Retreats and programs

The Artist as Prophet

Details

A new online retreat with Dr. Deborah Lee Prescott.

The Artist as Prophet
The Surprising Insights of Flannery O’Connor and Thomas Merton

Flannery O’Connor and Thomas Merton: two Catholic writers whose works are still read, savored, and enjoyed. Both writers are justly celebrated for their perceptive analysis of their world, even though O’Connor lived most of her life on a small Georgia farm, and Merton spent much of his adult life in an enclosed Trappist monastery in Kentucky. Dedicated readers admire them both, particularly O’Connor’s fiction, especially her short stories, and Merton’s spiritual essays.

In this webinar, we will focus on the less familiar dimensions of these two writers’ canon: we will recommend two {maybe three} essays by O’Connor about the art of being a Catholic writer, and we will read two {maybe three} poems by Merton — available online for free. More information on the selections, closer to the event. If you enjoy Merton or O’Connor we think you’ll really enjoy this program.

Our meeting will be in a book-club format. Come, let us share our insights with each other, as we learn and grow from what we have to say and what we hear. The selected poems are available online for free. O’Connor’s essays are also available online, but you may wish to either purchase the collection, Mystery and Manners, or check it out from your local library. Specific titles of the poems and essays will be announced soon.

June 25, 2025
Facilitated by: Dr. Deborah Lee Prescott
10:00 AM Central

Sign Up

Registration form is found above.