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Double rooms will not be assigned but will be available only at the request of the two guests rooming with each other.
A deposit of $50 will reserve your place until 30 days prior to the retreat at which time full payment is due. The full amount of the deposit is refundable if you cancel at least 30 days in advance of the retreat.
What are the Details of the Retreat?
The Retreat will begin at St Francis Springs at dinner at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.  Participants should try to arrive by 5:30 p.m. to check in and get settled in their rooms before dinner.  The Retreat will end after lunch on Sunday.  Reservations may be made on a first-come, first-served basis (1) online using the form to the right; or (2) by calling 336-323-8957.
Who is Mary Dwyer?
Mary Dwyer has been involved with Centering Prayer and the Welcoming Prayer since the mid 1980’s.  She lived with Mary Mrozowski, the founder of the Welcoming Prayer practice, and others in the Chrysalis House in Warwick, New York where the Welcoming Prayer was first taught. Mary is a former Chairperson of The Contemplative Outreach Governing Board and served on its faculty.  She also previously served as Coordinator for the Living Flame program and on the Welcoming Prayer Service Team.
Mary received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in Economics and was a banker and college administrator.  After Chrysalis, she became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Mary now lives in Erie, PA and devotes her time between private practice and giving retreats on behalf of Contemplative Outreach throughout the US and internationally.
What is the Welcoming Prayer?
The Welcoming Prayer is a method of consenting to God’s presence and action in the midst of the ordinary routines of our daily lives.  To practice Welcoming allows us to make choices free of the domination of the false-self system.  We begin to respond rather than automatically react to life on life’s terms.  As the originator of Welcoming, Mary Mrozowski stated: “To welcome and to let go is one of the most radically loving, faith-filled gestures we can make in each moment of each day.  It is an open-hearted embrace of all that is in ourselves and in the world.”
As suggested, the purpose of the Welcoming Prayer is to deepen one’s relationship with God through consenting to God’s presence and action in the ordinary activities of daily life.  In this way, the Welcoming Prayer supports all forms of prayer, like Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, which share the purpose of growing in relationship with God.
Where is St. Francis Springs Prayer Center?
St. Francis Springs is a beautiful inter-faith retreat center located in Stoneville, NC (about a 40 minute drive north of Greensboro). Its mission is to promote spirituality through contemplative prayer and action. The retreat center is located on 140 acres and offers an inviting, peaceful environment. For directions, visit their website at www.stfrancissprings.com.
The retreat is now full.  Call Susie at 336-323-8957 to join the waitlist.
We do have cancellations now and again, and those are offered first to those on the waitlist.  So, give Susie your name if you'd like to be offered any spots that come open.