Dear Visitor,
In the summer of 2001, I had the wonderful
opportunity of visiting the island of Iona in the Scottish
Hebrides. Iona is home to the Iona Community, a worldwide,
spiritually-based organization emphasizing social engagement
and activism. I came away
from that experience deeply inspired by their vision, and began
to ponder how something similar might be accomplished in my hometown
of Austin. Around that same time, I became aware of the
Center for Action and
Contemplation in Albuquerque. The
CAC was founded by Franciscan Father Richard Rohr and offers
a “radical voice for peaceful, non-violent social change” as
well as a “forum for renewal and encouragement for the
seeking individual”. In a very short time, I found myself
working as an intern at the CAC managing their guesthouse, Tepeyac. My
tenure there lasted for 5 months. It was a time of awakening
and transformation for me, during which I resolved to do my best
to try something similar in Austin. Upon returning to Texas,
I was fortunate to find like-minded individuals who were willing
to commit time, treasure and talent to the realization of the
vision, and, before we knew it, RiverStone was born.
Today, RiverStone is a nonprofit organization that
offers silent retreats, workshops promoting wholeness, social
change and the empowerment of women, and public liturgies highlighting
the spiritual dimensions of politics and social engagement. Our
activities are open to individuals |
from
all walks of life, of all faiths and no faith and emphasize the
interconnectedness and sacredness
of all things. Currently, our retreats are being offered
at Santa Soledad, a private retreat center between
Austin and Houston, through the generosity of its owners, Charles
and Awanda Whitworth. In short, RiverStone has begun to BE and
to be recognized in the community as a living, breathing entity.
Our plans for the immediate future include
finding an urban home, completing work on a series of weekend
workshops on women’s
rites of passage, extending the audience for our social engagement
activities and actualizing an interfaith workplace chaplaincy
project. We hope one day to add men’s rites of passage
and also to become a place of renewal and spiritual grounding
for groups and individuals who work for peace and social change. And
someday, somehow, if the Universe continues to smile on us, we
hope to build a place of retreat for you and all seekers in the
quiet, wild beauty of the Texas Hill Country.
You are cordially invited to participate in our project and
to send us your suggestions and comments.
May peace and every good be yours.
Sincerely,
Cindy Ybarra
Founder of RiverStone |
