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First Things
Morning Centering Prayer for Peace
7:00 AM CT, DAILY Sustaining the intention of peace for the Twin Cities,
we hold prayerful silence together, in unity, in love and support for all people in our communities. Hosted by facilitators from the Minnesota Contemplative Outreach community Welcoming Prayer and Centering Prayer Retreat
Friday, February 20 - Sunday, February 22, 2026 Benedictine Center of St. Paul's Monastery Maplewood, MN In Centering Prayer, we consent to God’s presence and action in stillness. In the Welcoming Prayer, we consent to God’s presence and action in ordinary, everyday settings. Facilitated by Gwen Pickering and Mary Lapham Lenten Silent Retreat
Friday March 20 - Sunday, March 22, 2026 Benedictine Center of St Paul's Monastery Maplewood, MN Rest in God's stillness and silence for 40 hours during this Lenten retreat. Facilitated by Mark Thiel Save The Date: Upcoming Retreats in 2026
Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina Retreat Friday, April 24 - Sunday, April 26, 2026 Benedictine Center of St Paul's Monastery Maplewood, MN Contact: Gwen Pickering, 952-239-0542 MNCO 7 Day Contemplative Prayer Silent Retreat
Sunday May 3rd to Saturday May 9th Hokyoji Retreat Center (hokyoji.org) 2649 County 5 , Eitzen MN (map) Facilitators: Mary Lapham and Tom Bostelmann All meals are vegetarian. Questions? Contact [email protected] Thursday Evening Centering Prayer
7:00 PM CT, Thursdays Zoom: https://meditationchapel.org/peace-chapel/ Facilitated by Laurie Erickson 
Illuminations of Love
Words of Thomas Keating, OCSO Illustrated by Meridith Schifsky With full color illustrations and wisdom from Fr. Thomas Keating, this beautiful booklet is meant to be a companion for Lectio and Visio Divina. “With a grateful heart for the legacy he left us, and gratitude to the members of Contemplative Outreach who continue to make his teachings available today." – Meridith Schifsky, March 2024, Duluth, Minnesota You may order your copy, here. |
Sunday Gatherings
(This is the same link as is used for the 7:00 a.m.
Morning Centering Prayer for Peace) You are invited to participate in the 2026 Winter-Spring Sunday Gatherings Meditations on the Parables of Jesus By Thomas Keating Those who are registered will receive an email with the reflection prior to the Sunday it will be discussed. Participants are encouraged to read the suggested materials throughout the week, considering the content prayerfully. Participants then convene as a group on Sunday mornings from 8:00 – 9:00 AM Central Time, to be in community with fellow participants and share how they experienced the weekly reading and their Centering Prayer and Welcoming Prayer practices.
All are welcome, no prior knowledge or practice is necessary. If you are not already registered, please register (click on the link above), so you can receive the weekly email, along with any programming updates. There is no cost for participation. "When rightly understood, the parables help us to see how extraordinary a wisdom teacher Jesus really was, and how revolutionary, in the best sense of the word, was the content of what he taught and to which he bore witness by his life and death.... When contemplative prayer is seriously embraced, we come upon [a] lived reality … the reversal of expectations, the gradual and often painful liberation from emotional programs for happiness, and the increasing discovery of the kingdom of God in the ordinary and everyday." — Thomas Keating in the preface to Meditations on the Parables of Jesus We meet Sunday mornings, from 8 AM to 9 AM CT. You are welcome to join as you are able; it is not required to attend every week. Weekly Schedule: Part One Continued: February 22 Chapter 8: The Barren Fig Tree Part Two: God Loves Infinitely and Always March 1 Chapter 9: The Prodigal Son March 8 Chapter 10: The Reign of God 1 March 15 Chapter 11: The Reign of God 2 March 22 Chapter 12: The Sower March 29 Chapter 13: The Widow and the Unjust Judge April 5: No Class (Easter) April 12 Chapter 14: The Workmen in the Vineyard April 19 Chapter 15: The Hidden Treasure 
Looking for a way to strengthen your daily practice and hold silence in community? Click here to join the worldwide community that is practicing Centering Prayer online, together. Minnesota Contemplative Outreach Prison Ministry
Minnesota Contemplative Outreach is blessed with an active prison ministry that brings centering prayer to people who are incarcerated. We hold a centering prayer session at the chapel at the correctional facility at Stillwater on Monday afternoons from approximately 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. and at the correctional facility at Shakopee on Wednesday mornings and Thursday afternoons. Both locations can use more men and women volunteers. If you want more information about bringing this prayer to incarcerated individuals, please contact Mark Thiel. |
Welcome
- We are an ecumenical group of women and men volunteers ministering together to support and nurture the practitioners of Centering Prayer in Minnesota. We do this by providing teachers, sharing resources and building community.
- Centering Prayer is an ancient form of Christian meditation that deepens a practitioner's relationship with God.
- Minnesota Contemplative Outreach is one of more than 120 chapters in 53 countries formed by National Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., a worldwide spiritual network that provides support and resources for Centering Prayer Practitioners.
- We have 21 teachers offering introductory classes, retreats and other enrichment opportunities throughout the year. We also support Centering Prayer groups throughout the state.
- Please contact us if you have submissions for our blog, Presence & Action; are forming a new group; or would like to announce an upcoming event.