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 continue to join in this growing, thoughtful community.
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 see the bottom of this webpage to subscribe. ​
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Currently, with the exception of an in-person option being offered by Sacred Journey, all 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.
Almost all of our past workshops have been recorded, and access to these presentations can be purchased by visiting the 'Shop' page on this website. Many have been discounted - enjoy!
See you soon - peace to you,
Sarah Donnelly, M.Div.​
Upcoming Events
Befriending Shame: How to be Present to the Feeling We Most Want to Avoid
Janelle Schneider
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Wednesday, September 10
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT
​​​(note: 10:00 a.m. start for folks living in SK)
9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
Shame is an emotion we all encounter in our human experience. Yet, by its very nature, it is one of the most difficult emotions to be present to. Our instinctive response to shame is to hide - hide from the feelings, hide from ourselves, and hide from others. In this workshop, we will learn how shame affects us in our three centres: body, heart and head; explore tools that can assist us as we pay attention to our shame; and learn how to uncover the gifts shame offers to us.
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Access to this recording will be sent to all who register. $50 CAD
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This is the first of three workshops being offered by Janelle Schneider. Tending Fear: The Guardian of the Unknown will be offered on November 26; Honouring Anger: The Protector of Our Essence will be offered on February 18. Join us for one or all three workshops - you are most welcome!
Paul the Apostle: From Tribal Zealot to Global Disciple
Sr. Teresita Kambeitz OSU
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Saturdays, September 27, October 25, November 22
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT
​​​(note: 10:00 a.m. start for folks living in SK for Sept. and Oct.
- 11:00 a.m. start for Nov.)
9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
In this scripture series we will follow Paul’s story as he grows from intolerant religiosity to all-embracing faith in Christ Jesus where “there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female” (Gal. 3:28). Where are we on this path?
Access to recordings of each presentation will be sent to all who register. $95 CAD
Nourishing Inner Stillness: Psychospiritual Resilience in Times of Change
Allie Kochert, MA, LPC, CSD
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Wednesday, October 1
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT
​​​(note: 10:00 a.m. start for folks living in SK)
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9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
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Resilience is the ability to rebound from adversity - and when we have connection to our psychospiritual wellness, we can feel more hopeful and strong as we face the challenges of fear, worry, and anger. In this workshop, we'll have a time of poetry for presence and guided mindfulness meditation as we re-orient ourselves to our roots and restore connection to the inner compass.
Access to this recording will be sent to all who register. $50 CAD
​Photo credit: Photo by Hasmik Ghazaryan Olson on Unsplash
Sacred Journey: The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Daily Life
Dianne Mantyka, DMin
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Two Options:
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On Zoom: 14 Sunday Evenings
October 5, 2025 to May 3, 2026
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In Saskatoon/In-Person: 14 Monday Evenings
October 6, 2025 to May 4, 2026
The Spiritual Exercises are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices developed by St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) to help people deepen their relationship with God. The 19th Annotation of St. Ignatius Loyola's Spiritual Exercises is a modified form of the traditional 30-day retreat, allowing individuals to experience the exercises while continuing their daily lives.
Sacred Journey offers an ecumenical experience of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises in which teachings and optional resources drawn from current authors in spirituality and spiritual psychology are integrated throughout. This retreat experience within daily life can inform and guide you in your current realities as these relate to God’s design, unconditional love, and your own life story connecting with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This journey will help you grow in discernment and intimacy with God. You will be accompanied through Sacred Journey by a spiritual director who has experience with the Ignatian Exercises.
This Spiritual Retreat in Daily Life is for you if you desire to deepen your prayer life and your relationship with God, grow in contemplative prayer, encounter God through scripture, become acquainted with Jesus and follow in Christ’s way.
This Journey calls for a commitment to:
· 1 hour daily (minimum) prayer/scripture/journaling.
· 14 Gatherings - Sunday evening Zoom OR Monday evening in-person in Saskatoon (not inter-changeable) that include group spiritual direction, deep listening, input, sharing. (No meetings scheduled on statutory holidays.)
· Meet with a Spiritual Director once before first gathering, between gatherings, and once after final gathering, for 15 sessions in total.
For brochure with more information, fees, schedule, and application form, see buttons below. $595 CAD
For additional information, contact Dianne at dimantyka@sasktel.net
Each group is limited to 15 participants - register soon. Registration deadline: September 8
A Tapestry of Sacred Stories: Yours, Mine, God’s
A Retreat with Faith Nostbakken, PhD, DMin
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Thursday, October 16, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. MDT
12:00 PDT / 1:00 MDT (includes SK) / 2:00 CDT / 3:00 EDT / 4:00 ADT
Friday, October 17, 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. MDT
​​​​9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT (includes SK) / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
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Storytelling is at the heart of who we are as human beings. We might say that this is because we are created in the image of a storytelling God, for our Scriptures are predominantly a collection of stories narrating God’s relationship to God’s people. This retreat will engage us in story-sharing, a process by which we not only discover or name significant patterns of meaning and purpose in our own lives but also foster community and relationship as we tell our stories to one another. Weaving together biblical themes of call, blessing, spiritual encounters, personal relationships, and challenges or “eclipses,” we will begin metaphorically weaving tapestries with the “threads” of our own lives, as we see connections with biblical stories and honor how we hear the “threads” expressed by others. A culminating exercise will be to create a collage or other visual expression that draws together our own stories so that we can “show and tell” our tapestries together. From wherever we are as we join this retreat, we will gather on holy ground, for stories are sacred: yours, mine, and God’s.
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Access to this recording (for review) will be sent only to those who are able to participate in this retreat when it is being offered. $95 CAD
​Photo credit: Photo by Aditya Wardhana on Unsplash​​
Down the River...
The following presentations will be offered in the coming months - mark your calendars!
Three workshops being offered by Janelle Schneider: https://www.janelle-schneider.com/​
Befriending Shame: How to Be Present to the Feeling We Most Want to Avoid - Wednesday, September 10, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT
Tending Fear: The Guardian of the Unknown - Wednesday, November 26, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. CST
Honouring Anger: The Protector of Our Essence - Wednesday, February 18, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. CST
Three Seeds of Ecological Spirituality - Shawn Sanford Beck
​Workshop 1 of 2
Tuesday, October 21, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT on Zoom
Cultivating Soil of the Soul - Allie Kochert: https://www.rootgrowthrive.com/​
Wednesday, October 22 - Root: Resourcing and Burnout Care
Wednesday, October 29 - Grow: Claiming Resilience and Regeneration
Wednesday, November 5 - Thrive: The Posture and Process of Embodiment
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT on Zoom
Kything: Communion with the More-Than-Human World - Shawn Sanford Beck
Workshop 2 of 2
Tuesday, November 18, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. CST on Zoom
Whole Care for Health Care Professionals Part 1:
Nurturing Body, Mind, Heart, & Spirit in Chaotic Times - Karen Scott Barss
Tuesday, November 18, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST on Zoom
Whole Care for Health Care Professionals Part 2:
Nurturing Our Relationships & Communities in Daily Practice - Karen Scott Barss
Tuesday, November 25, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST on Zoom
Befriending Winter: Practices for Cultivating Delight - Rev. Caroline Penhale Lukacs: https://clearmoment.ca/
​Tuesday, November 20, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST on Zoom
Praying in Colour: An Advent Creative Retreat - Kathy Berken
​Tuesday, December 16, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST on Zoom