Stretching of the Heart: A Celtic Mini-Retreat on St. Columba
with Christine Valters Paintner, Simon de Voil, and Kenneth Steven
Friday, June 7, 2024
4-6pm Ireland
11am-1pm Eastern
8-10am Pacific
Program Description
St. Columba (or Columcille as he is known in Ireland) is most famous for founding several monastic communities, including on Iona, an island that continues to be a vibrant pilgrimage destination.
Join us two days before his feast day to reflect on the Celtic call to pilgrimage, which includes leaving behind what is known and loved and the grief that evokes, for the promise of new adventures. We will dwell in that liminal space of in-between, where we contemplate what shores we need to push off from and the ways the currents of love are drawing us onward.
Through teaching, meditation, poetry, and music, we will weave together an experience of walking the threshold of our own lives through the guidance of St. Columba’s wisdom for us.
We will turn on closed captioning during the live Zoom session (which you are able to turn off in your settings if you find distracting) as well as provide a video recording after the event with closed captioning available and a text transcript of the session.
The program will be recorded for those who pre-register but are unable to attend at the scheduled time or who want to view again. You will be sent a notification when this is ready to view.
You have lifetime access to all online programs.
Your Guides for the Journey
Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE
Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE is the online Abbess for Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery and global community integrating contemplative practice and creative expression. Her programs draw on the wisdom of the desert, Celtic, and Benedictine spiritual traditions as well as the joy of the expressive arts, embodied practice, and Earth-cherishing wisdom. Christine is the author of numerous books on spirituality and creativity, including three collections of poetry. She lives on the west coast of Ireland with her husband John and dog Sourney. Find out more about her here.
Simon de Voil
Reverend Simon Ruth de Voil is an interfaith-interspiritual minister, sacred musician, spiritual counsellor, and chaplain. His sacred work—both musical and interpersonal—explores themes of the inner landscape of the soul, the enchantment of the natural world, and the healing power of spiritual practice. As a chaplain and counsellor, Simon helps individuals and groups connect sacred presence with everyday life. Simon is also a transgender activist and a luthier in training. Visit Simon’s website here.
Kenneth Steven
Kenneth Steven is best-known as a poet, though he’s also a writer of fiction for adults and children alike. His latest book of poems from Canterbury Press in London is Seeing the Light. Kenneth and his wife Kristina live in Argyll in Scotland, not far from the Isle of Iona. They lead a Celtic Christian retreat there each October. Kenneth offers the monthly podcast Imagining Things on Celtic wisdom, hope in a dark time, and his profound love of wild creation. Visit Kenneth’s website and Patreon page.
Registration
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