Calendar of Events
Evenings of Contemplative Prayer (virtual)
Maria DiBello, RSM
September 14, 2026 - May 24, 2027
A simple time of quiet presence to the merciful heart of God within us and within our broken/blessed world.
Wise Enough to Play the Fool: 3-Part Series for Chaplains (online)
Jack Geracci and Bernadette Rudolph
October 6 - 20, 2026
Embrace the role of the Wise Fool in the life of the chaplain. Join this community of chaplains as we reclaim our status as professional humans and reconnect with our sense of being Beloved.
Weekly Walks at Cranaleith
Jess Wszolek
October 6 - November 17, 2026
Come explore the Cranaleith grounds in the late afternoon light. Join us weekly to walk the property together, noticing what's blooming, what's fading and what's just beginning – and helping to care for the land as we go. We'll clean up invasive weeds, pick up litter, and check on the many gardens across our 10 […]
Knit, Crochet & Women's Wisdom: October 6 - December 15
Cathy Maguire RSM
October 6 - December 15, 2026
Cranaleith
Womens' Circles have been part of our culture and tradition since ancient times. A place for women to connect, share and celebrate. Join us as we knit and crochet projects each week, for various non-profit agencies. We have reflected on the words of Lisa Bogart (Knit, Purl, Pray), Joan Chittister (The Gift of Years), and currently on the words of Thich Nhat Hanh (Peace Is Every Step).
Wise Enough to Play the Fool: A Series for Chaplains, Session 2 (online)
Jack Geracci and Bernadette Rudolph
October 13, 2026
Join this community of chaplains as we reclaim our status as professional humans and reconnect with our sense of being Beloved. Session 2: Celebrating this liminal role through story-telling and wisdom-gathering
In Conversation with Mechthild of Magdeburg: Love, Longing, and the Divine (2-part series)
Colette Lafia
October 15 - 22, 2026
Online
Join Colette Lafia as she introduces us to Mechthild of Magdeburg within the world of the Beguines and helps us explore her passionate vision of relationship with God, marked by longing, intimacy, vulnerability, and love. Then, through poetry, contemplative reading, and spiritual journaling, we’ll listen for what her words might awaken within us today.
Conversations That Matter: Crossing the Aisle
Bernadette Rudolph and Ariel Warmflash
October 18, 2026
Listen as PA State Representatives Jared Solomon (D–Philadelphia) and Minority Leader Jesse Topper (R–Bedford) describe why they have chosen understanding over winning. Consider how you might do the same.
Wise Enough to Play the Fool: A Series for Chaplains, Session 3 (online)
Jack Geracci and Bernadette Rudolph
October 20, 2026
Join this community of chaplains as we reclaim our status as professional humans and reconnect with our sense of being Beloved. Session 3: Owning and leaning into the role to strengthen our practice and improve the care seeker’s experience
Overnight, Silent, Directed Retreat October 23-24, 2026
Margie Winters and John Buettler
October 23 - 24, 2026
Cranaleith Spiritual Center
What might happen if you took twenty-four hours to enter into the quiet and stillness? Allow yourself the opportunity for renewal.
Community Screening of "In Pursuit: Philadelphia & The Making of America" Episode 6
October 23, 2026
Across the city, Philadelphians are gathering to talk about where we came from - join that conversation in the Northeast! Join us for a community screening of In Pursuit: Philadelphia and the Making of America, the documentary series that tells the story of American democracy through the history of our city. This evening we’ll be […]
Tibetan Singing Bowls: For Healing, Balance, & Hope
Phyllis Strock and Audrey Garrett
October 26, 2026
Cranaleith Spiritual Center
Take some time out during this autumn season to renew, recenter and connect. Our time together will include listening and experiencing the sounds of the singing bowls, hands on experience, and sharing and connecting with each other and the Spirit.
Community Holiday Deals & Steals
November 1, 2026
Kick off your holiday season with us! Browse bargains on hundreds of treasures — houseware, kid's toys & clothes, seasonal decorations, baskets, handbags, jewelry and more — plus all the goodies in our gift shop! We'll also have... Live cider-press demonstrations Family-friendly fall art projects Apple cider donuts & hoagies for sale A Scarecrow contest […]
What I Want You to Know: Film Screening & Conversation
Catie Foertsch
November 8, 2026
Join us for a screening of What I Want You to Know, an intimate and powerful documentary offering personal perspectives from veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through their stories, the film invites us to listen beyond headlines and statistics and to encounter the human realities of war, military service, return, and the lasting wounds that may not always be visible.
Biodiversity Through God's Eyes
Bernadette Rudolph
November 11, 2026
This evening of reflection will offer spiritual support for a turning from destruction to the protection and restoration of the vast biodiversity of our natural home. To power ecological justice, we will root ourselves in God through prayer, discussion, art and reflection on Laudato Sì and the writings of Elizabeth Johnson. We will mourn and we will also be uplifted, inspired as we see biodiversity through God’s eyes.
America at 250: Catholic Schools, Racial Justice & the Courage to Teach "All Are Created Equal" for Educators in Catholic K-12 Schools
November 14, 2026
St. Joseph's University
This symposium will bring together 150 Catholic elementary and secondary educators from across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for a day of prayer, learning, networking, and engagement with classroom-ready resources on racial healing. Participants who implement these materials will have access to ongoing mentoring from experienced educators.
From Loss to Light: Transforming All Our Griefs
Ellen Browning-Lafferty and Sharon Browning
November 15, 2026
Come explore your griefs as creating space for personal transformation and sacred activism. Our day together will include time for reflection, discussion, and several Family Constellations processes. In the shelter of each other, we will examine the deep roots of our fertile griefs, open ourselves to healing what is, and embrace the possible.
Unpacking Significant Spiritual Experiences in Your Work as a Chaplain
Jack Geracci and Bernadette Rudolph
November 21, 2026
Cranaleith Spiritual Center
Name and celebrate two meaningful spiritual experiences from your work as a chaplain: an experience of loss and an experience of receiving. Savor memories, share stories and harvest the wisdom in each experience through art, ritual and discussion.
The Grace of Unknowing: A Retreat for Women Veterans
Maria DiBello, RSM
November 21, 2026
Cranaleith Spiritual Center
On this day of quiet presence to our unanswered questions and anxieties, we will help one another to view them as sacred ground, and opportunities for deep hope. We will draw on the insights of the mystics and poets, as well as the truth we find in one another. The healing beauty of Cranaleith will hold us in this grace. The day will include time for silence, a guided meditation and simple response in art, and exploration into the moral injury we share with our world.
Overnight, Silent, Directed Retreat December 4-5, 2026
Margie Winters and Marian Uba
December 4 - 5, 2026
Cranaleith Spiritual Center
What might happen if you took twenty-four hours to enter into the quiet and stillness with? Allow yourself the opportunity for renewal.
The Magnificat: Finding Strength, Joy and Courage in the Maternal Womb of God with Brother Mickey McGrath
Michael O'Neill McGrath, OSFS
December 9, 2026
Online
Mary lived in disturbing and oppressive times such as we face today. Her timeless words in the MAGNIFICAT, spoken to her cousin Elizabeth in the moments of the Visitation, still inspire us with hope, joy and the heartfelt determination to truly live our Christian faith - and conquer all fear and anxiety with love.
Brother Mickey will share his ART and STORIES to help us locate within ourselves the life-giving source of all hope: Jesus.