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
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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, continuing our series of weekend
workshops on women’s rites of passage and
extending the audience for our social engagement
activities. 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 in Austin.
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 |
