Anam Cara: Thomas Merton, and Pursuing Relationships That Enlighten Our Lives 

CCE Contemplative Enrichment Day
Saturday, February 21, 2026
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET)
Sophfronia Scott

Though Thomas Merton craved the solitude of a hermitage and the silence in which “God shines there and is immediately found,” his mysticism and writing life were deeply fed and influenced by special friendships that he developed both in person and through a prolific correspondence that connected him to writers and spiritual thinkers all over the world. Sophfronia will discuss how we can find and nurture similar bonds today to the great benefit of our lives and work.

Offering: $75, includes lunch

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

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Presenter Profile

Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is a novelist, essayist, popular public speaker, and contemplative thinker. Her book The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton won the 2021 Thomas Merton “Louie” Award from the International Thomas Merton Society. Sophfronia has delivered workshops and keynotes for the Episcopal House of Bishops, the Meditatio Center in London, the International Thomas Merton Society, among others. She is founding director of Alma College’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.

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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.