Forgiveness Among Other Things

Forgiveness Garden

Recently here at Angela Center we had a day of reflection on the Power of Forgiveness using the Martin Doblmeier film of that title as our jumping off point for discussion and the sharing of our own experiences and desires regarding forgiveness. It was a powerful experience and we plan to offer another such day in the future.

In one segment of the film, Doblemeir highlights efforts to build gardens of forgiveness so that we have places that encourage us to reflect on our need to practice forgiveness. Well, we are going to develop just such a spot here at Angela Center. Across from our big parking lot where an old house was recently removed, we are making a beautiful reflective garden spot which will be our Garden of Forgiveness. Our hope is that this garden will be a spot for many to reflect on their life experiences and to ritualize their acts of forgiveness, making the world a better place for all of us! If you'd like to be part of creating our Garden of Forgiveness, we have a plank of wood ready to start carving a sign so come by the Center and carve away!

Full Weekends

Lately Angela Center's weekends have been full to overflowing with groups in both the Center and our Ursula Hall building. While Imaginal Studies held their classes at the Center, Ursula Hall hosted a retreat evening for this year's JustFaith group. Then on Sunday Ursula Hall was transformed again for Mass and Brunch for the annual Alumnae reunion on Ursuline High School. The next weekend the women's cursillo from Redwood Empire happened back to back with a retreat for the Aids Foundation of San Francisco. Then last weekend Ursula Hall was the scene of our yearly journal retreat and the Center hosted a program for couples to strengthen their marriage. What a variety of great things happening here!

Day of the Dead

This year we had traditional Day of the Dead altars in both building. The Julian Cell meditation group arranged a beautiful display in our chapel in memory of the their loved ones who have died. The Journal Weekend group arranged another altar at Ursula Hall to honor their loved ones.

Events Next Week

Next week on Tuesday November 11th Hank Mattimore is scheduled to begin a two week series on Writing Your Spiritual Will-- a wonderful time to reflect on the values and wisdom that you want to pass on to the next generation. If you haven't taken this class already, sign up now for this opportunity.

The Justice Spirituality Book Club is meeting on Wednesday, November 12th to discuss Brown: The Last Discovery of America. In this memoir Richard Rodriguez reflects on the color brown and the meaning of Hispanics to the life of America today. It is said that "Rodriguez offers the reader one of the most provocative and compelling descriptions of what he calls 'the browning of America'." So read the book and join us Wednesday for an evening discussion.

Details about all our upcoming programs are available on our Web site in the "Current Program" blog.

Energized in Autumn

Another busy week here at Angela Center! The Spiritual Enrichment Center is having a retreat at Ursula Hall and the East Bay Church of Religious Science is meeting in our main building. On Tuesday two new programs began and both were enthusiastically received: Connie Mahoney's series on Honoring Aging as a Spiritual Path and Alison Clark's Collage for the Spirit. There's lots of energy at Angela Center these days!

So if you're looking for something for your own spiritual energy, there are several new programs coming up in the near future: Jane Riley is presenting about sensory aware on Saturday Oct. 18; Sister Dianne is leading a day of reflection on the power of forgiveness on Wednesday Oct 29; and Clare Morris and Donna Hardy are leading our annual journal weekend at the end of Oct. For more details, click on our "Angela Center Programs" blog.

Another opportunity that is available next week is the monthly USF lecture "Bringing Spirituality and Psychology Together". The topic for Friday, October 17 (12 -1:30pm) is "Buddha and Darwin: Evolution's Downsides and meditation's Response" presented by Charlies Fisher, PhD. who was a professor of Sociology for 30 years and has been associated with the Insight Meditation Society for many years.

Every Season Is about Nurturing the Spirit

Things are really jumping at Angela Center these days. A men's cursillo is in full swing here and the staff is busy preparing Ursula Hall for a group from St Marys College arriving today.

Last week's art therapy class in scribbling was a hit and everyone there wanted more, so we will be scheduling another longer class in the spring, possibly on a Saturday. So keep that in mind if you weren't able to make it last Tuesday.

This Tuesday October 7th we have the beginning of three new series here at Angela Center. Lera Welch will be presenting "Life Dynamics: Power of Changing Your Life Style", and in this day and age who couldn't use some work on reducing stress in their life? Connie Mahoney will be leading a group in "Honoring Our Aging as a Spiritual Path" and that class already has a great turn out! Alison Clark will be tapping into our creative spiritual side with her sessions "Collage for the Spirit". For more information about any of these, check out our "current program" blog for details. There's something for everybody starting next week!

Last week we got our first check from the ink jet/toner/phone recycling project, so thanks to everyone who contributed your used items. And remember that there is a box for your convenient recycling of toner cartridges, ink jet cartridges and cell phones in the main office here at Angela Center. We thank you and Mother Nature thanks you as well!

Fall is in the Air

These days it is beginning to feel like summer is over and autumn is arriving. As we gear up for our fall programs at Angela Center, the atmosphere is full of new energy wrapped in quiet since this week we are hosting the Sacramento Insight Meditation for a silent retreat. Makes the whole atmosphere here more reflective!

Donna Hardy began her fall writing classes this week and on Monday our fourth JustFaith group will begin their 30 week journey toward a more compassionate world. Next weekend we will be hosting Santa Rosa Diocese youth ministers at Ursula Hall and both the Center and Brescia Hall will be filled with the students and teachers from Imaginal Studies who will be beginning another year of their program here. Good thing that we have all these buildings!

If you're looking for something to enrich your own life, there will be lots of opportunities here this fall. On Wednesday Sept 17th. we'll begin our once a month justice spirituality book club. We'll be discussing The Zookeeper's Wife which is an amazing read "exploring the role of nature in both kindness and savagery". If you can't make it on Wednesday, do check out our calendar of books and join us whenever you can. Always a good discussion.

Wednesday Sept 24th. Jane Vogel-Riley will be leading a very creative evening in Art Therapy: Scribbling is a Way of Caring. Everybody doodles and here's an opportunity to put those doodles to work for you. Why don't you join us!

Summer Fullness

Well, summer is coming to an end here at Angela Center and we are gearing up for our Fall programs, so if you haven't checked out our programs yet, do look at the variety of classes that will be available starting in September. If you are at all interested in JustFaith, you need to contact Sister Dianne this week as the group is just about firmed up for the year. We have had a number of requests for a women's spirituality retreat and we do have one scheduled for the end of September, so here's a perfect opportunity for you! Check it out and sign up!

August has been busy here at the Center. The Coming Home Project was a wonderful experience for all the participants, not to mention how much our own staff enjoyed the group! Then we had the first Cursillo of the year, a health care retreat, a Life Transitions workshop and a retreat for the faculty of St. John's school in San Francisco. Lots of variety and positive energy to finish off our busy summer.

Here at Angela Center we are always making new efforts at environmental responsibility and so we've started a new effort this month, recycling inkjet and toner cartridges and old cell phones. So if you have any that you'd like to donate for recycling, we have a collection box in our main office and the proceeds will help support the work we do here at Angela Center. So it's a win-win, especially for mother earth!

Coming Home Retreat

This week Angela Center is privileged to host the Coming Home Project, which invites Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, service members and their families to relax, restore, and reconnect with themselves and their loved ones. If you want to know more about this non-profit organization that provides this tremendous service, check out their Web site at www.cominghomeproject.net. We think that Angela Center will be the perfect setting for this renewal and we are looking forward to doing all that we can to make this time wonderful.

What's new at Angela Center

Last week Angela Center was filled with music and the patter of small feet. The Suzuki Institute held its 15th annual summer session here and we were blessed again this year with the wonderful sounds of violin and cello throughout our halls. And just in time for the kids, Jim finished building our new deck outside the dining room, so each day you could see whole families around the brand new white tables with pretty white umbrellas shading the hungry but happy musicians in bright yellow tee shirts.

Our Julian Cell Meditation group continues to meet each Wednesday morning at 7:30 am. Recently someone mentioned how when they can't make it here on a Wednesday morning, they wish they could at least have the quotation that was the focus that week. So we now have another page on our Web site giving everyone that weekly passage for reflection from Julian Cell. When possible we'll even include a photo of the prayer setting. So everyone can be there in spirit!