Welcome
"It was through the arts that I really converted, that I became Orthodox in a deeper and more wordless way."
Jaime Rall
Our Benefactors
Join Us for an Inspiring Women's Retreat
Explore the profound impact of beauty on our lives through meaningful conversations, insightful talks, and enriching activities.
Healing Beauty
A conversation about the importance of Beauty in our lives.
Featuring a Compelling Team of Speakers
1. Dr. Pia Chaudhari, MSc, PhD–Art, Aesthetics, Depth Psychology
“Healing Beauty”
Pia holds a doctorate in theology from the department of Psychiatry & Religion at Union Theological Seminary in New York. She spent two years working as a chaplain intern in a psychiatric hospital, and has trained and worked extensively in Jungian psychoanalysis. She is a founding co-chair of the Analytical Psychology and Orthodox Christianity Consultation (APOCC) which was started in order to promote dialogue across the fields of Orthodox theology/pastoral care and analytical psychology after Carl Jung.
Pia is the founder and principal at Pia Cameron Interiors, an interior decorating firm. She is also the author of Dynamis of Healing; Patristic Theology and the Psyche (Fordham University Press 2019), as well as numerous articles, including on marriage and theosis, the unconscious and prayer, and healing and the Theotokos. Her research interests include theological anthropology, depth psychology, processes of healing, the feminine, aesthetics and beauty.
2. Jennifer Nahas, MMHS–Pilgrimage and Outdoors Specialist
“Contemplative Prayer Walk”
“I believe that it’s in the wild, untamed and natural places that we find our best selves and can see and hear God. I work with people interested in modern-day pilgrimages and the benefits of long-distance walking toward personal growth through mental, physical, and spiritual challenges. I have walked the Camino (the 500-mile pilgrimage across Spain) and Wainwright’s Coast-to-Coast trek across England, and I can see why our early Christians took to the road to unburden, reflect, and re-center. As St. Augustine writes, ‘Solvitor ambulando’ (it is solved by walking).”
Jen is a founding member of Axia Women and continues to write about women and the Eastern Orthodox Church. A certified ski instructor and an outdoor mediative guide trained in spiritual facilitation and accompaniment, Jen has made it her mission to inspire others to awaken to the outdoors as a means of experiencing the peace and love of God.
3. Laura Josephson, CCH–Classical Homeopath
“In the Footsteps of the Holy Myrrhbearers” workshop
Laura is a board-certified classical homeopath practicing in Nyack, New York, since 1992. She graduated from the New England School of Homeopathy, attended the New York School of Homeopathy and the Atlantic Academy of Classical Homeopathy, and has studied with many leaders in the field worldwide. She is a former New York State Homeopathic Association (NYSHA) president, an experienced speaker and teacher, and supervisor to aspiring homeopaths. Her original interest in homeopathy grew from her study of herbal medicine plus her artistic activity exploring the healing properties of pigments, color, and form. She is the author of “A Homeopathic Handbook of Natural Remedies” (Random House/Villard Books 2002), a quick-reference guidebook for the self-treatment of common ailments at home.
Her workshop will be an immersive experience delving into essential oils, the life-blood of plants and one of humankind's first medicines. Guided meditation and discussion in the presence of the scent of the precious oils are intended to help us open ourselves to their gifts of beauty and healing. A small sampling of oils will be yours as a gift to take home.
Activities Include:
- Two sessions on Healing Beauty with Dr. Pia Chaudhari
- Contemplative Prayer Walk with Jennifer Nahas
- Interactive Workshop with Laura Josephson
- Time for Personal Reflection and Connection
All attendees will receive a special takeaway to continue bringing healing beauty into their own lives and homes. They are designed to remind you of the day’s themes and your personal journey toward healing through beauty.
Registration Information
Cost: $85 (Orthodox women only, please)
Friday, July 26, 2024
The incredible variety across saints’ lives has kept me in the church. If a princess can grow up to be an honored empress (St. Theophano), a deposed queen (Sts. Alexandra & Valeria), an abbess (St. Elizabeth the New Martyr), or a runaway-turned-monk and in each case find her way to sainthood, then there must be a path to sainthood for me, too. This story is about the princess who ran away to be a monk, one of my favorites.
Friday, June 21, 2024
As we approach the middle of the year, it seems like a good time for a prayer inspired by our spiritual advisor, Judith Scott. This version includes our featured saints from 2023:
We walk in the company of the women who have gone before: judges, prophets, martyrs, warriors, poets, lovers, and saints, mothers of the faith, both named and unnamed, demonstrating how many beautiful and courageous paths we can walk together toward Christ.
We walk in the company of St. Marina, who understood deeply the communal nature of both brokenness and salvation and lived heart-wide, her hand over her mouth to cover her neighbors' faults.
Friday, June 14, 2024
We are glad to be able to share with you, by permission, a reflection by Abbess Katherine Weston–superior of the St. Xenia Monastic Community for over 30 years and the President of the Fellowship of St. Moses the Black–in which she considers the role of deaconesses and abbesses.
Today, because of the recent and conspicuous ordination of a female deacon in Zimbabwe, I want to start to say something about ordination.