We received so much positive feedback from last year's contemplative symposium that we felt impelled to do it again this year. Our guide this year will be Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, counting on her to continue to fulfill her mission in heaven in helping us grow closer to God. Thérèse is arguably the single figure who has most influenced Catholic spirituality in the past 125 years, so she is a timely help for us as well. This conference will bring us to the depths of her spirituality and what she has to offer is today. 

We are blessed to have join us as a keynote speaker Cardinal Anders Arborelius, OCD.  Although among the broader public in the US he may not be all that well known yet, numerous Carmelites have borne witness to his holiness, wisdom, and humility, so we are happy to present to the larger American public this hidden treasure in our Church today. We have other outstanding speakers in the lineup (as can be seen in their bios below), known to be expert guides in the spiritual life, exceptional souls of humble prayer, and friends of little Thérèse.

Our theme for this year's symposium, "Saint Thérèse on the Night of Faith and Dawn of Hope," ties in with the Jubilee Year of Hope. It holds out a particularly Christian view of hope as a theological virtue that is more than just a natural optimism. Christian hope, based as it is on the immense goodness of God the Almighty and the infinite merits of Jesus Christ crucified and risen, really is indefatigable in the face of anything. Yet amidst this lofty and unshakable confidence in God, hope keeps the little soul empty-handed and poor in spirit. Little Thérèse brings together the paradoxes of this humble boldness of hope like no other.

In connecting the dawn of hope to the night of faith, we get to the deep profundity of St. Thérèse. Therese's hope was not the result of a life of bourgeois comfort and ease. She was one who struggled in the night of faith and precisely in this night perceived the obscure yet sure dawning of hope against the backdrop of eternal horizons. Each speaker will be free to lean more into either the night of faith or the dawn of hope in St. Thérèse but will also wrestle with how the two come together. We will witness a polyphony of approaches to this multi-faceted reality from speakers with keen wisdom and great depth of prayer. And through it all, these talks will help our own spiritual life and struggles with faith and hope. With St. Thérèse as our guide, we will better take our little steps with humble trust as we experience our own dark valleys and cloud-covered mountains. And through it all we will perceive anew how life's journey is covered with the majestic delicacy of roses and all is bathed in the subdued brightness of God's merciful love.  

The weekend will involve a good mix of activities such as conference talks, Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, fellowship, silence, artwork, a panel discussion, and music. Holy friendships with other like-minded people wanting to grow deeper in prayer were formed at last year's symposium.  The Seminary of the Immaculate Conception sits on a beautiful property with plenty of places to walk and sit outside. With the large number of guest rooms, having more people able to stay on site will help create an atmosphere of greater tranquility and communion with others and with the Lord. There will be an opportunity to be anointed with St. Thérèse oil during the weekend as a way of opening ourselves to her influence. We also will have some special relics of St. Thérèse for veneration and to pray before, hence we can trust that she too will be present among us in a special way. 

Little Thérèse, pray for us!