A retreat is your chance to step aside from life for a while, to rest and just 'be' in a welcoming, peaceful place.
Read about our Online Conference 2022!
Living with Courage:
clasping hands across a divided landscape
Clockwise from left: Patron Graham Sparkes, Master at St Katharine's Roger Preece, Contributors Pádraig Ó Tuama, Rachel Mann & Director Alison MacTier.
We welcomed 65 people to enjoy three days of talks, worship, workshops, listening groups and creativity, live streamed from the beautiful chapel at
The Royal Foundation of St Katharine, London.
Our first online conference, we were supported by a wonderful line-up of speakers, creative contributors and those who helped to make this an inspirational event.
From left: Conference Liturgist Alison Adam, some members of the Conference planning group, Conference Artist Carol Marples & Alison Adam.
Our patron Graham Sparkes introduced the conference with an exploration of the theme.
Theologian Jane Shaw gave a detailed exploration of the courage of two twentieth century mystics.
Theologian and poet Pádraig Ó Tuama guided us through some inspiring stories of courageous women in the bible, and activist theologian Ched Myers spoke about the value of restorative justice.
Poet Rachel Mann shared with us some moving poetry and she joined Pádraig for a wonderful discussion around the themes of creativity and prayer on the final morning.
Alison Adam, from the Iona Community, was our conference liturgist, inspiring us with word and song.
Carol Marples was our artist in residence who worked in tandem with Alison to create the liturgy. Carol encouraged us to draw a series of contemplative squares as a way of creatively using the silence, which was central to each liturgy, while she gradually transformed the liturgical environment with her own beautiful painted squares.
Brian Johnston and Natan Pisano were our technical support - enabling everyone to share in the event from across and beyond the UK.
The closing worship brought together many themes from the conference, surrounded by artwork and uniting everyone together in prayer and song.
With thanks to all our contributors and participants who helped to make this such a memorable event!
From left: Natan Pisano & Brian Johnston, the Chapel at St Katharine's with artwork.
