About Promisek

Programs

Garden

Areas of Study

"While working in relationship with others at Promisek, I find a "holding center" within which I can live into and give expression to the parts of myself that might not otherwise be unearthed and nurtured in such a safe, supportive way.

M.H. - Southbury, CT

Home

Contact Us

Since its founding in 1977 as a non-profit organization, Promisek has been concerned with preserving the integrity and sacredness both of our land and of the people we serve. Cultivating personal relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the earth, we support individuals in discovering their unique giftedness while challenging them to the further release of their spiritual and professional potential in service of others.

 

Through the dedication of a committed group of volunteers, we are continuing to carry this vision forward in the following ways:

         ~ A deepening of our prayer life through the liturgical centering in our chapel.

         ~ Prayer and manual labor.

         ~ Monastic Professional formation.

         ~ Communio study groups.

         ~ The dramatic experience of the Stations of the Cross for children on Good             Friday, walking our beautiful land in reverent exploration of these mysteries.

         ~ Exploration of Steps of Humility for lay people, drawing on the Rule of St.             Benedict.

         ~ Quarterly Longdance workshops, celebrating the cycle of seasons.

         ~ Ongoing men's & women's groups.

         ~ Workshops on Centering Prayer and on the Rosary.

         ~ Individual and group retreats and consultation.

         ~ Enrichment programs for children.

         ~ Individual analysis clarifying personal giftedness and mission.

         ~ A series of chamber concerts.

         ~ Poetry readings allowing poets to read new works cover-to-cover in a receptive             setting.

         ~ Eighth Station Ministry bereavement support groups in collaboration with St.             Joseph's Parish in Brookfield, CT.

    Our Philosopher-in-residence, Roger Duncan, often asks his university and seminary students to ponder these questions: Who am I? Whose am I? Who am I called to be? These are the questions we continually examine together at Promisek, where we serve those who come searching for ways to develop their innate gifts and deepen the sense of call and mission within their ordinary lives.

 

We work formally and informally, singly and in groups, celebrating goodness, truth, and beauty in one another and laboring together to bear the suffering of those obstacles that invariably challenge the process of freeing one another to be more fully human, more fully person.

 

Our practical stewardship of the land provides a mirror for our interior work.

 

Our focus over the past year at Promisek has been on doing the "little things,"

improving our infrastructure, maintaining the land as a place for personal discovery and

healing, and fostering procreative, Spirit-driven relationships among ourselves and with others.  

 

In terms of our infrastructure, we had several "little" projects that have big implications in improving the foundation of our buildings and land. We replaced plumbing and

heating systems in St. Cecilia's, we dug and installed three new wells to serve separate buildings, and we completed our process to make our buildings more energy-efficient through insulation and storm windows. We have also begun much needed repairs on St. John's guest house.

 

We completed the first step in our land management plan by working with our consultant in selective cutting of some trees. We offered five open garden days throughout the

summer, and began to build a core group of volunteers committed to working with the

garden in the future. We continued our monthly workdays to help maintain our buildings and land, and to offer our ritual of Eucharistic Adoration as a centering point during the day.

 

Our programs have provided a medium for individuals to know themselves and others more deeply. We continued our annual Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, supported the bi-weekly meeting of our women's and men's groups, hosted Theodrama events, monthly Communio Study Circles and seasonal Long Dances. In addition, a core group of volunteers has committed to the development of our Chamber Concert Series and to fundraising for its continuity. We have also begun a relationship with the Bridgewater Recreation Department by offering a Children's Music Class this Fall.

 

In all of this work, it has been the daily commitment of our volunteers to give "little" gifts of themselves that have made it possible for Promisek to continue our work of fostering the discovery of personal mission and the release of individual giftedness in service of others. Through your help and support, we will continue this effort in the coming year through the development of our programs, upgrading our infrastructure and exploring

different ways in which we can be a center for personal discovery and service.