Our OLC Book Club is returning for a second season! It is a different kind of book club because the focus is on spirituality. Future titles will be selected on a monthly basis, with the help of suggestions from participants. If you have not attended in the past you are very welcome to join us this month! Sisters Mary O’Brien, CP, and Anna Marie Becker, CP, are the moderators.  Long-time retreatants will remember Sister Anna Marie, whom we are happy…

This special Movie Matinee featuring the Stephen Spielberg film Amistad has ties to Farmington history! Attend this program and learn more! Fifty-three enslaved persons lead a revolt against a Spanish ship, “La Amistad,” that ends up on United States soil. They then are arrested and accused of murder and piracy – charges that bring the death penalty – when ex-President John Quincy Adams, no longer in office, takes their case. Based on a true story and set in 1839, Amistad…

According to Joan Chittister “Simplicity is an attitude of mind that enables us to stand unimpeded by the seductiveness of the unnecessary and the cosmetic.”  Simplicity is about the task of removing the clutter from our outer and inner lives so that we may move more gently through life.  Whether we are “pack-rats” or “neat-freaks”, this statement, is easier said than done.  It is a life-long journey, accomplished one step at a time.  During our time together we will spend…

Our OLC Book Club is returning for a second season! It is a different kind of book club because the focus is on spirituality. Future titles will be selected on a monthly basis, with the help of suggestions from participants. If you have not attended in the past you are very welcome to join us this month! Sisters Mary O’Brien, CP, and Anna Marie Becker, CP, are the moderators.  Long-time retreatants will remember Sister Anna Marie, whom we are happy…

Bridge of Spies Staring Tom Hanks A Soviet spy is caught in the U.S. during the heart of the Cold War. A hesitant U.S. attorney then is given the task of representing him. It’s a movie full of scriptural themes. Every life matters – even guilty ones. In fact, all of us need a defense. The movie ends with a prisoner exchange that has biblical parallels. Tom Hanks stars as the attorney in Bridge of Spies, which is based on a true story…

Is it Even Christian? Exploring the Roots of Halloween Come explore the true origins of Halloween and its roots in the Celtic tribes who lived in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. For ancient people, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. Many of our contemporary Halloween traditions date back to the ancient Celts belief that the souls of the dead including ghosts, goblins, and witches, returned to mingle with the living. In order to…

Come and enjoy a morning of painting! Escape with Branford artist Emer Gearhart. We will be painting an oasis sight for shoreline artists officially titled, “Grass Island” located in Madison, CT. No need to bring any supplies, all will be provided. Experience not needed! Beginners and all levels of expertise are welcome. We will dive into acrylics, working from selective photos and will break for lunch at 12:30. No frets if you need extra time to finish! We look forward…

Let’s be inspired during this autumn season and stir the light within us through prayer, music, and watercolor. Bring an inspirational quote and you’ll leave with a beautiful watercolor expression to remind you of what those words mean in your life. No experience is necessary. We will use simple watercolor and mixed media techniques to create a lovely personal painting. Join Kathy Irr, a member of our OLC retreat team, for a morning of relaxation and creativity. This program includes…

Our OLC Book Club is returning for a second season! It is a different kind of book club because the focus is on spirituality. Future titles will be selected on a monthly basis, with the help of suggestions from participants. If you have not attended in the past you are very welcome to join us this month! Sisters Mary O’Brien, CP, and Anna Marie Becker, CP, are the moderators.  Long-time retreatants will remember Sister Anna Marie, whom we are happy…

Join us for an Advent Retreat Day at OLC! “O come, o come, Emmanuel…” This most familiar Advent hymn and every verse are actually based on an  “O Antiphon.” During the final days of Advent, praying with these antiphons provides us with a novena for Christmas.  Although 1000 years old, their rich imagery and history speak to us now, inviting us to peace and prayer in preparation for Christmas, and not to haste and hurry. Our Advent Retreat Day will…

Join us to explore the four Gospel Portraits of Jesus. Have you ever wondered why the Gospels are different? Because each of the four Evangelists had different goals when they wrote their Gospels, is this why we have four distinct Gospel portraits? Portraits of the same person can look very different but still be honest portrayals. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each paint four different Gospel portraits of Jesus. This presentation will consider parallel passages from the Gospels. We will grow in…

Come and see how you can create space for grace! Today’s woman is pulled in a million different directions. Always on the go, we are doers and nurturers. This hectic pace can make it difficult to listen for the voice of God. Women need time. We need quiet. We need a safe, sacred space free from distraction. We need to stand still long enough to be found. God’s grace is our gift for the taking if we can only make…

Chariots of Fire is a 1981 British historical drama film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice. The film was conceived and produced by David Puttnam, written by Colin Welland, and directed by Hugh Hudson. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won four, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay.…

Our OLC Book Club is returning for a second season! It is a different kind of book club because the focus is on spirituality. Future titles will be selected on a monthly basis, with the help of suggestions from participants. If you have not attended in the past you are very welcome to join us this month! Sisters Mary O’Brien, CP, and Anna Marie Becker, CP, are the moderators.  Long-time retreatants will remember Sister Anna Marie, whom we are happy…

Our OLC Book Club is returning for a second season! It is a different kind of book club because the focus is on spirituality. Future titles will be selected on a monthly basis, with the help of suggestions from participants. If you have not attended in the past you are very welcome to join us this month! Sisters Mary O’Brien, CP, and Anna Marie Becker, CP, are the moderators.  Long-time retreatants will remember Sister Anna Marie, whom we are happy…

Our OLC Book Club is returning for a second season! It is a different kind of book club because the focus is on spirituality. Future titles will be selected on a monthly basis, with the help of suggestions from participants. If you have not attended in the past you are very welcome to join us this month! Sisters Mary O’Brien, CP, and Anna Marie Becker, CP, are the moderators.  Long-time retreatants will remember Sister Anna Marie, whom we are happy…

Our OLC Book Club is returning for a second season! It is a different kind of book club because the focus is on spirituality. Future titles will be selected on a monthly basis, with the help of suggestions from participants. If you have not attended in the past you are very welcome to join us this month! Sisters Mary O’Brien, CP, and Anna Marie Becker, CP, are the moderators.  Long-time retreatants will remember Sister Anna Marie, whom we are happy…