53 Mill Street, Westfield, MA 01085 • 413.562.3627
Residential Weekends: April 7-9 (Thursday to Saturday), June 23-26 (Thursday to Sunday), August 25-28 (Thursday to Sunday) and October 6-9 (Thursday to Sunday)
"Contemplative communities are more than ever necessary to counterbalance the deep resistance to maturity and evolution as a species. As Jung said in 1960, 'our technology is outpacing our consciousness'; we are at a crossroads and the coming together for contemplative practice and action is essential." ~ Brother Don Bisson
Genesis’ fourth incarnation of the School for Contemplative Living will begin in April 2022. With four residential weekends, and in-person or online group meetings between sessions, the school is a formation program for the contemplative journey, rooted in the Christian wisdom tradition in an emerging interspiritual, ecological, and socially engaged framework.
The GSCL qualifies for CEU credits through Our Lady of the Elms College.
Who is the Genesis School for Contemplative Living for?
We welcome anyone with an interest in deepening contemplative practices in their life or business. People from any faith tradition, or none. This can include adults of all ages who wish to deepen their spiritual practice. The program is of unique interest to faith leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, managers, creatives, writers, artists, therapists, and others.
How is the program structured?
There are 4 in-person weekend retreats at Genesis, with online group meetings between the on-site gatherings.
What are the learning outcomes?
During the four residential weekends, learning is both intellectual and experiential, nourishing both the head and the heart for the transformational journey. Each residential weekend will have specific learning outcomes related to the content for that weekend. Weekend components include:
Between residential weekends, learning continues through a commitment to daily practice, group meetings or video calls, and study.
2022 on-site meeting dates
Weekend 1: April 7-9, 2022
Weekend 2: June 23-26, 2022
Weekend 3: August 25–28, 2022
Weekend 4: October 6-9, 2022
Fr. Norman Comtois, OMI, MA is an ordained Catholic priest and member of the Missionary Oblates. His experience in Pastoral Counseling, Intentional Eucharistic Communities and Renewal programs for women religious continue to inform his ministry as a current retreat director. Since the year 2000 he has devoted his interest and education toward developing retreats and courses that bring the Universe Story to life in a spiritually relevant and meaningful way. Father Norm encourages those attending his presentations and retreats to ponder the wisdom of their religious tradition in the context of the Universe Story and of contemplative ecology.
Christina Leaño brings over 12 years of experience offering spiritual programs and guidance to diverse audiences. From weekend retreats to spiritual direction, nature-based experiences to meditation classes, her passion is to create opportunities to facilitate people's spiritual growth and integration while highlighting the seamlessness between personal and social transformation; contemplation and action.
Christina's work is grounded in her Catholic contemplative background, her Buddhist studies and practice of 20 years, training as a mindfulness teacher, and lifelong commitment to ecological and social justice. She holds a BA from Yale University and an MA from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA.
Liz Walz, ASP, Executive Director of Genesis, draws on her experience as a Catholic Worker, Plowshares activist, non-violence trainer, yoga teacher and massage therapist in facilitating programs, retreats and group process. She is trained as a Spiritual Director and BioSpiritual Focusing Facilitator. In 2018 she graduated from the Center for Action and Contemplation’s Living School; she is a facilitator of Circle Groups for new Living School participants. Liz co-founded and is Director of the Genesis School for Contemplative Living. In March 2020, in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, she launched Heart Centered Meditation, a virtual, twice-daily meditation and sharing group. Liz is currently enrolled in a Masters/Doctoral program, Depth Psychology with Specialization in Jungian and Archetypal Studies through Pacifica Graduate Institute.
Rev. Matthew Wright is an Episcopal priest, writer, and retreat leader working to renew the Christian Wisdom tradition. He serves as priest-in-charge at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, NY and is a teacher for Northeast Wisdom and The Contemplative Society, non-profits rooted in the teaching lineage of Cynthia Bourgeault. Matthew lives with his wife, Yanick, alongside the brothers of Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY.
Br. Don Bisson, FMS is, first and foremost, a spiritual director and is widely respected as a specialist in the training, formation and supervision of spiritual directors.
A Marist brother based in Esopus, New York, he has graduate degrees in liturgy, spirituality, and transpersonal psychology, and earned his Doctor of Ministry at the Pacific School of Religion specializing in Spiritual Direction and Jungian Psychology. With more than 90 live audio recordings available, Brother Bisson is internationally recognized for his lectures, workshops, and retreats on the interrelationship of Christian spirituality and Jungian psychology.
His soulful humanity makes Don attractive to the hundreds of people who find their way to virtually everything he offers. He is a man committed to “walking the talk.” From this commitment comes a grounded wisdom and an authentic humility. His gems of wisdom have been formed in the heat and pressure of the deep underground passage of his own healing journey in God. Compassion for what it means to be human is the result, alongside clarity about the compelling call of the Spirit to “wake up” and participate consciously in God’s purposes in our world. This waking up is not an achievement but a process that invites him–and us–into a transformation that is ongoing.
"It wasn’t one part, but all the parts integrating with each other. Great variety in helping me let go of things in my faith that no longer serve me. Also, so many options were presented as prayer to help me pick and choose what I wanted to use as my practice."
"The interaction with others, the guidance of staff, all of the above contributed to my practice and understanding of a more mature theology."
"I thought that the flow of topics from weekend to weekend was well planned. My favorites were compassion and ecology. I felt a growing personal connection with the Divine Presence as the program progressed."
"The Rule of Life assignment really helped me to pull it all together. I am glad that I was exposed to many ideas and with the help of my home group support, I have established daily prayer, embodiment, mindfulness and social action practices."