Judith's Upcoming Events
December 9
Free Online Talk for the Tuesdays with Merton series
Sponsored by the International Thomas Merton Society
“The Monks Who Knew Merton In Their Own Words”
7 p.m. (Eastern Time. 6 p.m. (Central Time)
Register at www.merton.org/twm
December 16
Free In Person Talk, Luther Oaks Senior Center
“La Dolce Vita: What We Can Learn from Italy About Living More Mindfully and Joyfully”
2 p.m. (Central Time)
Contact: Nicole Jones at Nicole.Jones@lulife.org
2026
January 11
Online Retreat
“Writing the Prologue to Your New Year”
Sponsored by the Siena Center, Racine WI
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Central Time
Register at https://www.sienaretreatcenter.org/retreats/new-year/
Contact: Vicki Curtiss at vcurtiss@sienaretreatcenter.org or
262-898-2584
Feb 11
Online Retreat Sponsored by the Chicago Cenacle
In Person Retreat
“To Pray and Live in Our Current Times”
Spring Workshop sponsored by Contemplative Outreach of Chicago, The Well and Dominican
University
9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Central Time
Dominican University, Oak Park IL
Contact: Al Krema at alkrema@gmail.com or Rachel Hart Winter at
rhartwinter@dominican.edu
In Person Presentation
“La Dolce Vita: What Italy Can Teach Us About Living More Mindfully and Joyfully”
St. Peter’s University, Jersey City, NJ
Time 6 p.m. Eastern Time
Building: TK
Contact: Liliana Huerta at lhuerta@stpeters.edu
In Person Presentation
“La Dolce Vita: What Italy Can Teach Us About Living More Mindfully and Joyfully”
St. Barnabas Church St. Joseph Celebration
10134 S Longwood Dr., Chicago, IL 60643
Following the 4 p.m. Central Time Mass
Contact: Margie Wegrzyn at mwegrzyn@stbarnabasparish.org
In Person Retreat
“Two Themes from Thomas Merton: The Search for Home and Contemplative Prayer”
Sophia Spirituality Center, Mount St. Scholastica Monastery, Atchison KS
Contact: Donna Coleman at sophia@mountosb.org
In Person Poetry Reading from “How to Be a Contemplative: Poems and Brief Reflections by
Judith Valente”
Sunday Salon Chicago at Roscoe Books, 2142 W. Roscoe St, Chicago IL
2 p.m. Central Time
For more information please visit: https://sundaysalon-chicago.com/ or contact Ignatius
Valentine Aloysius at ignatius2u@gmail.com or Roscoe Books at 773-857-2676
In Person Retreat for Benedictine Oblates
“Being Benedictine in the 21st Century”
St. Mary Monastery, Rock Island IL
Contact Sister Bobbi Bussan at rbussan@smmsisters.org
In Person Retreat for Retired Marianist Priests
“Stirring the Ashes of a Well-Lived Life”
Marianist Center, 22683 Alcalde Rd,Cupertino, CA 95014
In Person Oblate Institute
Mount St. Scholastica Monastery, Atchison KS
“Yearning for Life: The Timeless Wisdom of the Benedictine Rule for Troubled Times”
Contact: Faye Miller at femiller@mountosb.org
In Person Retreat
“Searching for Home: Thomas Merton and Thomas Berry in Conversation”
Prairiewoods Ecological Spirituality Center, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha IA 52233
Contact: Sister Ann Jackson at ajackson@prairiewoods.org or 319.395.6700, ext. 203
Annual “Benedictine Footprints” Contemplative, Cultural, Culinary Retreat/Pilgrimage to Italy” Dates TBD in January 2026
In Person Retreat
Church of the Ascension, Balally, Dublin, Ireland
“The Timeless Wisdom of the Benedictine Rule”
Time: TBD
Contact: Father Jim Caffrey at jcaffrey73@gmail.com
Tour of Australia to speak to Benedictine lay associates
Dates: TBD