Upcoming Retreats
Mondays, Dec. 7, 14 & 21 7:00-8:30 pm
with Maureen O'Connell, PhD
Come to one or more!
Mondays, Dec. 7, 14, 21, 28
Tuesdays, Dec. 8 & 15, 7-8:30pm
with Leslie Porreca, RSM
Come to one or more!
with Cathy Maguire, RSM
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 9:30am-12:30pm
with Maria DiBello, RSM
Saturday, Dec. 12, 10a-noon
with Mickey McGrath OSFS
Tuesday, Dec. 15, 7-8:30pm
All programs are offered virtually on Zoom. Scholarships are available because everyone is welcome at Cranaleith. Please email info@cranaleith.org so we can assist you.
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"I wait in Mary-darkness, faith’s walled place,
with hope’s expectance of nativity.
I knew for long she carried and fed me,
guarded and loved me, though I could not see.
But only now, with inward jubilee,
I come upon earth’s most amazing knowledge:
Someone is hidden in this dark with me."
Jessica Powers
Dear Friends,
In this second week of Advent, the breathtaking night skies charm the darkness, offering a reflection of the One hidden in our own darkness. We prepare for the Light that will break upon us in the tender compassion of our God.
We mark two December feasts. On the 8th, Mary’s Immaculate Conception calls us to discover our beauty in God’s eyes. On the12th, we exult with the peoples of the Americas over the wondrous story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The pregnant Mary is clothed with the sky’s splendor as well as the skin of a despised and oppressed people. She cries, “Am I not your Mother? You have nothing to fear.”
In 1831, 300 years after the Guadalupe apparition, the Sisters of Mercy were given birth -- to accompany the poor, the sick and the ignorant in welcoming God’s tender love. As an expression of the mission of mercy, Cranaleith travels these Advent weeks with you. We offer you opportunities to rest in the mystery that gives us hope. We look forward to seeing you.
The Cranaleith Staff
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Cranaleith from Home is published every two weeks.
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Virtual Advent Opportunities |
These holidays will be different! Take advantage of the extra time you may find on your hands and enjoy one of our excellent Advent retreats!
Whatever you can swing, you are welcome.
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Gather peace, joy, hope and love
from community and from God's love for you.
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O Love That Will Not Let Us Go: Advent Contemplative Morning |
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 9:30am-12:30pm
On this feast of Juan Diego, hold a space of deep listening for the voice of Merciful Love in our depths and in our world.
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Guadalupe to Romero:
the Beauty of Latinx Spirituality in Advent during Troubled and Troubling Times
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Saturday, December 12, 10am-noon
Using his own artwork and stories, Brother Mickey will focus on the evolution of Latinx Spirituality and its complex relationships with religion and politics. We will take a look at the indigenous beauty of Guadalupe and other Dark Madonna and celebrate the life and words of St. Oscar Romero, the first martyr of the Vatican II church. Let beauty stir Advent hope in you!
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Tuesday, Dec. 15, 7-8:30pm
Join us for the healing, quieting experience of Taizé prayer. Through intervals of scripture, poetry, silence and simple chants, we will prepare a welcome for the God born in simplicity. We will hold the hope of those who bear the wounds of our time in reverence and love.
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Maureen O'Connell, PhD
Mondays, Dec. 7, 14 & 21
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Leslie Porreca, RSM
Tuesdays, Dec. 8 & 15
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Having trouble imagining what it’s like to experience a retreat online?
Bernadette Rudolph, program director at Cranaleith, describes what it’s like to join a retreat or program virtually online whether it is for an hour or a full day. Anything that can be done in person can be done in a virtual setting.
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The Extended Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe |
as told by Dr. Arturo Chávez, President of the Mexican American Catholic College.
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Cranaleith Gift Shop
Christmas Sale Cancelled
Due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, we have decided to cancel our annual Cranaleith Gift Shop Christmas Sale, usually held on Saturdays in December. We will miss seeing you, but wish to extend most joyous wishes for a happy, holy and healthy Christmas season to you and all your loved ones.
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Poetry from Home
by Thomas Merton
Charm with your stainlessness these winter nights,
Skies, and be perfect!
Fly vivider in the fiery dark, you quiet meteors,
And disappear.
You moon, be low to go down,
This is your full!
The four white roads make off in silence...
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Reflect from Home
Second Sunday of Advent, Cycle B
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 and Mark 1:1-8
My friend told me, “The rest of my troubles do not really bother me; something will work out. I usually wait to turn to God until I have run out of options. Now I have seen that God is taking care of me. And I am telling you because I thought it would make you happy. I am telling everyone...”
For reflection:
- What story of God’s love do you have to tell others?
- Who needs to hear this good news? How can you share it with them?
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Listen from Home
Advent Carols
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Resources From Home
Community Support
Explore from Home
Spiritual Direction
Psychotherapy is also available. Please contact Leslie Porreca, RSM, LCSW.
Retreats
Individual retreats available -- both online and onsite options! Call Maria DiBello, RSM, at 215-934-6206 or visit our website www.cranaleith.org/retreats to learn more.
Connect With Us Online
Get daily prayers, reflections, blog posts and images from our beautiful property via our website and social media channels.
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Sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Cranaleith offers a contemplative space for all those seeking wholeness and transformation for themselves and society. We are committed to making Cranaleith accessible to all, especially to persons who are poor and those who work in solidarity with them. We invite those at the center of need and those at the center of influence to reflection, reverent dialogue and meaningful partnerships. Please help us support our work.
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Cranaleith Spiritual Center | 13475 Proctor Road | Phila., PA 19116
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