Programs and Retreats

JANUARY Open for Individual Directed Retreats (by appointment) FEBRUARY 20-21 Praying Our Belovedness: The Unique Voice of Henri Nouwen with Sr. Bubbles Bandojo, rc The retreat is a journey of coming home to the reality of the First Love in all our lives—that love which is there before we experience any rejection and will remain even after all rejections take place. It is an invitation to reclaim the truth of our Belovedness. Our true spiritual work has to do with letting ourselves be loved fully, completely and to trust that in that love, we come to the fulfillment of our vocation. This is Henri Nouwen’s gift and challenge, his enduring legacy for all time. FEBRUARY 27-28 Growing in Wisdom, Age and Grace: Spirituality for the Eldering with Sr. Angie Villanueva, rc A program to help Senior Citizens to continue advancing freely, peacefully and joyfully toward a fuller and more meaningful life, ripening well in anticipation of God’s rich harvesting in God’s own good time. Open for those 60 years and above. MARCH 5-6 Caring For Our Common Home with Sr. Ana Malapitan, rc Care for creation has become an important and urgent aspect of our mission as Christians, with what is happening around us. Responding to Pope Francis’ call to care for our common home, this retreat invites participants to explore ways of sharpening our sense of awe and wonder at our Earth, especially at the elements of nature that speaks to us of God’s love but that we often ignore, thus lead us to a reverent caring and healing relationship with all of creation. MARCH 12-13 Life Direction Rereat with Sr. Susay Valdez, rc Our lives indeed unfold in certain paths, and it is important to consider where we have been and where we would like to go. Most of all, we need to listen to God who journeys with us faithfully. Only in doing so can we find meaning and direction in our life. This weekend retreat includes some input sharing, praying and reflection. MARCH 19-20 Palm Sunday Retreat with Sr. Malen Java, rc A Lenten journey of prayer contemplating the life of Jesus as he begins his Passion. This is a silent retreat. MARCH 24-27 Holy Week Retreat: Come Home to Love with a Team of Cenacle Sisters This Holy Week, come away from the busy and demanding work environment to a place where Love awaits. (This is a silent, directed retreat) April 16-17 Breakthrough: Healing Your ‘Difficult’ Emotions with Sr. Malen Java, rc These days when people are asked how they are, “STRESSED!” is the new “Fine!” Many experience the contemporary pace of life as frenetic and stressful which lessens enjoyment of life. Many talk of how their fears, anxieties, helplessness, anger and other strong emotions result into various challenges to their overall health and well-being. This weekend seminar aims to teach the participants some basic techniques of EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE or MERIDIAN TAPPING. It combines the principles and insights of Western energy psychology and of the ancient Chinese acupuncture and acts as a kind of “emotional first aid” when gripped by these difficult emotions. April 23-24 Dealing With Life’s Changes with Sr. Ana Malapitan, rc Life is a series of changes, either we sink or swim or roll with the waves is up to us. This retreat-seminar offers participants perspectives on dealing with the necessary changes that are part of life, and creative ways of opening up to healing and wholeness. APRIL 30 “I Have a Millennial in the Attic!” Part I of Parenting Today’s Teens and Twenty-somethings with Dr. Ma. Teresa Gustilo-Villasor Parents often lament over their inability to connect with their children. Ironically, this generation’s teens and twenty-somethings, also known as Millennials, value connectivity above all. This talk offers insights into the world of the millennials and perspectives on parenting that connects. May 7-8 The Energy of Stillness: A Mindful Path to Inner Healing with Sr. Malen Java, rc “If you want to go far, go nowhere.” (Pico Iyer) This weekend program aims to explore the over-all benefits of stillness and silence in the midst of a stress-filled lifestyle. It aims to teach simple ways to develop mindfulness in the context of one’s Christian discipleship. MAY 14-15 Art and Soul: A Way to God through Art with Sr. Cecille Tuble, rc Through contemplation and creation, art can be one of the ways of working on our personal healing and growth. This weekend will introduce participants to art as a way to prayer and self-expression, with the goal of deepening our experience of God’s healing love. This is not an art workshop. Non-artists are most welcome. June 4-5 The Art of Choosing with Sr. Yna Oñate, rc We make decisions everyday of our life and we might not even be aware of it. Some important choices, however, require more thought, energy, prayer and reflection. These may involve vocational matters, relationship issues, making a career shift, going abroad or staying, etc. This retreat introduces the art of discernment to help participants make good personal choices daily and so to prepare them for major life-changing, life-shaping decisions. JUNE 18-19 Finding Peace in the Workplace with Sr. Ana Malapitan, rc This retreat-seminar will lead participants to explore the workplace as a Holy Ground where God meets us. Discovering God in our everyday toils and labors, and recognizing the sacred character of work-both gift and privilege, opens us to possibilities of sharing in the creative power of God.

October 6-7 We are a mesh of desires.  Often we dismiss these desires because they seem to be inescapably linked to the world.  But we need to listen to our desires, to treat our desires with the respect they deserve.  Our desires mark us.  They identify us.  They tell us who we are as persons in relationship.  In the deepest of our longings, we realize it is God we seek.  And in our seeking, it is God who finds us. God meets us desires for desire.  This weekend retreat is an invitation to pray the desires of our heart and to see the ways in which they relate with discernment and spirituality.