Upcoming Events
The Path of Holy Unknowing
First Saturdays on Zoom, 8 am to 9:15 am
Format: Two 25-minute prayer times separated by time for an optional meditative walk, followed by Lectio Divina on quotes from Reflections on the Unknowable by Father Thomas Keating. Registration is not required. No fee; just come and pray.
Please enter in silence, with volume muted. Link to join: https://tinyurl.com/cs944brn
“Within the stillness of silence, God speaks to the heart”
–sign at St. Joseph’s Abbey, Spencer, MA
Third Saturdays Enrichment Series 2025-26 Resumes
This is our third and final year of sharing of the Contemplative Life Program, based on Julie Saad’s book Contemplative Life: Discerning Our Path Into the Heart of God.
Location and time: In person only at St. Walburga Monastery, 851 N. Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07208 for October, November, December, March, and April from 9 am to 2 pm.
IMPORTANT: The main driveway to the monastery is blocked due to construction. Here are the directions to the alternate entrance:
If you normally make a left turn to enter the monastery driveway, just continue past the driveway and drive to the very first traffic light at the end of the block at North Avenue and make a left. Make another left almost immediately thereafter, onto Stanton Ave. there is a synagogue at the corner. Enter the gate into the monastery’s property at the end of the street. Bear right. You will see the main parking lot.
If you are coming from North Avenue, and normally turn left onto North Broad Street —- DON’T! Instead, continue on North Avenue through the traffic light, make the very first left onto Stanton Avenue, and enter the monastery property at the end of the street.
If you are coming from North Avenue, and normally turn right onto North Broad Street, —- DON’T! A block before North Broad, look for Stanton Avenue on your right (synagogue at one corner, apartment at the other corner) and make a right onto Stanton. The monastery property is at the end of the street.
We are on Zoom only for January and February, from 9 am to 11 am. Zoom events are free of charge and do not require registration. The link is https://tinyurl.com/469wwufm. It will also be emailed to our email list closer to the time of each session.
When and What:
October 18 – Contemplative Discernment
November 15 – Addictions, Attachments, Aversions
December 20 – Advent Day of Prayer with Fr. Carl Arico
January 17 – Introduction to the Forgiveness Prayer (Zoom only)
February 21 – Practice the Forgiveness Prayer (Zoom only)
March 21 – Contemplative Lifestyle
April 18- Building a Contemplative Community
Cost: We ask $20 per in-person event or $82 for all 5 in-person events. All are welcome regardless of ability to pay. No fee is requested from members of vowed religious communities. Zoom events are free of charge. You may register online, via postal mail (Barbara Sherry, 1189 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Bayonne, NJ, 07002) or on site at the monastery. Payments are nonrefundable. Please bring lunch. Coffee and tea are provided.
For in-person events: The room in which we meet holds a maximum of 24 people. Those who register are given priority. Walk-ins are welcome until the limit is reached. If you register and are not coming, please email coordinator@centeringprayernj.com so that we do not hold the space. Thank you!
Lunch for in-person events: Please bring lunch. Coffee, tea, and some food will be provided.
Questions? Email coordinator@centeringprayernj.com.
Please consider offerings from:
Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, NY
Jan 30 – Feb 1, 2026: In Silence with (mystics) Hildegard of Bingen and Hadewijch of Brabant
Feb 10-13, 2026: Centering Prayer Retreat
March 6-8, 2026: Introduction to Centering Prayer
Material from Past Events
Fr. Carl Arico’s Advent Day of Prayer December 18, 2021
Please find links to audio recordings of Fr. Carl Arico’s talks on December 18, 2021 as well as text of prayers and other readings used that day.