collection of women from different backgrounds and parishes. While most of the participants hailed from North Country parishes, including the leadership team who has been making this retreat happen for four years running, we had women from throughout the Diocese of Albany and even a few from beyond our boundaries. Together we confronted the hard questions, sat with the uncertainties and focused our hearts and minds on learning to abide in God.

Spiritual growth is no easy thing, and, in keeping with our theme, we talked about what needs to be pruned away in our lives to make room for God, where the weeds threaten to choke out the Spirit, and what we might need to do to nourish the seed that is struggling to blossom. Every woman there was ready to roll up her figurative sleeves and dig in. I watched as new friendships formed over delicious meals and around the flickering campfire. I listened as words of prayer, both spoken and sung, bound us together. As a collective we slowly let the masks drop away, revealing to ourselves and to each other the person God is calling each of us to be.

Someone asked me to share my biggest takeaway. That was easy. The retreat was a reminder that there are so many women on this path as seekers, and any time we can bring women together in a community like this, it shores us up and reminds us that we’re not alone. We need more of this. We need opportunities to gather, to pray together and to accompany each other on the journey.

You might think, “Don’t women do that at their parishes all the time?” Yes and no. Yes, we do gather and pray, but often the women are running the parishes’ critical programs, from teaching faith formation and decorating the sacred space to serving as cantors and distributing Communion. A retreat is entirely different, and oh so necessary. Retreats give us dedicated time away from our home, our work, our ministry, and, most important, away from the incessant “noise” of emails, texts, calls and social media.

For most of us, making time for retreat seems like a luxury, and yet, when it comes to spiritual growth, it’s critical. We tell ourselves we’ll use a slow weekend at home to spend time with God, but, if we’re honest, we know that’s often a losing proposition. Home tends to demand things of us, even when we have nothing else going on. Or, at the very least, it tempts us away from our silence and solitude with nagging demands to clean this and fix that.

This summer season, when nature itself beckons you to sit and soak up God’s goodness, see if you can find a full day or weekend to give everything over to God. Turn off the phone and the TV. Put aside the chores and social outings. Go to a place where you can hear God above the noise of the headlines and demands, and just be. Like the women of the Rooted in Faith Retreat, dig into the rich soil of your spiritual life and coax a tiny seed into a resilient little shoot. Bask in God and, in time, watch that seed blossom.

Mary will be leading the annual Stillpoint Retreat at Pyramid Life Center on Sept. 6-8. Click HERE for more information.

This post originally appeared in the June 26, 2024, issue of The Evangelist.

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Photo by Tina Delaney

That night, however, around 3 a.m., the non-stop honking under my bedroom window made me feel less than smitten with these birds of a feather. When I returned to my retreat group in the morning, I jokingly asked: “Do we still like the geese?” Throughout the next two days, our geese came by regularly to add a comment or two to my presentations. At one point when I was trying to focus on the importance of silence in our spiritual lives, the geese were so loud that I could not speak over them, and our group could not stop laughing. It was time to see what these geese were trying to teach me, and it didn’t take long to figure out.

In Celtic spirituality, the Holy Spirit is seen not as a peaceful dove but as a wild goose — loud, sometimes unwelcome, insistent, unsettling. So often we wait for the Spirit to show up in our life in a way that feels comfortable and appropriately holy, the “still, small voice” we hear of in Scripture. We don’t necessarily want the Spirit to camp out under our figurative window honking and hollering and demanding we pay attention when all we want to do is stay asleep.

On Pentecost, we hear in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles: “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.”

The Spirit that descends in the upper room was not tame or controllable. It was unpredictable, maybe even scary. This version of the Spirit comes at us with so much spiritual force we might run in the other direction or duck and cover, but that would be to miss out on so much wonder and possibility. Imagine if Mary and the Apostles had closed themselves off to the Spirit that day. Where would we be if they had folded their arms against the gift and waited for something more reasonable? How often do we do just that, push away the loud and insistent call of the Holy Spirit because we don’t like the message or the delivery?

This week, as we celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit — the Advocate that Jesus promised would stay with us here on earth — can we open ourselves up to Spirit any way it chooses to show up, whether it’s a still, small voice that gently beckons us or a driving wind that threatens to pull the door of our life off its hinges? Can we, like our Celtic forebears in faith, recognize that the Holy Spirit is not likely to uphold the status quo in our lives but rather disrupt our sleep, disturb our thoughts, and redirect our paths in ways that might not be neat or comfortable but will surely bring us closer to our own version of the upper room?

On the last night of retreat, all was quiet in my room. No honking, no disruption. I had to admit that when I woke up the next morning and didn’t find my goose on the ledge outside my window, I was disappointed, but maybe the point had been made. And maybe I will be ready for the next Wild Goose chase that jolts me from my spiritual slumber and upsets my carefully laid out plans. Will you?

This column originally appeared in the May 15, 2024 issue of The Evangelist.

LISTEN: Wild Geese, read by Mary Oliver

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Join me for the fifth-annual Stillpoint Retreat, which offers participants not only spiritual practices to help discover the divine in the everyday but the time and space to explore and dive deep. We will dabble in a little of everything: prayer, journaling, creativity, guided meditation, music, movement, and more.

The weekend is anchored by presentations to help you refocus your spiritual lives and guidance on how to put practices into place amid everyday life. Optional yoga classes will be offered both mornings. (Bring a yoga mat if you have one!) Our annual Saturday night bonfire (weather permitting) is a favorite way to connect with our growing Stillpoint community. A period of silence will be observed in the early mornings and through breakfast, providing another beautiful way to connect with the still, small voice of the Spirit.

My first experience of PLC was 15 years ago as a participant in the Merton in the Mountains silent retreat led by the beloved Walt Chura. Expect to find plenty of Merton (and quite a bit of Walt) in my Stillpoint retreat experience.

Cost: $205, all inclusive. You’ll get rustic accommodations at the always-beautiful Pyramid Life Center with its mountains and lake, island and waterfall. It’s a beautiful gem in the lower Adirondack Mountains, the kind of place you never want to leave and you always want to come back to. In addition, that price includes homemade meals, kayaking or canoeing, swimming (if it’s warm), and all retreat activities — from daily talks and reflections and optional daily yoga sessions to journaling and collage-as-prayer. Plenty of free time is built into the schedule for doing your own thing, in solitude or with a retreat friend.

Information and registration HERE.

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The evening begins with an optional Mass at 6 p.m., followed by refreshments, a presentation, and time for sharing.

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The Divine is not a distant dream but a daily reality. Join writer and retreat leader Mary DeTurris Poust for a weekend focused on this beautiful truth and how to let it unfold in your life day by day. This retreat will include not only formal presentations but guided meditation, optional yoga classes, journaling, poetry, collage as prayer, and small doses of silence to soothe the soul. Come away for a short time to restore your serenity, recharge your energy, and recognize God alongside you every step of the way.

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Cover image was taken by yours truly at the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard, NY, as the sun was setting.

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The retreat is $175, all-inclusive. What does that mean? You’ll get rustic accommodations at the always-beautiful Pyramid Life Center with its mountains and lake, island and waterfall. It’s a beautiful gem in the lower Adirondack Mountains, the kind of place you never want to leave and you always want to come back to. In addition, that price includes homemade meals, kayaking or canoeing, swimming (if it’s warm), and all retreat activities — from daily talks and reflections and optional daily yoga sessions to journaling and collage-as-prayer, plus a Saturday night bonfire, weather permitting. Plenty of free time is built into the schedule for doing your own thing, in solitude or with a retreat friend.

Here are a few comments from some folks who joined me for the Stillpoint retreat at Pyramid in years past:

“Who would think that spiritual renewal could be so much fun? You get the best of everything at the Stillpoint retreat! Meditation, prayer, inspiring talks which lead to sharing, time to hike, kayak, attend Mass, yoga. Lifetime friendships are made all in the backdrop of splendorous Pyramid Lake! Cannot wait for next year!”  — Karen

“Mary has chosen an ideal destination of beauty and seclusion at Pyramid Life Center in the Adirondacks, for a weekend of respite from everyday bustle and strain. She gently introduces multiple avenues toward peaceful renewal including her own insights, well-chosen readings emphasizing self-nurturing and acceptance, acknowledging gratitude with everyday life occurrences, yoga, sharing, and silent mindful reflection. There is freedom to explore or relax in the natural splendor of the lake, the hills and surrounding wooded trails, with loon song, brilliant stars and the scent and cradle of the woods.” — Margie

“This weekend was a gift! Thank you to Mary, the other retreatants, Brian and his staff for a wonderful experience!” — Ann

“This weekend’s Stillpoint retreat left me reflective, spirit filled and in a better place than I was a few days ago! Thanks to Mary, all participants and PLC staff!” — Cherie

“Mary- it truly was an amazing experience this past weekend and you planted so many seeds with your knowledge and passion. I’m already doing my homework and looking up this and that and continuing my stillness in my routine. I am grateful and wish many blessings for all.” — Kristen

“Thank you, Mary, for another phenomenal retreat! I will hold it in my heart through the year.” — Eileen

Registration link is HERE (opens in a new tab). Scroll down until you see the Stillpoint listing. See you at Pyramid!

There’s a chair with your name on it. What are you waiting for?

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The retreat is $175, all-inclusive. What does that mean? You’ll get rustic accommodations at the always-beautiful Pyramid Life Center with its mountains and lake, island and waterfall. It’s a beautiful gem in the lower Adirondack Mountains, the kind of place you never want to leave and you always want to come back to. In addition, that price includes homemade meals, kayaking or canoeing, swimming (if it’s warm), and all retreat activities — from daily talks and reflections and optional daily yoga sessions to journaling and collage-as-prayer. Plenty of free time is built into the schedule for doing your own thing, in solitude or with a retreat friend.

Here are a few comments from some folks who joined me for the Stillpoint retreat at Pyramid in 2020:

“Honest, this was one of the best weekends all fall for me.”

“…wonderful, uplifting and healing weekend nurtured by Mary and the amazing PLC staff. I have known PLC for over 30 years but now will ‘see’ it in a newly expanded way. Thank you all for your sharing, thoughts, laughter, and your presence at this Thin Space as we travel on our Pilgrim Journey together. I felt the presence of Soul Friends among you.”

“One week ago today I was checking into heaven! Not literally, of course, but if I had to describe heaven, it would be:
Beautiful surroundings
Beautiful souls, like minded souls
Laughter ( when we weren’t silent, of course )
Learning more of what we’ve come to love, prayer, meditation
Doing something new ( for me, yoga )
The Eucharist,
Meeting new friends
Delicious food
Beautiful weather, warm sun, starlight at night
And a promise to return”

Registration link is HERE. Scroll down until you see the Stillpoint listing. See you at Pyramid!

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