Presented by Br. Mark D’Alessio
Three Thursdays June 16th, 23rd, 30th | 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM ET via ZOOM
What does it mean to live as if all creation is sacred? What happens when we listen for God’s voice not only in scripture, but also in the wind, the waters, the stones, stars, and even our own bodies?
Join Br. Mark, recently returned from New Mexico, where he and his Franciscan community walked alongside Indigenous Elders — sharing in ceremonies, stories, and sacred listening. Together they explored the profound intersections of mystical Franciscan and Indigenous wisdom, recovering a shared reverence for creation as sacred, for community with the Earth as kinship, and for the Divine alive in all being.
This retreat invites you into that living conversation, emphasizing the natural world’s role in our lives and the enduring wisdom of Indigenous traditions that teach us how to listen deeply to the sacred in all things. Over three sessions, we’ll reflect on how Mystical Christianity, especially in the Franciscan tradition, and Indigenous American spirituality, both see the Earth as alive with Spirit. Each teaches us to listen deeply—to sense with all our being the sacredness of life — and to respond with love, humility, and courage.
This is an opportunity to reawaken your soul to the sacred harmony of all life and discern your place in the great circle of being.
Session One – Creation as Sacred Text
Discover how Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures and Indigenous teachings view the Earth not as resource, but as relative. Practice “seeing with spiritual eyes” and sensing the Divine in all creation.
Session Two – The Heart of Mysticism and Vision Quests
Journey inward to encounter the sacred in stillness, vision, and community. Reflect on St. Clare’s contemplative gaze and Indigenous traditions of vision quests as pathways to clarity, healing, and connection with the ancestors.
Session Three – From Contemplation to Sacred Action
Explore how both Franciscan and Indigenous traditions call us into loving action—peacemaking, justice, and care for future generations. Commit to walking gently yet boldly in a world longing for healing.
All Are Welcome. Whether you are deeply rooted in one of these traditions or simply drawn by a spirit of curiosity, you are invited to join us. Together we will slow down, listen with the ear of the heart, and discern how to live in sacred relationship—with the Earth, with one another, and with the Great Mystery that holds all of creation in love.
Join us for a retreat that weaves together sacred stories and ceremonies, where the wisdom of Earth and Spirit can call us home to a deeper way of seeing, being, and belonging within the great community of creation — where Earth and Spirit meet, and where your soul remembers its place in the Great Circle
Online via ZOOM
COST | $75 for 3 sessions
PLEASE NOTE: You are NOT registered for a ZOOM program until you receive a confirmation email. Call 860.567.3163 with questions.
We’re honored to offer scholarship opportunities to programs and retreats, creating opportunities for everyone. Please call (860) 567-3163 to find out more.
The health and safety of our guests and staff are of paramount importance to us. We follow the COVID-19 guidelines provided by the State of Connecticut and the CDC. If Wisdom House is forced to close to comply with the guidelines issued by the State of Connecticut or the CDC, we will return all funds received to date.
The Rt. Rev. Br. Mark D’Alessio is a Franciscan friar in the new religious society of the Companions of Francis and Clare. He’s also a interspiritual Christian bishop and priest, spiritual director, chaplain, retreat leader, author, and past President and Executive Director of the Psychotherapy & Spirituality Institute which draws together the inspiration of the church with the wisdom of psychological care.
As a Franciscan, he’s committed to serving those who are sidelined, most vulnerable and at risk. Last year, the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless awarded him with their “Unsung Hero” Award for his ministry as a crisis counselor and program coordinator at a shelter for men and women who are homeless and as a chaplain at a residential treatment center and school for children with learning and emotional disabilities.
A long-time seeker and practitioner of spiritual wisdom, he’s initiated into multiple spiritual lineages, both East (Buddhist) and West (Christian); does his best to affirm the Christian Wisdom tradition within a wider inter-spiritual framework; and, looks to God’s science and spiritual heroes (such as Thích Nhat Hanh and Francis and Clare of Assisi) as sources of inspiration and hope.
Br. Mark is a graduate of the Guild for Spiritual Guidance, founded by Henri Nouwen and Madeline L’Engle, where he is currently a faculty member and community leader. He's also a faculty member at All Faiths Seminary International for the training of interfaith ministers.