Be Still and Know: A Christine Center Heritage Centering Prayer Retreat
August 21-24, 2024
with Sr. Gabriele Uhlein
An immersive contemplative weekend drawing from three foundational retreats in the path of Christ Consciousness, as taught by S. Virginia Mary Barta, Foundress of the Christine Center.
This weekend is a call to return—to your quiet inner center, to a spiritual lineage rooted in love and awareness, and to a contemplative Christian community dedicated to peace, healing, and transformation. Whether you’re new to Centering Prayer or seeking to rekindle a past practice, you are warmly invited to join us in this sacred retreat.
If you long to be immersed in the contemplative spirit at the heart of the Christine Center, we invite you to a sacred weekend grounded in the teachings and practices of Centering Prayer. This retreat is a tribute to our founder, S. Virginia Mary Barta, and her vision of deep stillness, inner transformation, and universal blessing.
Through the simplicity and depth of Centering Prayer, we’ll return to what is essential—stilling the mind, softening the heart, and awakening to the ever-present divine within and all around us.
This retreat is both practical and transformative, offering clear instruction, guided practice, and contemplative community for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike.
This weekend is a call to return—to your quiet inner center, to a spiritual lineage rooted in love and awareness, and to a contemplative Christian community dedicated to peace, healing, and transformation. Whether you’re new to Centering Prayer or seeking to rekindle a past practice, you are warmly invited to join us in this sacred retreat.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
Retreat Highlights
- Foundational Teachings from S. Virginia Mary Barta—Drawing from her personal writings and archives, S. Gabe will guide us in exploring the path of Christian contemplation and Centering Prayer as envisioned by our foundress.
- Simple Instruction, Deep Practice—Begins with the basics of Centering Prayer, then deepen into silence and stillness through structured sessions and practice conversations.
- Discover the Nature of Centering Prayer
○ Centering Prayer is noticing
○ Centering Prayer is waking up, witnessing
○ Centering Prayer is being present, moment to moment
○ Centering Prayer is bathing in God
○ Centering Prayer reveals that we are One
○ Centering Prayer is Christ-consciousness, born of love - Returning Only Blessing—Learn to embrace the world with open-hearted blessing. Explore:
○ What is a blessing?
○ Who can bless?
○ How do we bless?
○ Why does blessing matter? - Praying from the Heart—Deepen your contemplative practice with tools for:
○ Living in the moment with innocence and purity of heart
○ Surrendering to your inner truth and divine communion
○ Walking in awareness of Presence and your place in the web of creation
○ Experiencing union with all through the One Humanity
Gabriele Uhlein
Artist in Residence
Gabriele Uhlein, OSF, Ph.D. has been making art all her life, ever since she first discovered crayons. Her sense of painting completely transformed after a painting class with Deb Purdy in 2008, where the only instruction was to paint whatever was needed in that moment. Now trained in the intuitive point-zero painting method of Michele Cassou, Gabe has over 30 years’ experience in using art expression as a personal contemplative practice. Her intuitive art studio provides a marvelous “judgement-free zone” for daring freedom, breaking old patterns, and discovering fresh creative possibilities. In the Hildegard Soul-studio at the Christine Center, create without a plan, without regard for product, meaning and control. Dare to paint whatever wants to be painted. Remind yourself there is no need to like what you paint, just paint, no matter what. Happily, let moment-to-moment experience guide you.
Gabe is also available for personal creativity coaching and spiritual guidance.