Event Details
Women’s Advent Retreat: The Poetry of Your Life
Check-in on Friday is from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
Dinner is served at 7:00 PM.
The retreat concludes with lunch at noon on Sunday and departure after lunch at least by 1:00 pm the latest.
Cancellation policy
Overnight or Multi-day/weekend retreats: $50 fee. Day Retreat: $20. Fees may be applied to future retreats. The fees may be waived in event of extenuating circumstances. Contact Kateri at 925-837-9141 x315.
About the Event
During the season of Advent, we hear the call to awaken more fully to our incarnational life and embody God’s love and presence in the world, just as Jesus did. In this retreat, we will listen to the poetry of our lives as a way to live more completely as both human and divine.
The poetry of our lives speaks to the soulful, symbolic, and beautiful nature of human experience—where every moment, no matter how ordinary, can be part of the Divine unfolding of creation. Through contemplative pauses, reflections on the Advent season, and guided writing prompts, participants will be led into an intimate experience of sacred listening, reflection, and creative response.
This retreat offers a sacred space, in a loving community of women, to listen to the inner movements of the Spirit through prayer, meditation, sacred texts, music and creative expression. Participants will receive a copy of Colette’s new book, Leaving the Shore, a prayer book filled with intimate and inspiring poetry.
Whether you’re seeking spiritual renewal, creative inspiration, or simply space to rest in the presence of the Holy, this retreat invites you to slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect with the sacredness of your own being.
About the Presenter(s)
Colette Lafia
Colette Lafia is an award-winning author, spiritual director, and retreat leader. As a graduate of the Living School, through the Center for Action and Contemplation, Colette has a passion for the contemplative path. She has worked in the spiritual formation programs at Mercy Center Burlingame and is a commissioned Centering Prayer presenter. Her most recent book is The Divine Heart: Seven Ways to Live in God’s Love, which received a Nautilus Book Award. Her forthcoming book is Leaving the Shore: Experiencing Poetry as Prayer (December 2025). Learn more about Colette by visiting her website (www.colettelafia.com.)
Michelle is an educator, spiritual seeker, and creator of My Village Well. Michelle’s innate use of vulnerability, a disarming sense of humor, and her contagious zest for life, have created a safe haven where individuals are seen and community is a lifeline. Using her five daughters as inspiration, Michelle develops Workshop and Retreat curriculum around topics such as: courage, positive body image, and creating healthy boundaries. Michelle fiercely believes in helping others step into their infinite Divine potential. When Michelle is not teaching or writing, she can be found dancing in her car at red lights. You can check out Michelle’s writing on Substack.
