ALASKA PILGRIMAGE #1: THE SOUL’S JOURNEY Sr. Suzanne Toolan & Sr. Marguerite Buchanan August 10-16, 2009 Co-sponsored by Mercy Center in Burlingame, CA & Stillpoint in Halibut Cove, Alaska

In each of us dwells a pilgrim.  It is the part of us that longs to have direct contact with the Sacred….”What unites the different forms of pilgrimage is intensity of intention, the soul’s desire to return to the Center…What makes a pilgrimage sacred is the longing behind the journey.”  Art of Pilgrimage, Phillip Cousineau During the weeks prior to your time in Alaska we will be sending readings for reflection as part of your preparation for this journey. We hope this will serve as an ever-deepening focus for our Pilgrimage. Alaska is an extraordinary land that offers vast wilderness, awesome vistas, and amazing people.  Our Pilgrimage Retreat offers three days of travel so you can experience the rich cultures of Alaska natives, and the unequaled splendor of the mountains, glaciers, and oceans teeming with life. Upon arrival at Stillpoint Lodge, many are deeply affected by: The stillness, the power, the beauty of the surrounding mountains, seas, forests and wildlife. The joy of being with those who are open to the deepening of spirit as the power of Presence shines through the pristine beauty of nature. The casual elegance of the lodge and cozy cabins with amazing details. The superb and healthy local cuisine. The kindness and attentiveness of owners Jan and Jim Thurston and their staff. The gentle, daily rhythm of silence, presentations and sharing during the days of retreat. Cost: $2295 - A seven-night, eight-day pilgrimage that begins in Anchorage, Alaska and concludes with four nights at Stillpoint Lodge in Halibut Cove, Alaska. Please click HERE for information on what is included and not included and the registration form. A $500 deposit by February 15, 2009 is required. Balance due 60 days prior to the event. Space is very limited to 22! Early reservations strongly encouraged. Sr. Marguerite Buchanan, RSM, was for many years a staff member at Mercy Center. Trained at the Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, MA. Marguerite also has a Master’s degree in Transpersonal Psychology. Her ministry has been primarily spiritual direction and the training of spiritual directors. Other areas of interest include dream work, body-mind-spirit connection, Centering Prayer and prison ministry. She is the director of Catherine's Center, a transition house for women getting out of prison.   Sr. Suzanne Toolan, RSM has been on staff at Mercy Center, a retreat/conference facility in Burlingame, California, since its founding over 25 years ago. She composes music, creates liturgy and facilitates prayer at the center and introduced Taize worship in the San Francisco Bay area and throughout the United States. She has written hundreds of hymns, and is best known for “I Am the Bread of Life”, published in more than twenty languages.

“Stillpoint is a place I hope to visit again and again.” ~ Brenda Horvath

Experience the grandeur of Alaska that inspired Trappist Monk Thomas Merton to consider an area near Anchorage, Alaska to be his next monastery.

Journey from Anchorage to Halibut Cove, Alaska. Travel by bus down the scenic Kenai Peninsula with lodging in Anchorage, Alyeska Resort, and The Kenai Peninsula.  View spectacular Prince William Sound, and Homer’s quaint fishing village.

Our pilgrimage continues in Halibut Cove with a four-day contemplative retreat, “The Soul’s Journey” led by Sr. Suzanne Toolan and Sr. Marguerite Buchanan. Stillpoint’s breath-taking wilderness lodge and log cabins provide a surprising casual elegance seldom found in such a remote setting. Exquisite healthy cuisine prepared from the organic garden and sea awaits you. In the evening snuggle into flannel sheets and awaken in the morning to bald eagles and sea otters just outside your door.

This pilgrimage provides a majestic backdrop from which to gain insights into your relationship with nature, other cultures and God. Each day will present opportunities to experience the magnificence of creation through unsurpassed scenery.

Travel via plane, boat, tram, and bus visiting magnificent highlights along the way.

“Sometimes words simply aren’t enough to convey the sense of gratitude and thanksgiving, which well up inside. This time away was just what I needed and my expectations were more than met – from the beginning welcome and hospitality of people and place (I would rate you a five star on a four star rating scale) to the program to the otters and eagles. As Hazel Anne and I were traveling home we said, ‘we knew Stillpoint could be wonderful, we just didn’t know it would be WONDERFUL!!! The program combining music, story, excellent reflection and theological presentation matched my hopes and my needs. Thank you Jan – for dreaming, creating and sharing – your dream is our joy.” Flora

Trip Itinerary and Description

Note: You may want to consider arriving in Anchorage a day or two early to sightsee, walk or bike the famous 12-mile coastal trail just minutes from the hotel or visit some of the downtown galleries and shops. Historic Anchorage Hotel will honor a reduced rate if you tell them you are with Stillpoint.

Day One, August 10:  Arrival, Cab, Historic Anchorage Hotel, Anchorage Museum of  History and Art, and Restaurants of your choice.

From the airport take a 15 minute taxi ride to the Historic Anchorage Hotel.  You’ll be amazed at the display the “City of Flowers” has to offer! Our first welcome/orientation gathering will be at 11:30 a.m. in the meeting room of the Historic Anchorage Hotel. We will then walk a few blocks to the Anchorage Museum of History and Art for a delightful lunch and docent tour. Visit the many wonderful displays for as long as you wish. After the Museum visit you are on your own to choose from nearby restaurants for dinner*. Enjoy a good night’s sleep.

Day Two, August 11: Alaska Native Heritage Center, Turnagain Arm drive, The Hotel Alyeska Resort (Rain Forest Hike, swimming pool, sauna, hot-tub).

 

After a great continental breakfast, board the shuttle for The Alaska Native Heritage Center. In addition to displays and entertainment, a native elder has agreed to share some unique spiritual aspects of their inspiring culture.

Lunch*, Then our private bus will take us on an hour drive along the Seward Highway which winds through the Turnagain fjord. This is rated as one of the top ten scenic routes in our nation.

Alyeska Prince Hotel

Check in to the Hotel Alyeska Resort and rest a little before a lovely hike that passes through America’s northernmost rainforest.  The gentle grade with maintained boardwalks is a 5.5 mile “out and back” three-to-four-hour excursion. Or you may choose to return with those who would prefer to walk just a portion of the trail.

The chateau-style Hotel Alyeska Resort sits at the base of Alyeska Ski Resort and offers views of the surrounding Chugach Mountains.  Enjoy luxurious rooms, a large heated saltwater swimming pool and hot tub.

For dinner you’ll have your choice of  the three restaurants* that the hotel has to offer: Casual dining, Asian Cuisine, or ride the tram up Mt. Alyeska to the award-winning Seven Glaciers Restaurant where your meal will be served at 2,300 feet above sea level with panoramic views of the Chugach Mountain Range, seven “hanging” glaciers and Turnagain Arm.

Overnight at The Hotel Alyeska.

Day Three, August 12: Portage Glacier Visitor Center, 26 Glacier Cruise, Lodge on the Kenai Peninsula

Enjoy breakfast* at the hotel. Drive to the Portage Glacier Visitor Center for a wealth of information on glaciers and the local forests. We’ll drive through a tunnel to the small town of Whittier.  The tunnel is open to both trains and cars that alternate on the half-hour. In Whittier we’ll board the boat for a tour that will take us to glaciers up close and personal. There is no substitute for the experience of the sight and sounds of magnificent glaciers as huge pieces break away and crash to the sea!  Sea life will be seen in their natural habitat along the way.

Ask Srs. Cindy Kaye, Corita Burnham, and Ritamary Burnham how they enjoyed the trip last year!

Klondike express

Board the bus for a drive down the Kenai Peninsula; enjoy a great box dinner while in transit to our lodge.  Have a good night sleep after an amazing day of variety and wonder.

Day Four, August 13: Spectacular drive to Homer, Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, shopping, lunch, boat to Stillpoint Lodge.

Board the bus for Homer at 9:00 a.m.  The 1 ½ hour drive along the Kenai Peninsula to Homer passes through unsurpassed scenery and will give us our first view of Kachemak Bay.  We will stop at Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitors Center to learn yet another aspect of Alaskan life in the Aleutian Islands of the North Pacific Ocean.  This remarkable place is your window to the largest seabird refuge in the world with all of the natural wonders of Kachemak Bay right outside its door. We will visit art galleries, drive to the Homer Spit for lunch* and visit Homer’s quaint shops.

* Indicates meal not included

Then it’s time to meet the boat that will take us for a half-hour ride across Kachemak Bay to Stillpoint Lodge in Halibut Cove. There will be time for you to settle into your cabins before the first of many delicious meals created with produce gathered daily from our garden and fish caught in the local sea.  It is here that we begin the integrative retreat with reflections on the experience of the moment or on the preceding days.

A Stillpoint in Halibut Cove
Stillpoint provides a nurturing setting steeped in the abundance of nature’s beauty and invites guests to immerse themselves in their own deep wellspring.  Sumptuous dining, cozy log cabins and a magnificent lodge nurture the soul and stimulate contemplation.  Kayak, hike, journal, read, or sit on the deck of your cabin and watch the local sea life and birds delight in their surroundings.

An aerial view of Halibut Cove

The Soul’s Journey, Exploring Alaska and our inner world through the Writings of Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton is considered to be one of the most influential American spiritual writers of the last 100 years.  His writings speak to the search for “true self” and our need to build relationships with God and all of creation.  In 1968 Merton came to Alaska for two weeks. In this short visit the beauty he witnessed provided the opportunity for him to deepen his sense of relationship with that which is “True.”  He was so inspired by the state’s natural beauty that his desire was to build a monastery just north of Anchorage.

Day Five through Seven, August 14, 15, 16: The Soul’s Journey Retreat continues.

The Soul’s Journey Retreat continues.

your table is ready

your room awaits you

 

Day Eight, August 17:  Depart Halibut Cove on boat, cab to airport, fly to Anchorage.

Depart Halibut Cove in the morning by boat to Homer, taxicab to the Homer Airport. Fly to Anchorage and transfer to the flight of your choice that will depart anytime after noon.

The Historic Anchorage Hotel has agreed to honor special pricing for stays prior to or following our pilgrimage.

Recommended Websites for Further Information:

• Historic Anchorage Hotel
• Alaska Native Heritage Center
• Alyeska Resort
• Portage Glacier Visitor center
• Glacier tour
• Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center

“How can I ever express to you and Jim, your wonderful staff, and our retreat presenters what this experience has meant for me?  I came here at a time of transition in my life and found the peace and strength I need to move forward.  The surroundings, all of the beauty and majesty of God’s awesome creation have been healing.  I fell in love with the beauty, simple lifestyle and the mountains.  All wrapped me in God’s presence.”  Paulamarie

“There were times when I felt as if I was defending my choice of this pilgrimage (when)  friends would ask, ‘Was I taking a cruise?’  … I knew it was the best for me at this point in my life.  The mixture of sight-seeing within a limited area and time for creative expression and reflection was a wonderful combination.  It makes me want to return.”  Judy Niemet

“Stillpoint is truly a still dwelling.  A place where time/days loose their meaning for a while and one can truly be… in the presence of awe.”

“The quiet and beauty allowed me to relax.  The meditation opened areas unexplored.  The kayaking and hiking immersed me in the wilderness.”  Liz Lawhead

“I loved everything about this place and will tell as may people as I can – church newsletters, personal contacts, clergy colleagues although I am not an ‘outdoors woman’ this is an excellent retreat place.  My needs were more than met by your wonderful staff team and the excellent program which allowed great freedom of exploration.”  Flora

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