What's Happening

January 6, 2023, Adrian, Michigan – St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican Friar, was a fierce proponent of science and religion working together in the revelation of God’s creation. Episcopal priest and theologian Rev. Matthew Fox, PhD, explores the relevance of St. Thomas Aquinas for our world today during a live stream presentation, The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times. The program is offered by Weber Retreat and Conference Center from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, January 26, 2023.

In his presentation, Rev. Fox explores a number of Thomas Aquinas’ rich teachings, including the “original goodness” and love of God in everyday things; the primacy of conscience; the common good; compassion and justice; and non-dualism. 

Rev. Fox, a proponent of Creation Spirituality for more than 50 years, founded the University of Creation Spirituality in 1996 to establish a new pedagogy for learning spirituality that was grounded in an effort to reawaken the West to its own mystical traditions in figures such as Thomas Aquinas, Hildegard of Bingen, and Meister Eckhart. He has given lectures and retreats and written numerous books, including The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times (2020).

The cost for the presentation is $20. Registration is required to receive the live stream link. Registration is available at www.webercenter.org; click on “programs.” Registrations may also be made by calling 517-266-4000 or emailing [email protected]. Limited scholarships are available.

December 19, 2022, Adrian, Michigan – Sister Esther Kennedy, OP, a Dominican Sister of Adrian, resumes her monthly Days of Mindfulness in person on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sessions this season will focus on relationships, amplifying our capacity to be love within family, neighborhood, city, and world.

Upcoming sessions are as follows:

• Cultivating Heart, Finding Courage, January 14, 2023. Times of crisis always include moments of grace, as insight and wisdom dawn. A community gathered in meditation is grace itself, offered in love to our world.
• Acting from Deep Knowing, February 11, 2023. John Kabat-Zinn says, “Meditation is the only intentional, systematic human activity which at bottom is about not trying to improve yourself or get anywhere else, but simply to realize where you already are.” It is waking up, simply for the sake of waking up.
• Relieving Suffering, March 11, 2023. What responses arise within you when you think of someone you dislike, fear, or resent? With patience and tenderness, examine your behavior and open yourself to unfolding and transforming awareness.
• Cultivating Mindfulness, April 15, 2023. What value does meditation have? We may simply desire to realize more fully who we are and to live in the growing freedom of that awareness.

Mindfulness sessions are limited to 30 participants. All guests will be screened for COVID-19 and required to wear masks when not eating.

The cost is $35 per session, including lunch. Registration is required and is available at www.webercenter.org; click on “programs.” Registrations may also be made by calling 517-266-4000 or emailing [email protected]. Limited scholarships are available.