Thirty-six contemplative retreatants wandered the serene landscape of Mercy Center in Burlingame, California, allowing the SDI educational events to slowly seep into their souls. Joe McHugh, SJ encouraged the contemplatives on retreat to metophorically meander through their experience of the conference, men's institute, health care institute, and leadership institute. Catherine Regan led meditations, encouraging silence and contemplation. Mary Ann Scofield, RSM offered questions and scripture texts to support retreatants in identifying ways to grow closer to God by reflecting on their experience. On Wednesday evening, retreatants lit candles and meditatively walked through the chapel, over a threshold, toward a new beginning. The beautiful evening ritual, pictured above, concluded by singing one of the songs from the conference while giving and receiving candlelight from one another.  

You are the heart.
You are the hands.
You are the voice of Spirit on Earth.
And who you are,
and all you do,
Is a blessing to the world.

Thank you Richard and Trish Bruxvoort Colligan for sharing Karen Drucker's contemplative music with the SDI community during and after the conference. Your music lives on...

Thank you Catherine Regan, PhD; Mary Ann Scofield, RSM; and Joe McHugh, SJ for facilitating a beautiful and contemplative retreat. Many thanks to the gracious staff at Mercy Center in Burlingame for collaborating with SDI for the retreat, especially Colleen Shannon Soracco, and Suzanne Buckley, Director of Mercy Center.