Spirit River Community
Spirit River Community
Spirit River Community: A Retreat Centre Without Walls
Welcome to Spirit River Community - A Retreat Centre Without Walls
The South Saskatchewan River flows through the Canadian prairies, bringing life and beauty. In a similar way, the Spirit flows through our lives, bringing curiosity, hope, comfort, and creativity.
In the spirit of Queen’s House Retreat & Renewal Centre, where for more than 65 years people gathered on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River for group and personal retreats, workshops, and conferences, we gather together online and in person to listen, explore, pray, learn, heal, and grow. This retreat centre closed its doors in August 2024, but the community which formed over the years continues to be vibrant and engaged, and new participants are warmly welcome.
Welcome to the SRC website. Thank you for your interest as a 'retreat centre without walls' begins to take shape. I'm convinced that with the guidance of thoughtful and prayerful facilitators, meaningful connections can be formed and nurtured online. I invite you to subscribe to the Spirit River Community e-newsletter to be informed about our upcoming presenters – please send an email to SpiritRiverSK@outlook.com
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Currently, with the exception of a retreat being offered in Saskatoon in March, presentations are only being offered on Zoom. A Zoom link will be emailed to you following your registration for a program. If the presentation is recorded, a copy of this recording will be sent to you to watch/review following the event. See you soon!
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Peace to you,
Sarah Donnelly, M.Div.
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Upcoming Online Classes
Living with an Expansive Faith
Kalyn Falk
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Tuesday, December 10
3:00 - 5:00 p.m. CST
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As faith deepens and integrates, life becomes an expression of our journey’s growth, rooted in intimacy with the Divine and extending toward others and creation. This workshop explores how to live faithfully in this stage, with attention to the unique call and challenges, or “shadow,” it may bring.
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Join us as we discuss the life of an “ordinary mystic”—someone who experiences moments of union with the Divine in daily life—and consider practices like breath prayer, active imagination, and creating a Rule of Life to support this journey. Learn to embrace contemplation and become more fully the self God calls you to be, living with intention and deep connection.
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A recording of this presentation will be sent to all who register.
Photo credit: Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
Taking Another Look at God: Renewing Our Images of the Holy
Kalyn Falk
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Tuesday, January 14
3:00 - 5:00 p.m. CST
What do we imagine when we think of God? How do we see God? Where do we look to see the Holy?
This workshop guides participants in exploring their evolving understanding of God and how it influences self-perception and spiritual well-being. Drawing from Jungian and Gestalt theories, we’ll uncover hidden distortions and heal patterns that may hold us back. As faith shifts and we grow in awareness, we open ourselves to deeper, transformative views of the Divine, fostering hope and personal renewal.
A recording of this presentation will be sent to all who register.
Detail: Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam
Radical Reverence: Jesus and Unnamed Women in the Gospels
Sr. Teresita Kambeitz OSU
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Three classes on the 2nd Thursday of the month
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. CST
January 9, February 13, March 13
Honour, admiration, respect, compassion, esteem, tribute, appreciation, trust - these are some of the responses of Jesus in his encounters with unnamed women in the gospels. In these presentations we will aim (with visuals and stories) to view these women through his eyes as we reflect on his radical responses toward these “nobodies” of his time and inaugurates a new world in which “there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female” (Gal. 3:28).
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Thursday January 9, 2-4pm CST. Jesus' response to women in need:
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Honour for the woman bent double (Lk. 13:10-17)
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Admiration for Syrophoenician/Canaanite woman (Mk. 7:24-30; Mt. 15:21-28)
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Respect for the woman with hemorrhage (Mk. 5:24-34; Mt. 9:18-26; Lk. 8:40-56)
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Care for the daughter of Jairus (Mk. 5:21-24; Mt. 9:23-26; Lk. 8:49-56)
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Thursday February 13, 2-4pm CST. Jesus' response to widows and the ignored wife:
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Compassion for the widow of Nain (Lk. 7:11-17)
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Friendship with (widowed?) women as colleagues (Lk. 8:1 - 4)
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Concern for the widow who gave her last mite (Lk. 21:1-4)
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Esteem for the unacknowledged female companion on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35)
Thursday March 13, 2-4pm CDT/1-3pm SK. Jesus' response to women experiencing rejection:
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Tribute to the woman who anointed Jesus on his head (Mk. 14:3-9; Mt. 26:6-13; Jn. 12: 1-8)
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Appreciation for the woman who wept at his feet (Who loved much) (Lk. 7:36-50)
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Protection of the woman taken in adultery (Jn. 8:1-11)
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Trust in the woman at the well (Jn. 4:7-42)
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A recording of these three workshops will be sent to all who register.
Image: Jesus and the Bent-Over Woman. Artist: Barbara Schwarz OP
Aspects of the Resurrection
of Jesus
Rev. Dr. Don Schweitzer
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Three Wednesdays
January 22, January 29, February 5
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST
Session 1 - January 22/25. The Resurrection of Jesus and Western reason
Faith in the resurrection of Jesus is often seen to clash with Western reason. But there are also positive relationships between the two. This session will examine four of these. First, Jesus’ resurrection reveals something that Western reason seeks. Second, faith in Jesus’ resurrection can stabilize reason in times of social or personal stress. Third, Jesus’ resurrection answers a historical question that otherwise remains an enigma. Fourth, Jesus’ resurrection provides a source of the kind of hope that critical reason requires.
Session 2 - January 29/25. The Resurrection of Jesus Enlarges Our Hearts
This session will examine how Jesus’ resurrection can enlarge our hearts by expanding and re-directing our moral vision and empowering us to pursue this. It will first examine a crisis of hope in the present moment. It will then look at how Jesus’ resurrection is a source of hope, how it enables people and communities to continue to seek to love others despite their failures, and how it can open people to listen to those who are different.
Session 3 - February 5/25. A Role for Christians (and Others) in the Resurrection of Jesus
Resurrection as the overcoming of death is often seen as something that only God can do. This session will examine how Jesus’ resurrection is also something in which people can play an important role. Jesus’ resurrection would be incomplete without our contributions to it. This class will look at Augustine’s notion of how the risen Christ is the whole Christ: the head and the body - the risen Jesus and those who believe in him. We will then look at Ignacio Ellacuria’s idea that people participate in Jesus’ resurrection by taking people who are being crucified down from their crosses. Finally, we will explore how Jesus’ resurrection can be both actual and yet open to and requiring further expression in history.
Recommended (but not mandatory) prior reading: Resurrection: A Guide for the Perplexed by Lidija Novakovic. New York: Bloomsbury, 2016.
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A recording of each class will be sent to all who register.
Photo credit: Photo by Patti Black on Unsplash
Down the River...
The following presentations will be offered in the coming months - mark your calendars!
Workshop Series: Exploring Spiritual Growth Through Reflection and Practice - with Kalyn Falk
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Second Tuesday of the month, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. CST
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Join us for a transformative monthly workshop series designed to deepen your spiritual journey. Led by Kalyn Falk, a seasoned spiritual director, each 2-hour session will provide a space to explore new mental frameworks, engage in self-reflection, and participate in group discussions.
Over the course of the year, we will explore topics that include Spirituality, Counselling, Bodywork and Conflict Resolution, helping us connect the mind, body and spirit. These courses will introduce new practices, tools, frameworks and invitations for reflection. Topics will include:
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Your Journey of Faith: Exploring the Stages of Spiritual Growth - November 12, 2024
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Living with an Expansive Faith - December 10, 2024
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Taking Another Look at God: Renewing Our Images of the Holy - January 14, 2025
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When Faith Hurts: Exploring Religious Trauma and Spiritual Healing - February 11, 2025
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Holding the Tension: Moving Beyond Either/Or Thinking - March 11, 2025
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The Space Between: Breaking the Conflict Cycle - April 8, 2025
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Bridging the Gap: Tools for Turning Conflict Into Connection - May 13, 2025
Whether you're looking to explore new spiritual understandings or deepen your current path, this series offers a supportive, reflective environment for growth and connection.
Bless to Me This Day: Celtic Prayers for Daily Life - Rev. Dr. Mary Earle
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Friday, February 7, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST on Zoom
Befriending Winter: Practices for Cultivating Delight - Rev. Caroline Penhale Lukas, ACC
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Thursday, February 27, 2:00 - 4:00 CST on Zoom
The Soul of a Pilgrim: Eight Practices for the Journey Within - Sarah Donnelly and Nancy Phillips
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An eight-part book study on Zoom - Thursdays, March 6 & 20, April 3 & 24, May 1 & 15, June 5 & 19, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. CST/CDT
And So We Wait: A Spiritual Journey of Transformation. A Weekend Retreat for Women - Sarah Donnelly ​
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Friday, March 21 - Sunday, March 23. Held in Saskatoon, sponsored by The Refinery Arts & Spirit Centre.
For details and to register, visit: Classes
Three Seeds of Ecological Spirituality - Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck
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