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Living the Questions with Rainer Maria Rilke

  • Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT, 06107 United States (map)

Living the Questions with Rainer Maria Rilke 

CCE Contemplative Enrichment Day
Saturday, April 11, 2026
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET)
Mark Burrows 

In one of his Sonnets to Orpheus, Rilke invites us to “desire the change!”  Transformation was one of his central themes. But how do we find the courage to do this? This retreat invites us to explore his invitation to “live the questions,” and indeed to “live everything” as the path toward that end. We’ll explore his invitation to live into “the Open,” and discover our lives as belonging to “the Whole.” Come to practice doing what Rilke called the “heart-work” of life.

Offering: $75, includes lunch

Scholarships are available, please contact Mike Smoolca at cce@holyfamilyretreat.org for more information.


Presenter Profile

Mark S. Burrows

Mark S. Burrows is an award-winning poet, translator, and scholar. He is widely sought after as a retreat leader, in the US, Europe, and Australia. Acknowledged as one of the leading interpreters and translators of Rilke’s writings, his translations include Prayers of a Young Poet (2013/2023) and Sonnets to Orpheus (2024). His most recent book is You Are the Future: Living the Questions with Rainer Maria Rilke. He lives and writes in Camden, ME. www.soul-in-sight.org


Dietary restrictions? Holy Family is committed to making your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, and to that end, we can accommodate most dietary needs. Please email Ted, our registrar, at tjastrzebski@holyfamilyretreat.org, if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, so that we may make preparations in advance of your retreat.