According to mind/body pioneer, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, “Listening is the oldest and perhaps the most powerful tool of healing. It is often through the quality of our listening, and not the wisdom of our words, that we are able to effect the most profound changes in the people around us. When we listen, we offer with our attention an opportunity for wholeness. Our listening creates sanctuary for the homeless parts within the other person.That which has been denied, unloved, devalued by themselves and others. That which is hidden.Listening creates a holy silence. When you listen generously to people, they...
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Cranaleith Named a Zone of Peace
Cranaleith held an event on Sunday, November 11, 2018,to celebrate its designation as aZone of Peace by the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia. “We chose Cranaleith is a Zone of Peace because of its role in offering people from all backgrounds a place free from fear, filled with respect, and marked by deeds of kindness,” said Rev. B. Hougen, Ph.D., Coordinator of the Zones of Peace Initiative. Rev. Hougen presented Cranaleith with a banner which will be displayed on the Center’s grounds. Participants prayed for the urgent need for peace around the Center’s peace pole and made peace flags....
20th Anniversary Gala a Great Success
Cranaleith celebrated its 20th Anniversary at a gala September 27, 2018, at Knowlton Mansion in Northeast Philadelphia. More than 200 business and nonprofit leaders and philanthropists attended the event. “Tonight gives us the opportunity to celebrate Cranaleith’s first 20 years, the 80 seasons that Cranaleith has been a place of transformation and healing for thousands including those living in poverty, people struggling with addiction and those with mental health issues, said Charlene Flaherty, Cranaleith Executive Director. Sharmain Matlock-Turner, President and CEO, Urban Affairs Coalition and Maureen H. McCullough, JD, Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of Catholic Relief Services received the Catherine McAuley...
Eco-Spirituality at Cranaleith
When driving onto Cranaleith’s property, you will notice the expansive lawn and stately historic Victorian house. You may also find Leslie Porreca in the garden or tending her beehives. Leslie is a Sister of Mercy and licensed therapist. She also leads Cranaleith’s Eco-Spirituality program.Leslie’s work includes sustainability and permaculture activities such as recycling, composting, water conservation and buying local. With the assistance of staff and volunteers, she manages an expansive year-round garden featuring a variety of herbs and heirloom vegetables, beehives and a chicken coop. “Fresh and nourishing,” are the wordsretreatants use to describe Leslie’s garden-to-table meals. An in-house gift...
Walking Your Spiritual Journey
Just half a mile from the rush of traffic on Bustleton Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia is a permanent outdoor labyrinth with the purpose of inviting visitors to seek inner peace. A labyrinth is a meditative tool, a singular winding pathway that enables the walker to center oneself in thought or prayer. It can be a means of finding peace, answers to troubling questions, or communion with God. “Our Labyrinth is used by a range of visitors from nonprofit professionals to overnight directed retreatants to local neighbors,” said Cranaleith Program Director, Cathy Maguire, RSM. “The walk to the center of the...
Understanding the Dynamics of Religious Leadership
By Marisa Guerin — For the last 18 years or so, I have had the opportunity to consult to many of the finest people I have ever met – the women and men of religious congregations and the ministries that they sponsor, from various denominations. These people are hard-working, kind, and faithful to their missions —- but that doesn’t mean that leadership is easy in these settings. The real-world challenges are formidable, and the internal community dynamics are subtle and complex. Religious leadership is not what it used to be! Several years ago, I started experimenting with a series of...
New 2018-2019 Brochure is Here!
Join us for a retreat this year and you will find a warm welcome, quiet peace and a sense of belonging. View it below. Download your own copy (pdf) Request a hard copy via email info@localhost or call 215-934-6206.
Caring for Our Corner of Creation
At Cranaleith, we are committed to extending Mercy hospitality to all who come here and to caring for this corner of creation which has been entrusted to us. Our vision ensures that visitors will be able to enjoy the beauty of this place for years to come. Here are some of the ways we are working to sustain and nourish Cranaleith. Kitchen: “¢ We source food locally whenever possible. Many meals are made from scratch, including salad dressings and sauces. This allows us to make only what is needed and eliminate waste. “¢ We serve fair-trade coffee, tea and sugar....
CATCH, Inc. Clients Receive Eco-Therapy
A few times a month, Cranaleith has the privilege of welcoming clients from CATCH, Inc., a behavioral health program in Philadelphia, who participate in days of guided reflection or eco-therapy in our garden. We are gifted by the presence of an enormously talented artist, Mary Kay Eichman, RSM, who enables our guests to respond to each day’s theme with sheer delight, freedom and spontaneity. The diverse and colorful possibilities of their imagination seem endless. Often, they break out into song, utterly present to the joy and beauty of their creative power. During the planting and growing season, these same guests...