A Gathering of Women: Celebrating the growing freedom of our spirit

Program Details

Over the past three years, cohorts of women have been meeting online and spiritually traveling together, with Rev. Lee Ireland facilitating. They have been sharing their journeys and weaving their stories with Estés's Women Who Run with Wolves, Murdock's The Heroine’s Journey, and Cameron's The Artist's Way. These resources have helped the women to individually recognize their wounds and find healing and prayer to be transformed through the light, love and grace of God.

It’s one thing to read about all of this. It’s another to be in shared experiences where we can unexpectedly get an insight that can lead to our own personal healings; or to be in those moments when we find ourselves shedding tears and naming the pain that has kept us stuck in a past experience - that was physically hurtful or in words someone said.

Whether you've been involved with the monthly Gatherings of Women or not, you are invited to join us on retreat from Friday, August 25th through Saturday, August 26th, with an extended overnight option through Sunday, August 27th.

Come and walk with your sisters in faith and give thanks for those who know the journey isn’t always easy, and that it can become easier knowing that we’re not the only one feeling a certain way or thinking certain thoughts. You are invited to simply sit quietly and observe, or you can choose to share. No one is obligated to talk. We will include time for journaling, for walking around the grounds, for walking the labyrinth, perhaps some art time, and/or stepping away or for conversing with someone as feels right.

With check-in at 3 pm, we will meet from 4 pm on Friday through dinner on Saturday, with the appropriate breaks for meals and sleep. You’re invited to extend your retreat and stay through Sunday morning with breakfast included.

Registration costs:
•Full-time = $165 for all sessions, facilities use, Friday dinner, overnight with a shared bedroom and bathroom, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
•Commuter = $115 for all sessions, facilities use, Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and dinner.
•Extended personal retreat = Add $65 for Saturday overnight, Sunday breakfast, and facilities use.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE is Monday, August 21st at 5pm.Space is limited. Register today.

About the Leaders

Lee Ireland

Rev. Lee A. Ireland is now retired after serving many churches as a long-time Interim Pastor. She lives in Niantic, CT and is focusing on spiritual formation programs, retreats and offering Individual Spiritual Direction sessions. She received her M.Div. from Andover Newton Theological School, and was trained as a Spiritual Director at Mercy Center, Madison, CT from 1997-99. She has served in 14 different congregational settings as well as working in a women's prison and as a per diem hospital chaplain. Since 1990, she has had the joy of leading retreats. She is well aware of how life throws us curve balls and we can become distracted from our soul's journey by many events that may lead us to dead-ends. As we choose to study the wisdom of others, journal, listen to our dreams or participate in retreats and spiritual formation programs, we learn how to listen within so we can stay on our faith journeys. We discern the guidance we need so we can live into our personal Calls, and live into unexpected moments which nurture the peace within and make our hearts and souls sing. We can then make new life choices that enable us to live in the Now as we love and serve from our centeredness, a sense of gratitude due our deepening relationship with God.