53 Mill Street, Westfield, MA 01085
May 22 - 24, 2026
About this Retreat
Anne Simpkinson has been practicing Centering Prayer (CP) since 1996. In 1997, she interviewed Fr. Thomas Keating, one of the developers of and principal advocate of the Centering Prayer method. That same year, she sought to deepen her practice in a 10-day intensive in Snowmass, CO. While living in New York City, she trained as an Introductory CP Introductory Workshop facilitator, served as co-coordinator of the New York chapter of Contemplative Outreach for three years, and facilitated CP groups at St. Bartholomew and St. Ignatius Loyola Churches. For several years, she was the Communications Director at Mercy by the Sea. She currently facilitates Centering Prayer retreats and, with Claire Rusowicz, contemplative prayer retreats in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
(Prayer Retreats)
Details of this retreat
Are you yearning for a profound spiritual experience that transcends the noise and chaos of everyday life? Discover a transformative journey into the depths of silence and divine connection, where you'll learn to open yourself to God's presence through the contemplative practice of Centering Prayer. A practice that promises healing, inner peace, and spiritual awakening.
“Be still and you will know
not by the knowledge of the mind, but
by the knowledge of the heart
who God is and who you are.”
-Thomas Keating
Thomas Keating, Trappist monk, author, and one of the founding refiners of Centering Prayer, once posed the question: Why go on retreat? His response: “to experience the deepest silence” and open “uninterruptedly to God’s presence and to the enormous energy of love that creates and sustains us and the universe …”
Centering Prayer is a contemplative practice, a means to immerse ourselves in silence and open to God’s presence within and all around us. By being present to Presence, we open to a dynamic ever-creating God, who loves us beyond measure and heals and transforms us.
This retreat, intended for those who would like to begin a practice of Centering Prayer or re-ignite their practice, will briefly examine the roots of Centering Prayer; offer opportunities to experience the prayer, walking meditation, and lectio divina as well as explore ways to bring a Centering Prayer practice into your life. There will also be time to walk the grounds, read, or rest.
Come listen to the still small voice. Let silence and stillness enfold and embrace you.
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