Christian Meditation

"Meditation is a Pilgrimage to our own center, to our own heart. To enter into the simplicity of it demands discipline and even courage. We need faith, simplicity; we need to become childlike. If we are faithful and patient, meditation will bring us into deeper and deeper realms of silence. It is in this silence that we are led into the mystery of the eternal silence of God. That is the invitation of Christian prayer: to lose ourselves and to be absorbed in God. Each of us is summoned to the heights of Christian Prayer, to the faithfulness of life. What we need, however, is the humility to tread the way very faithfully over a period of years, so that the prayer of Christ may indeed be the grounding experience of our lives."
--- John Main OSB

Sisters of St. Joseph "Poustinia"

Click here for an up-to-date list of Christian Meditation classes and programs

Mary Kay McNelis SSJ, director of the Christian Meditation Center in Erie, invites you to learn and experience Christian Meditation. Sister Mary Kay (formerly Sister Carmelita) has been a religious educator and pastoral minister for the past 30 years. She discovered John Main around 1980 through his books, Word Into Silence, Moment of Christ, and The Heart of Creation. She has observed several Christian Meditation groups and has practiced this form of prayer for over 20 years. In 2000, McNelis traveled to Ireland to attend the John Main Seminar 2000, The Way of Peace, which celebrated the 25^th anniversary of the World Community of Christian Meditators (WCCM).

What is Christian Meditation?

      Christian Meditation is a form of prayer based on the teachings of John Main, OSB (1926-1982), founder of the first Christian Meditation Center in 1975 in London. At the Bishop's invitation, Main established a Center in Montreal in 1977 and from there began a worldwide fellowship of Christian Meditators -- WCCM.
           Main believed that contemplative experience creates community and that each human being, whatever their lifestyle, is called to this contemplative depth. It is a sign of his vision that small meditation groups continue to form and are found in over a hundred countries around the world. Laurence Freeman, OSB, travels the world continuing Main’s work and nurturing the spiritual journey of those already embarked on this path. Main's books and live-recorded talks continue to guide many to a deeper spirituality and inspire inter-religious dialogue on many fronts.
          Christian Meditation is a form of prayer based on the teachings of John Main, OSB (1926-1982), founder of the first Christian Meditation Center in 1975 in London. Main believed that contemplative experience creates community and that each human being, whatever their lifestyle, is called to this contemplative depth. He began a worldwide fellowship of Christian meditators (WCCM). Small meditation groups continue to form today and can be found in more than 100 countries around the world.