Welcome to our online contemplative community for anyone interested in the spiritual practice of meditation and lectio divina. We offer virtual meditation chapels, open at different days and times each week, where you can experience the enrichment and community of online contemplation. These chapels are hosted by the faith communities of Old St. Patrick’s (Chicago, IL) and St. Margaret Mary (Naperville, IL) and are open to all.
The chapel experience is one hour long and takes place in two parts. We connect together in our online chapel through the video conferencing platform, ZOOM. The first half of our time is spent together in silent prayer/meditation. To see, hear and join with others throughout our community and beyond can be a profoundly connecting, expansive and intimate experience.
The second half of the chapel time is reserved for lectio divina and simple faith sharing. Lectio divina is the practice of prayerfully reading short excerpts of sacred texts multiple times, allowing the words to speak directly to our experience. Readings will be taken from Christian scripture, poetry and the texts of other wisdom traditions. We are currently using Thomas Keating’s Daily Reader for Contemplative Living.
The lectio divina is followed by a special time of holy sharing. For many of us, this is the time that binds us as a community of love. In order to foster a respectful and supportive community, we need to be especially sensitive to each other. We observe these guidelines for effective sharing.
In order to participate in any of the online chapels, you will need to register. Once you have registered, an email will be sent to you with the URL for participating in any of the chapels throughout the week. Sharing your contact information allows us to contact you with important news about our contemplative community. We never share your email and promise to not clutter your inbox.
You will need to install the ZOOM software on your computer or device in order to enter the online chapel.