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Reflections

Category: Pilgrimage

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3 Spaces Left in our Vienna Pilgrimage

Join Christine & John Valters Paintner and an intimate community of dancing monks November 12-20, 2016 in the beautiful city of Vienna, Austria where we will stay in a Benedictine monastery guesthouse right in the heart of the old city. Imagine days spent reflecting and immersed in contemplative practice, visiting other gorgeous monasteries in the area, and wandering the city illuminated by the glow of Christmas markets. Just 3 spaces left!  Click here for more details>>

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More Reflections from the Wild Edges

In early September 2015 we had 13 pilgrims join us for a very special pilgrimage and writing retreat on the wild edges of the world. We stayed on the islands of Inismor and Inisbofin, off the coast of Connemara and let the landscape inspire our creative process. I am grateful to these dancing monks for sharing their inspiration so freely with the community. Pour a cup of tea and then savor these reflections from Randy Pierce and Eileen Harakal. A Desert Owl I am like a desert owl, like an owl among ruins. —Psalm 102:6 Reading Psalm 102 brings to mind

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Vienna Monk in the World Pilgrimage – November 12-20, 2016

Join us in the beautiful city of Vienna, Austria where we will stay in a Benedictine guesthouse right in the city center. The Advent markets will be going up around town, illuminating Vienna with a festive atmosphere. We will make journeys out to see other beautiful monasteries as well including Cistercian, Augustinian, and Benedictine. This is a city to make both the monk and artist’s hearts delight! Click here for more details and to register>> We offer pilgrimages to Ireland, Germany, and Austria. You can visit our calendar to see other dates and if a program is full, email us

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Featured Self-Study for September: Hildegard of Bingen

To celebrate the feast of St Hildegard of Bingen we are offering a $10 discount off the cost of the Creative Flourishing in the Desert self-study retreat. It includes rich reflections from Christine on Hildegard’s spirituality for today, daily invitations to draw mandalas, links to her music, and invitations into body prayer with Betsey Beckman. Or join us in the Rhine Valley of Germany May 29-June 6, 2016 for a pilgrimage walking in the landscape which shaped her. Your registration for the pilgrimage includes access to the self-study retreat above to help you prepare for the journey. Details and registration here>>

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Soul of a Pilgrim Summer Blog Book Tour: The Ancient Practice of Walking the Rounds

  I continue my Soul of a Pilgrim summer blog book tour with a stop at Christine Sine’s blog with a guest post on walking the rounds as an ancient practice of pilgrimage in Ireland.  The tradition of pilgrimage in Ireland is an ancient ones. There are many trails and paths known to be sacred for hundreds, if not thousands of years. One of the more ancient Irish practices of pilgrimage is the turas, which means to “walk the rounds” in holy places. Often there is a series of pilgrim stations – a series of cairns, a holy well, a cross,

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The Soul of a Pilgrim NEW Printable Graphics

This beautiful graphic was created by Ave Maria Press to offer a visual summary of the eight practices in The Soul of a Pilgrim. Printable PDF versions are available at this page in both large format and bookmark size. Feel free to print them out and share these with others!

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Carl McColman reflects on The Soul of a Pilgrim

My newest book The Soul of a Pilgrim is being featured at Patheos’ Book Club for the first half of June. Carl McColman, blogger at A Contemplative Faith offers these beautiful words in reflection: “Christine Valters Painter is one of the most creative and visionary of spiritual directors with a meaningful online presence. Her website, Abbey of the Arts, functions as a sort of “cyber-cloister,” a place of quiet presence and spiritual nurture where participants are invited to encounter God not only through the words and practices of contemplative spirituality, but also — and perhaps more significantly — through creative expression.” Click here

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