WELCOME!
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As "Joyful Bearers of
God's Redeeming Love," we... ...offer service,
hospitality and opportunities for spiritual and educational enrichment for everyone |
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Carol Night 2022 was another memorable celebration of the Birth of Jesus at the Conference/Retreat Center! We took a "Journey to Bethlehem" with all those special characters in the Christmas Story...even the Star! Scripture readings, reflections and our favorite carols made the evening so special! For those who wish to "relive" the memories of that evening, and for those who were unable to be with us in person, we offer the following videos to be enjoyed at your leisure:
https://youtu.be/ordO4GFWeLo Part I in Chapel: Journey to Bethlehem
https://youtu.be/-Ss6TUPPQPM Part II in the Great Hall: Journey to Bethlehem
https://youtu.be/BtNzqReKrHw Conclusion: Lighting the Christmas Tree
https://youtu.be/ordO4GFWeLo Part I in Chapel: Journey to Bethlehem
https://youtu.be/-Ss6TUPPQPM Part II in the Great Hall: Journey to Bethlehem
https://youtu.be/BtNzqReKrHw Conclusion: Lighting the Christmas Tree
CELEBRATING OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY!
The following announcement appeared in our Fall 1997 IHM publication of the “Issues of the Heart Matter” magazine: “In 1997, anticipating the arrival of a new millennium, with the Church…’We the IHM Community respond, as we always have, from our simple beginnings to today, to the needs of God’s people. We were founded in simplicity and service to provide an environment of welcome to the immigrants of the 19th Century. Our mission was to educate and nurture the sacramental growth of the people. So today, we initiate a new - yet old - service. We open an IHM Conference Center at the Wootton Estate in Bryn Mawr. Born of collaborative brain-storming...the idea evolved as a practical response to a two-fold need. Maintaining the historic site of Wootton and perceiving the much publicized need in contemporary society for “time out” in overcrowded and over-busy lives, the General Administration approved the Center as a valid apostolic extension of IHM graced hospitality to a church relearning the art of welcome through evangelization, immigration and renewal.’”
Fast-forward to the Fall of 2022, we realize how blessed we are to look back on 25 years of breathing life into that initial idea! Today we extend sincere gratitude to the Sisters who “began it all” and to those who continued the mission, to our IHM Congregation for its ever-present support and encouragement, to our benefactors and, most especially, to the countless men and women who have graced our Center with their presence at our programs, Conference Days, faculty retreat days, Carol Nights and even our Irish Tea! Through the intercession of Mary, our Mother, may God continue to bless and prosper “the work of our hands” as we offer “Praise, Love, Thanksgiving” for these past 25 years!
What a Blessed and Beautiful Celebration for our 25th Anniversary!
On Sunday, October 30, we celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the IHM Conference/Retreat Center.
What a wonderful day it was! The celebration began with Mass with Father Jim Cardosi as our presider.
Many of our friends who visit the Center for retreats and special events were present for the festivities.
Other guests included the IHM General Administration, former staff members of the Center,
and other IHMs whose lives touched the Center in some way since its beginning.
We would like to thank everyone who celebrated this special event with us.
We are especially grateful for the gifts, good wishes, and prayers that were offered
on our behalf. How can we ever thank all of you?
The sisters here at the Center truly believe that we are blessed in our ministry
by your presence and your deep desire for a deeper relationship with God.
You are an inspiration!
May God continue to bless all of you for your support and generosity. And may our bountiful God
shower us with the graces we need to continue this ministry where we provide others
with the opportunity for “enabling renewal of mind, refreshment of spirit, and clarity”
for those whose hearts are searching for God.
With gratitude and love,
Sister Marie, Sister Beth, Sister Rita, Sister Rose
Please enjoy the photos on our '22-'23 Gallery Page...(click, scroll to the bottom of the page)
and the Video Links here:
Welcome: https://youtu.be/VkRxjhxe3Ic
We Give You Thanks: https://youtu.be/cxrSaMajC-M
(sung by Sr. Marianne Lallone)
Our Beginning Days at Wootton: https://youtu.be/1NBZSUWEhJc
Our Thanks: https://youtu.be/wmU36_6PgCQ
The following announcement appeared in our Fall 1997 IHM publication of the “Issues of the Heart Matter” magazine: “In 1997, anticipating the arrival of a new millennium, with the Church…’We the IHM Community respond, as we always have, from our simple beginnings to today, to the needs of God’s people. We were founded in simplicity and service to provide an environment of welcome to the immigrants of the 19th Century. Our mission was to educate and nurture the sacramental growth of the people. So today, we initiate a new - yet old - service. We open an IHM Conference Center at the Wootton Estate in Bryn Mawr. Born of collaborative brain-storming...the idea evolved as a practical response to a two-fold need. Maintaining the historic site of Wootton and perceiving the much publicized need in contemporary society for “time out” in overcrowded and over-busy lives, the General Administration approved the Center as a valid apostolic extension of IHM graced hospitality to a church relearning the art of welcome through evangelization, immigration and renewal.’”
Fast-forward to the Fall of 2022, we realize how blessed we are to look back on 25 years of breathing life into that initial idea! Today we extend sincere gratitude to the Sisters who “began it all” and to those who continued the mission, to our IHM Congregation for its ever-present support and encouragement, to our benefactors and, most especially, to the countless men and women who have graced our Center with their presence at our programs, Conference Days, faculty retreat days, Carol Nights and even our Irish Tea! Through the intercession of Mary, our Mother, may God continue to bless and prosper “the work of our hands” as we offer “Praise, Love, Thanksgiving” for these past 25 years!
What a Blessed and Beautiful Celebration for our 25th Anniversary!
On Sunday, October 30, we celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the IHM Conference/Retreat Center.
What a wonderful day it was! The celebration began with Mass with Father Jim Cardosi as our presider.
Many of our friends who visit the Center for retreats and special events were present for the festivities.
Other guests included the IHM General Administration, former staff members of the Center,
and other IHMs whose lives touched the Center in some way since its beginning.
We would like to thank everyone who celebrated this special event with us.
We are especially grateful for the gifts, good wishes, and prayers that were offered
on our behalf. How can we ever thank all of you?
The sisters here at the Center truly believe that we are blessed in our ministry
by your presence and your deep desire for a deeper relationship with God.
You are an inspiration!
May God continue to bless all of you for your support and generosity. And may our bountiful God
shower us with the graces we need to continue this ministry where we provide others
with the opportunity for “enabling renewal of mind, refreshment of spirit, and clarity”
for those whose hearts are searching for God.
With gratitude and love,
Sister Marie, Sister Beth, Sister Rita, Sister Rose
Please enjoy the photos on our '22-'23 Gallery Page...(click, scroll to the bottom of the page)
and the Video Links here:
Welcome: https://youtu.be/VkRxjhxe3Ic
We Give You Thanks: https://youtu.be/cxrSaMajC-M
(sung by Sr. Marianne Lallone)
Our Beginning Days at Wootton: https://youtu.be/1NBZSUWEhJc
Our Thanks: https://youtu.be/wmU36_6PgCQ
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Our Faithful and Faith-filled Volunteers During this "Anniversary Year," we would like to recognize the special, on-going service of our Volunteers! Ever-faithful, totally dedicated, and blessed with enormous generous hearts, we wish to thank them for always being ready to answer the "call" (literally!) to come and help us at the Center. Each month we will highlight two or three volunteers with a little biography and a photo so that our guests will also have the opportunity to get to know them! Please join us in whispering a prayer of great gratitude to God for gifting them to the Center and its ministry! |
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Introducing...Carolyn Kaczmarczyk
My name is Carolyn Kaczmarczyk. My husband Joe and I have been married for 44 years. We have a son and a daughter, 3 grandchildren and one due in mid-September. Joe and I have lived in Gallup, NM (4 years) and Gaithersburg, MD (19 years) before we moved to the Drexel Hill area 12 years ago. We are parishioners at St. Dorothy Church. Besides volunteering at the IHM Conference Center, I also volunteer at two Food Pantries: Ridley Methodist Church and Loaves and Fishes. |
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And...Marilyn Harvey
I am a wife to John, mom to Robert, Kelly, John and Jeff, and a very proud and active Mom Mom to 8 grandchildren. Arinn Marie is a career Master Staff Sergeant in the Air Force; RJ is currently working at the Hospital of the University of PA as Manager of PeriOp supplies and also attends school; Psalm just graduated Penn State and is working for a bank; Giulianna works as a registrar for Penn Medicine and continues to attend school; Sadie is a senior in high school; Justin is in middle school while Maddie is in 4th grade and Gabriel, who is a genius (he taught himself to read words and spell), is in Pre-K. My grandkids give me hope for the future and fill my heart with wonder and joy. I thoroughly enjoy the time I spend at the IHM Conference center. I consider my faith as essential to my walk with the Lord. Little acts of service give me an opportunity to say "yes" whenever I have some time and energy to share. The camaraderie and interactions with the Sisters and other volunteers always leave me more joyful and peaceful. I am so thankful and blessed to be a part of this lovely group of IHM Conference Center volunteers! |
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Upcoming Events Our NEW Winter-Spring Brochure and all the Programs offered may be found at this link: Program Brochure
February 2023 Programs Movie With Meaning: “Awakenings” Wednesday, February 1, 2023 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (If only enough registrations for one, it will be at 1:00 p.m.) Stipend: $25 (includes lunch) *Lunch will be served at noon for both groups This is the story of a doctor’s extraordinary work in the Sixties with a group of catatonic patients he finds languishing in a Bronx hospital. Speculating that their rigidity may be akin to an extreme form of Parkinsonism, he seeks permission from his skeptical superiors to treat them with L-dopa, a drug that was used to treat Parkinson’s disease at the time. Starring Robin Williams and Robert De Nero SPECIAL SERIES (Refer to September, 2022 brochure for a brief description of this series) Connecting With Passionate Women: The Doctors of the Church--Part III: St. Catherine of Siena Thursday, February 9, 2023 Presenter: Sister Rose Adams, IHM 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon Stipend: $20 (includes refreshments only) The closer a person draws to God, the more that love will determine their every thought, word and deed. Catherine invites us to see the importance of truth in our lives and how to act on believing that “all the way to heaven is heaven.” Conference Day: “Get Used to Different: Another Look at the Parables-Part II Tuesday, February 14, 2023 Presenter: Sister Marie Gipprich, IHM 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Stipend: $40 (includes breakfast, lunch and Mass) This is part II of the series on “Get Used to Different.” Part I was presented in February of 2022. If you were present for the first, come back for some more insights into the parable stories. If you were not present, come anyway! In the popular movie, “The Chosen,” Jesus tells one of his disciples that, if he is to follow Jesus, he better “get used to different.” Jesus spent his ministry presenting to others the way to live and love as God would have us. In many instances, Jesus’ words and deeds upset the applecart of traditional Jewish thinking. The parables are an example of this. His listeners were invited to look at situations as God would, not as humans would. Join us as we remove the layers of meaning in some well-known parables that preset a “different” viewpoint on life in God’s world, and perhaps see them through the eyes of the “players.” To register for any program, call 610-581-0120 or email Sister Marie at ihmconferencecenter@gmail.com ******** ******** ******** ******** Our new Zoom and YouTube Library, found under the Home Menu, contains links to all of the Zoom and YouTube videos that were completed during the months we were closed for the pandemic. You can view these at any time by clicking the links for each video or Zoom session. You may also quickly reach that page by using the link above or in the box at the bottom of this page! If you are not receiving our monthly newsletter and would like to, please send a note to S. Marie asking to be put on that mailing list (ihmconferencecenter@gmail.com) or see the text box below to do this yourself! Thank you! ````` ````` ````` ````` ````` ````` ````` To see our latest e-newsletter, please click here: https://mailchi.mp/725e0bd33b17/february-so-much-to-celebrate https://mailchi.mp/aee81fbfad13/happy-new-year-how-long-does-newness-last Or to read previous e-newsletters: https://mailchi.mp/0a2d3784e619/are-you-or https://mailchi.mp/f01a0b95dc65/november-and-its-special-celebrations mailchi.mp/229c8a3d0a05/do-you-forward-our-emails If you would like to subscribe...or "re-subscribe"... to our monthly e-newsletters, please click the link under our previous e-newsletters (do-you-forward-our-emails) and you will be able to subscribe very easily! |
Join Us for a Virtual Tour!Have you seen the Wootton Mansion lately? We would love to have you visit, virtually, by viewing below... Please know that we have a Handicapped Person Entrance available for all participants of our Programs! If you wish to use this, kindly call Sr. Marie at 610-581-0120 to make arrangements before you arrive. DID YOU KNOW...? We are now on Facebook...and have added additional Photo Gallery Pages! Read below for more details! The IHM Conference Center is now on Facebook! If you use Facebook, please look us up...at IHM Conference/Retreat Center in Bryn Mawr, PA...and like us, but also SHARE us; you'll help spread our ministry when you share our posts with your Facebook friends! You'll find information about up-coming events, photos of recent groups that have been at the Center for one of our programs or their own day of reflection. There are so many wonderful things happening here! We are seeking to expand our present groups so that others can take advantage of the beauty of our Center and enjoy the opportunities it affords...not only for spiritual renewal, but also as a place to gather for business meetings "away from the workplace!" Thank you! Know that we always look forward to seeing our friends and appreciate your confidence and participation in our events! Photo Gallery: Click Photo Gallery 2019 - 2020 to see the added page under About Our Programs with slide shows of those groups that have visited our Center in the past! Click here to see the Photo Gallery for 2021-2022! As you know, our last photos were taken at our last, wonderful event, our Irish Tea, on March 12, 2020, the day before everything was "shut down." We were happy to begin anew in 2021! Click here to see the Photo Gallery for 2022-2023! Come back often to see the added groups that enjoyed a day or event here at our Center! Please be sure to see our Note of Gratitude for your many kindnesses to us! It may be found at the bottom of the Letter from the Director page! (Click the link!) Hello, Everyone!
We have created a new page for our website: Zoom and YouTube Library - that may be found under HOME on the menu above. On this page we have "re-located" all of the Zoom Sessions and YouTube Videos that we completed during the time of the pandemic. Happily, we will continue to add to these "tools" as we progress through the upcoming year and as we reopen the Center for our guests. We hope that you continue to find them helpful on your spiritual journey! For Links to past videos and Zoom sessions, please click here to view these on our new page: Zoom and YouTube Videos! |