You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you

St. Augustine



Welcome to Contemplative Outreach Pittsburgh

         Silence is God's first language. 

                     Everything else is a poor translation. 

Thomas Keating

  • Contemplative Outreach Pittsburgh is a chapter of Contemplative Outreach Ltd--a worldwide network of individuals and small groups committed to living the contemplative dimension of the Gospel in daily life
  • Our core practice is Centering Prayer, a silent prayer practice which opens us to the gift of contemplation, a deep relationship with God, beyond words, permeating every aspect of our lives.   



Contemplative Outreach Pittsburgh - Events

November 23

Saturday Morning Mini-Retreat:

The Welcoming Prayer

with Jim McElroy


The Welcoming Prayer is a method of consenting to the presence and action of the Holy Spirit — the Divine Indwelling — in the midst of our everyday lives. Through the Welcoming Prayer, we consent specifically to what we experience in our bodies as we react to what happens to us and around us. The Welcoming Prayer helps us greet these automatic reactions with compassion and replace them with more measured and loving responses.


This half-day mini-retreat gives us the opportunity to delve more into the Welcoming Prayer, which we didn't quite get to at the end of our wonderful Spring Retreat. However, the retreat is aimed at everyone, whether you attended the Spring Retreat or not, whether you are an experienced or occasional practitioner of the Welcoming Prayer, or a novice.

We will begin the retreat with Centering Prayer, followed by teaching on the Welcoming Prayer with plenty of time to ask questions, share our experiences, and practice. Finally, the retreat is just a beautiful opportunity to come together as community.

Jim McElroy is on the governing board for Contemplative Outreach, and has been on the leadership team of 12-Step Outreach since its formation in 2005. He is the former coordinator of CO St. Louis, is on the Welcoming Prayer Service Team, and is a member of the Living Flame teaching team. Jim will join us via Zoom

Where: Church of the Redeemer, Squirrel Hill (Parking available)

Preliminary schedule:
Registration 8:30 am,
Program from 9:00 am until noon,
followed by lunch
$15


When you pray, go into your room and shut the door




Upcoming Retreats and Programs

In-Person Retreats around Pittsburgh





Bethany Retreat Center

The main retreat facility that offers in-person retreats involving Centering Prayer and related contemplative practices is Bethany Retreat Center. Here is a list of the upcoming Centering Prayer retreats. For more information, click HERE

August 11th – 16th:

CENTERING PRAYER – Led by Sr Ruth Ann Madera and Elizabeth Graboski

Sept 6th – Sept 8th:
ENNEAGRAM PRAYER – Led by Jim and Lynette Vaive

October 17th – 22nd:

WELCOMING FORGIVENESS AND CENTERING PRAYER – Led by Mary Dwyer

December 5th – 8th:

ADVENT CENTERING PRAYER WEEKEND RETREAT– Led by Sr. Ruth Anne



September 9-day Intensive only 3 hours from Pittsburgh:

Centering Prayer Intensive Retreat with Frs. Bill Sheehan and Vinny McKiernan

  • Sept 11- Sept 19
  • Fremont, Ohio 
  • For more information, click HERE


Online (Zoom) Retreats and Programs


COL Young Contemplatives Community (14 and under)

The spiritual journey series: formation in the Christian contemplative life

  • Starting July 13, every Saturday 10:30 -11:30 AM 
  • Open, drop in sessions, no pre-registration required
  • More information and zoom link: Click HERE

The Living Flame Program 2 (For those who finished Part 1)

  • Starting September 7

  • More information and registration: click HERE

Online Courses from Contemplative Outreach

Contemplative Outreach offers many in-home and online opportunities to deepen one's relationship with God and support the process of transformation in Christ. Attending a workshop, a retreat, a Zoom-video Centering Prayer group or participating in an online course with a global community can all support and deepen one's relationship with God and the experience of living a contemplative life

  Be still, and know that I am God



Contemplative Prayer

We may think of prayer as thoughts or feelings expressed in words. But this is only one expression. In the Christian tradition contemplative prayer is considered to be the pure gift of God. It is the opening of mind and heart - our whole being - to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words, or emotions. Through grace we open our awareness to God whom we know by faith is within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than choosing, and closer than consciousness itself. Contemplation is not a special state "achieved" in moments of silence, but it is the deep relationship with the "ground of our being", unfolding in each moment of our lives.

Centering Prayer

Centering Prayer is a method designed to facilitate the development of contemplative prayer by preparing our faculties to receive this gift. Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; rather it casts a new light and depth of meaning to them. It is at the same time a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. This method of prayer is a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with him. Practicing Centering Prayer is like gardening - we water, weed, and tend regularly, allowing for the beautiful flower of contemplation to grow, but the flower itself, its growth, its beauty, its aliveness, is a pure gift.