Our vision is to be a contemplative ministry of spiritual transformation, reaching out and welcoming all.
Put simply, we believe that everyone deserves meaningful and accessible opportunities to engage with contemplative spirituality.
In order to make our vision a reality, we are committed to broadening our range of programs and services over the next several years to create a full continuum of contemplative opportunities for all—those new to contemplative spirituality, those who have been practicing for many years, and everyone in between.
In the summer of 2022, we concluded our Awakening Hearts Capacity Campaign. Thanks to our community and supporters, we raised $250,000 that will be dedicated to making the contemplative path more accessible for more people.
What will this mean in practice?
First, we plan to increase the number of retreats we offer! We’ll continue to offer our signature retreat lineup, while also adding new offerings. We’re particularly excited to launch a series of accessible, lower-cost weekends hosted by EHoP community members. (To learn about new programming as it is announced, be sure you’re signed up for our newsletter.)
Second, we’ve identified three specific communities to reach out to, learn from, and develop specific programming for: pastoral leadership within the ECMN, pastoral leadership within Latino church communities, and young adults. Learn more:
Clergy and lay leaders within the ECMN and Latino church communities
Research has shown that most clergy receive little training in contemplative prayer while in seminary. We also find that most church leaders are over-worked and exceptionally busy. They frequently report that they are unable to pray or dedicate time to transformational growth—not because they don’t want to, but because they simply have too many other demands on their time.
We believe that church leaders benefit from getting away to truly rest, to rejuvenate their prayer lives, and to reflect on their own calling and purpose. And we believe that when church leaders are supported in their own spiritual journey, their congregants and broader religious community benefit, too.
Young adults
Given our location on the campus of St. John’s University and close proximity to the College of St. Benedict, these students—already grounded in Benedictine values and working to define who they are or will be—represent a natural opportunity for the introduction of contemplative spiritual practice. As EHoP envisions its future and the care for future generations, we recognize an obvious link between caring for the spiritual well-being of young people and caring for the sustainable well-being of the earth and its resources.
We envision a nexus of programming in which we invite young adults to explore spirituality and vocation through the “backdoor” of encounters with the natural world. We expect young adults to be attracted to opportunities to explore the outdoors, engage one another in spiritual conversations, and make connections between spiritual and sustainable practices.
We believe all people deserve access to the practices and the fruits of contemplative spirituality, and we’re excited to begin the next phase of Awakening Hearts. Through contemplative practice, we are better able to understand ourselves, connect with others and with God, and change the world through love.
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