Christine Interviewed at Encountering Silence
“I believe in the revolutionary power of stillness and spaciousness, and of practicing presence to life’s unfolding. I believe this commitment can change the world.” — Christine Valters Paintner Christine joins Carl McColman at Encountering Silence to explore the intersections of silence, spirituality, contemplation, creativity, and living as a monk in the real world. She also offers a […]
Join Us for an Advent Online Retreat ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, This is my favorite time of year, these months of autumn’s arrival, then this time of remembrance in the church of those who have passed away, and finally the season of Advent which asks us to quiet ourselves and listen to the holy birthing happening within each one of us. […]
Join us for Honoring Saints and Ancestors (an online retreat) ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
Inheritance I take down the generic white jug from the shelf, the one made with ten thousand others in a factory in Taiwan. I wish it were the Meissen porcelain one with the blue onion pattern that survived two world wars, but not my need for funds to finish graduate school. I long, too, for […]
Harvesting the Gifts ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, It is a very full season of life for me right now, having facilitated our Writing on the Wild Edges retreat at the end of August with John here in Ireland, then traveled to Germany to lead our pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Hildegard of Bingen with Betsey Beckman […]
Feast of Saint Francis ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
St. Francis at the Corner Pub Approaching the door, you can already hear his generous laughter. He stands on the bar upside down for a moment to get a new perspective on things, a flash of polka-dotted boxers as his brown robe cascades over his head, sandaled toes wiggling in the air in time with […]
Celebrating Autumn’s Harvest and Release ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, The autumn equinox falls today in the northern hemisphere (click here if you are in the southern hemisphere welcoming spring)—a time when the sun rests above the equator, and day and night are divided equally. It heralds a season filled with change, celebrates the harvest, and ushers in the brilliant […]
Feast of St. Hildegard of Bingen ~ A love note from your online abbess
St. Hildegard Strolls through the Garden Luminous morning, Hildegard gazes at the array of blooms, holding in her heart the young boy with a mysterious rash, the woman reaching menopause, the newly minted widower, and the black Abbey cat with digestive issues who wandered in one night and stayed. New complaints arrive each day. She […]