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Sisters gather for silent retreat titled “All is Holy, All is One”

Ursuline Sisters are gathering at the Motherhouse from July 13-18, 2025, for a silent retreat titled “All is Holy, All is One,” being held in the St. Ursula Community Room. The retreat leader is Jan Novotka, an international retreat facilitator, songwriter, and crafter of contemplative rituals and liturgies for assemblies, congregational chapters, and other spiritual and Earth-focused gatherings. Novotka is a graduate of Marywood University and earned a master’s degree in religious education from Fordham University. She is certified in Earth Literacy from Genesis Farm/St. Thomas University.

The Sisters are gathering twice a day throughout the week, with a focus on “knowing Oneness and Holiness.” Here are some photos from the July 14 afternoon session.

Jan Novotka laughs as she tells the Sisters she enjoyed them singing a song earlier in the day when her video wouldn’t play.
The Sisters gather in the St. Ursula Community Room and sing along with a video of “It’s a Wonderful World.”
Sister Jane Falke listens to Jan Novotka ask the Sisters to reflect on what was most significant during this day.
Sister Michele Morek, left, Sister Martha Keller, center, Sister Karla Kaelin, right, and Sister Monica Seaton in the background reflect on Jan Novotka asking them to write about something significant. “It doesn’t have to be profound. But it will be in its simplicity,” she said.
Sister Laurita Spalding, left, and Sister Michael Ann Monaghan, center, take notes, as Sister Pat Rhoten looks on. Novotka asked the Sisters to “create your own canticle, your own poem, your own paragraph about the day.”
From left, Sister Mary Timothy Bland, Sister Marie Joseph Coomes, Sister Claudia Hayden, and Sister Jane Falke reflect on Jan Novotka’s request to “write from a place of emptiness.”

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