2010 Fall Affiliation Gathering: awakening consciousness, renewing relationships

by Marci Madary, affiliate

From Oct. 15 to 16, 2010, affiliates and sisters came together to renew relationships and enriched their understandings at the Fall Affiliation Gathering.

On Friday evening, after being a prayer affiliate for 20 years, Teresita Caponigri became a covenant affiliate. Tess and several members of her family came from Las Vegas, Nev., to celebrate the special event. Leanne Spacek and Gene Portz also renewed their commitments as affiliates at that time.

On Saturday, Sister Delmarie Gibney explored the idea of “awakening consciousness” with 85 sisters and affiliates in person or via internet connection. As Sister Delmarie explained how the human brain works, those in attendance were able to better understand their thought patterns and subsequent behaviors. As consciousness is awakened, more options in a person’s behavioral patterns become possible.

They lived Nan Merrill’s translation of Psalm 109, “May I open myself to change, to being guided by the Spirit, may I risk the unknown and live into the Mystery!” Changed, led and embraced by the Mystery, all participants were reminded that consciousness is the “divine” within.

 

 

 

Annual affiliation retreat invites participants to ‘reclaim their intuition’

by Lucy Ann Meyer, FSPA

The annual affiliation retreat was held Aug. 19 to 22, 2010, at Villa Maria Retreat and Conference Center, Frontenac, Minn. Sister Jean Kasparbauer invited the retreatants to reclaim their intuition by paying exquisite attention to their own experiences. The process, Sister Jean explained, will reveal all that is needed for holistic living into their daily choices and decisions.

The following affiliates joined me in the retreat: Lucille Pedretti, Darlene Wozney, Ruthmary Priebe, Jan Prokes, Linda Kerrigan, Grace Nicholson-Maly, Edna Whalen, Margaret Bluske, Sharon Chavolla, Mary Schilling, Jean Amlaw, Wilma Spaeth and Mary Calkins.

Utilizing personal reflection and small group feedback and discussion, the retreatants practiced the intentional process involved in reclaiming intuition in their daily choices and decisions. The experience of “grounding,” which is basic to living into our intuitive well being and “seeing God” in the activities and events of our everyday lives, set the tone for each of the sessions. All appreciated the practical helps for personal growth and the time for bonding with other affiliates.