FEATURED RETREATS:
Thursday, December 15th Prayer Shawl Ministry Gathering

December 9 to 11
Noel Retreats for Women in Recovery

December 17 - Advent Retreat Day

December 31 - Praying into the New Year

January 6   A Day of Spiritual Renewal The First Friday of the Month (October through June)

January 6 to 8 - Spiritual Renewal Center - Directed Prayer Weekend

January 27 to 29 - Enjoying Winter's Beauty

January 16 thorugh 20 - Busy Personas Retreat

All programs require registration either online or via mail.

Thursday, December 15th
Prayer Shawl Ministry Gathering
“You knit me in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13)
What a beautiful God activity!  We will initiate a God activity on the third Thursday of the month from  2:00 pm-4:00 pm at Stella Maris.  Our Prayer Shawl Ministry will begin with a blessing ritual of hands, needles, yarn, knitting and crocheting patterns and other materials.  There will be a reflection on the contemplative dimension of this activity and, of course, prayer will be a part of our gathering.  Come and see!  Please come with yarn, knitting or crocheting needles and whatever you like to have for this creative activity. “The important thing is not so much what you knit as what happens to you while you knit it.  Where the interior journey takes you.  What you find there.  How you are transformed when you come back home.” –Susan Gordon Lydon.  For more infomation please call Sister Concetta Fabo, OSF at Stella Maris.

December 9-11
Noel Retreat for Women in Recovery #2
The Noel Retreat for women is an opportunity to rediscover the 12 Steps at a deeper level.  This time away is a gift to yourself to be still and to reconnect with your power to change.  Conference will include the peace of the lived moment, the freedom to let go, the art of listening to yourself, and the empowerment of gratitude.  This weekend, the second of two, will be facilitated by Sister Ellie Martinez.  The program opens with dinner at 6:00 pm and ends on Sunday morning. 

December 17
Advent Retreat Day
“In the Silence... in the Stillness… A Breathless Love Awaits”
Take time from your busy schedule to give yourself the gift of quiet in order to relish the unfathomable love of God shown in the Christmas story.  Breathless love waits.  We need only increase our awareness of God’s constant love in our everyday lives.  As we come aside to rest in the love of God, we will reflect on the immense love shown to us in the gift of the Incarnation.  Starting with the Annunciation, we will travel the rocky path to the real life problems faced on the roads leading to Bethlehem.  Looking at the characters in the Christmas story we find how to live a more peaceful, loving life in the midst of our hectic modern world.  Presented by Sr. Pat Larkin, OSF; 9:30 – 4: 00.

December 31
Praying into the New Year
Standing at the gate of the New Year, we will pause to reflect on the past year, and pray into the year to come with alternating periods of prayer in common and quiet reflection time.  We will conclude our time with Mass at 4 pm.
Overnight arrangements with breakfast at 8:00 am can be made.
Day Program Offering:  $35.00 per person; Combination Day Program and Overnight Offering:  $75.00 per person

January 6
A Day of Spiritual Renewal
The First Friday of the Month
The First Friday of the Month (October through June) is offered for you to come and enjoy the peace, quiet and prayerful environment of Stella Maris. Arrive any time after 9:00 a.m.  There will be a half-hour input session on a spiritual topic at 10:00 a.m.  Read, pray, walk, reflect, rest and have lunch with us. 
Departure is by 3:00 p.m. Registration is required.  This experience is only offered the First Friday of the month from October through June.

January 6 to 8
Directed Prayer Weekend Retreat
Spiritual Renewal Center
Start the New Year with a weekend away with God.  Set your focus for 2012 by attending this silent directed weekend retreat.  Each retreatant will be assigned a spiritual director who will meet with you at scheduled times to discuss your experience of prayer and make suggestions for your time with God.  The weekend will begin at 6:00 pm on Friday night with dinner; you are welcome to check in anytime after 4:00 pm.  The weekend will conclude at noon on Sunday, January 8th.  This retreat at Stella Maris is offered by the staff of the Spiritual Renewal Center in Syracuse.
The offering of $200 includes two overnights with a private room, all meals, and four direction sessions.  Mass will be offered on Saturday evening.  To register, call the Spiritual Renewal Center at 472-6546.

January 27 to 29
Enjoying Winter’s Beauty
Francis’s love of creation as the revelation of the glory of God is well known. Using the words of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure and Blessed John Duns Scotus, we will reflect on the beauty of creation as it reflects God’s love for us. Take time to relax and enjoy the beauty of winter while hearing the words of Franciscan scholars about creation. Presented by Sister Pat Larkin, OSF.
Offering:  $150.00

January 16 through 20
Busy Persons Retreat
“So could you not keep watch with me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40)
So you can keep watch with me!  You can’t spend time in an overnight, weekend or, least of all, a full week retreat?  Not to worry!  In this retreat you can keep watch=pray with me in a retreat adapted for busy people.  You, the retreatant, schedules a half-hour daily prayer time and a meeting one-to-one 2 or 3 times for 45 minutes with a spiritual companion/director during the week.  You “go on retreat” in the midst of your busy life.  There is an opening prayer on Sunday evening and a closing prayer on Saturday evening for all who participate in this retreat. You go about your daily routine, seasoned by the retreat experience. 
Try it! You may really like it!
For more information, please call Sister Concetta Fabo, OSF (315) 685-6836.