Event Details
Four Workshop Series: Resilient Hearts: Living, Loving, and Leading As Sacred Beings
Four Workshop Series: Sundays, April 6; April 27; May 18; June 8.
Check in on Sundays start at 8:30 am to 9:00 am. The program begin at 9:00 am and finish at 4:00 pm. And including lunch at 12:00 pm.
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
“Resilient Hearts: Living, Loving, and Leading As Sacred Beings” is a four-part workshop series based on the We Are Resilient approach, offering practical tools to care for ourselves and love others. We may desire to improve our relationships, but without practical strategies, these desires can wither amidst the challenges of daily living. These transformative workshops integrate mindfulness, faith, and justice, rooted in our wisdom traditions and the call to care for both ourselves and our communities. Through reflection, prayerful mindfulness, engaging activities, and community dialogue, we will deepen our capacity for compassion, strengthen our response to injustice, and nurture a spirit of hope. Whether you seek personal renewal or sustainable ways to support justice, this series provides a space to reconnect, recharge, and reaffirm our shared commitment to a more just and loving world. While each workshop builds on the others, you are welcome to join us for one or all four workshops, as you are able.
1. Sacred Grounding: Strengthening Resilience through Faith and Mindfulness
In times of uncertainty and challenge, grounding ourselves in resilience practices, faith, and mindful presence helps us remain strong. This workshop explores our obstacles that keep us from feeling centered and introduces resilient mindsets that enhance our ability to find our inner stability. Through Centering Skills— including breath prayer, body awareness, gratitude practices, and meditation—we will cultivate a practice of sacred grounding that fosters resilience in daily life.
2. Healing and Justice: Resilience in the Face of Struggle
As people of faith, we are called to work for justice while caring for our well-being—a balance that can often feel overwhelming. This session explores the Protective and Cultural Patterns at the root of conflict, as well as mindsets and skills that help us build resilience through meaningful relationships and social justice engagement. Through mindfulness exercises, personal storytelling, and collaborative reflection, we will discover how to sustain our commitment to justice without burnout.
3. The Power of Connection: Building Resilient Relationships and Communities
Resilience is not just an individual practice—it thrives in connection with others. This workshop focuses on five Connecting Skills: noticing, heartfelt listening, empathizing, choosing kindness, and speaking authentically. By cultivating resilient mindsets and4. skills, we will learn to navigate conflicts with greater understanding, nurture deeper relationships, and build supportive communities.
4. Hope in Action: Collaborating for a More Just and Loving World
Resilience is not just about enduring challenges—it’s about working together to create meaningful change. This workshop explores the power of collaboration in building a more just and loving world. Effective teamwork allows us to leverage our gifts for greater impact, whether in our families, schools, workplaces, churches, or other groups and organizations. Through key Collaborating Skills—such as noticing the group, appreciating others, seeking and honoring agreements, and contributing intentionally—we will discover how to work with others in effective and sustainable ways. Rooted in faith an the call to love, this session will offer practical tools to engage in justice work while maintaining hope, fostering unity, and building resilient communities.
About the Presenter(s)
Meri McCoy-Thompson
Meri McCoy-Thompson is the executive director of Dovetail Learning, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering resilience and social-emotional intelligence in adults, youth, and children. In her new book, The Heart of Resilience: Nurturing Your Inner Strength for a Joyful Life, Meri and her colleague Chuck draw on extensive experience and research to offer a practical framework for developing resilience skills. Through more than 100 real-life stories, the book provides actionable strategies for building emotional strength, managing stress, and cultivating authentic, fulfilling relationships. Meri served as the director of the family program at the Catholic Community of Pleasanton for seven years, fostering spiritual growth and strengthening connections across generations—from babies to grandparents. A graduate of Stanford University with a master’s from Tufts, she is a passionate advocate for empowering individuals of all ages to live emotionally healthier, more fulfilling lives. Rooted in her spiritual tradition, Meri’s primary Centering Skill, Finding Gratitude: “Every day is a gift, and we are blessed to have life and each other.”
Margaret Riley has been a Spiritual Director since 2008, when she became certified via the Mercy Center in Burlingame, CA. Her Spiritual roots are Christian in the Roman Catholic Church, but in her practice as a Spiritual Director and retreat presenter, she enjoys companioning spiritual seekers from any tradition (or no tradition).
Margaret obtained a Master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry from the Franciscan School of Theology, Berkeley, CA. (FST/GTU) in 2004. She has joyfully lived in the Bay Area for over 31 years and has been a full-time Minister in the Diocese of Oakland since 1994. Margaret’s study, understanding and experience of spirituality is born of a great variety of sources, including but not limited to the Ignatian tradition, Social Justice work, Addiction Recovery and 12-Step spirituality, Codependency recovery, Divorced/Widowed healing, Grief and Loss, Incarceration/Justice work, Mindfulness/Meditation, and Franciscan Spirituality.
