Upcoming Programs at the Portiuncula Center for Prayer
UNWRAPPING THE GIFT IN LIFE’S CHALLENGES
Date: Tuesday, September 1 Time: 9:30am-12pm Fee: $25
Are we merely victims of life’s challenges? Is God punishing us? Or could these experiences be invitations to grow spiritually? When we release our fixed opinions and pray for discernment, we open the way to a deeper, clearer understanding. In that light, physical, mental, and spiritual suffering begin to soften and transform—giving rise to greater well‑being, peace, and a steady awareness of God’s ever‑present love. Join us as we explore how to uncover the hidden gifts within life’s challenges.
Facilitator: Patricia Lynch holds a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Finance. At the peak of her career, she interpreted three consecutive annual bouts of pneumonia as a prompt from God to change her life’s path. She stepped off into the unknown and embarked on an amazing 25-year spiritual journey that would not have been possible without surrendering her will to God.
GONG BATH™ WITH BENJAMIN SAVAGE AT THE MOTHERHOUSE AUDITORIUM
Date: Friday, September 11 Time: 7-8pm Fee: $40
Gong meditation is a profound method for expanding consciousness and restoring balance to both mind and body through sound vibration. Participants may experience a range of benefits—from deeply transformative insights to gentle, subtle healing. If you’ve tried traditional meditation and found it difficult or unsatisfying, gong meditation may offer an immediate pathway to achieving a deeply relaxed and meditative state. Please bring what you need to be comfortable on the floor, e.g. a yoga mat, pillow, blankets. Zero gravity chairs must be requested when registering. Facilitator: Benjamin Savage has had the blessing of learning the ways of the gong from the late Richard Rudis (Karma Sonam Dorje) who granted him the rare ability to legally use the term “Gong Bath™”. Benjamin has spent a lifetime exploring spiritual traditions searching for the unifying elements that connect us.
CREATING A PERSONAL MANDALA OF YOUR LIFE’S JOURNEY
Date: Monday, September 14 Time: 9:30am-12pm Fee: $35
Participants will learn how to create (with a compass) a Circle and make a mandala within it that has spaces for the important parts of a person’s life. It can be the participant’s life, a passed relative’s life or one as a gift for a friend. Each participant will leave with the supplies necessary to create future mandalas.
Facilitator: Marge Mostyn taught Mathematics at the high school and college levels and created the DEAR GOD community prayer at Providence Catholic High School for 12 years. Inspired by Tibetan Sand Mandalas at Lewis University, she began creating mandalas to encourage creativity, relaxation, and prayerfulness. During the pandemic, she created a daily mandala for two years, often honoring friends and family in her designs.
CALLED TO COMPASSIANATE LIVING THROUGH SOULCOLLAGE®
Date/Time: 9am Saturday, September 19 – 12pm Sunday, September 20 Fee: $185 overnight or $135 commuter (supplies and meals included)
Through the practices of Boundless Compassion and SoulCollage®, participants are invited to “welcome ourselves into our own hearts.” In the midst of caring for others, it is easy to lose connection with ourselves. This retreat offers space to reconnect with your soul and nurture a more compassionate way of living — for yourself, for others, and for the world. The SoulCollage® process invites you to respond intuitively to images, create personal collage cards, and listen deeply to the wisdom revealed through your creations. Holding these images in prayer can become a powerful experience of co-creating with the Divine. Boundless Compassion: Creating a Way of Life, developed by Joyce Rupp, further weaves together reflections, prayer, and scripture, offering Jesus as a model of compassionate living. This intentional reconnection serves as a catalyst for renewed self-awareness and spiritual growth.
Facilitator: Betty Bentley is a former Director of Religious Education, certified in Spiritual Direction, Boundless Compassion, and SoulCollage®. Since 2018, she has facilitated retreats and small gatherings that integrate imagery, prayer, and compassionate reflection into spiritual practice.