Cranaleith Spiritual Center

SPONSORED BY THE SISTERS OF MERCY, CRANALEITH OFFERS A CONTEMPLATIVE SPACE FOR ALL THOSE SEEKING WHOLENESS AND TRANSFORMATION FOR THEMSELVES AND SOCIETY. WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING CRANALEITH ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, ESPECIALLY TO PERSONS WHO ARE POOR AND THOSE WHO WORK IN SOLIDARITY WITH THEM. WE SEEK TO INVITE THOSE AT THE CENTER OF NEED AND THOSE AT THE CENTER OF INFLUENCE TO REFLECTION, REVERENT DIALOGUE AND MEANINGFUL PARTNERSHIPS.

CRANALEITH SERVES MEMBERS OF THE DIVERSE PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY WHO SEEK CONNECTION, INSPIRATION AND HOPE BY OFFERING PROGRAMMING, EVENTS AND RETREATS INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE SPIRITUAL NEEDS OF OUR TIMES. THE CENTER'S STATE-OF-THE-ART CONFERENCE CENTER AND 10 ACRES OF BEAUTIFUL GROUNDS SERVE AS A PEACEFUL, NATURAL SITE SUPPORTING CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES THAT LEAD TO ACTION. IN MAY 2024, CRANALEITH CELEBRATED ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY DURING A SOLD-OUT GALA EVENT HONORING MARIA DIBELLO (RSM), MARY SCULLION (RSM) AND JOYCE HADLEY. IN FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024, CRANALEITH HOSTED A SITE-TOTAL OF 4,560 INDIVIDUAL VISITS.IN FY23-24, CRANALEITH SPIRITUAL CENTER LAUNCHED ITS COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE (COP) INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS THE GROWING NEED FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PERSONAL RENEWAL AMONG INDIVIDUALS IN HIGH-STRESS PROFESSIONS WITH 7 PROGRAMS OFFERED FOR 316 INDIVIDUALS. THE COP INITIATIVE AIMS TO PROVIDE A SANCTUARY FOR REFLECTION, HEALING, AND GROWTH, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE IN HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, SOCIAL WORK, AND BUSINESS SECTORS. PROGRAMS OFFERED DURING THE PAST YEAR INCLUDED: CAMARADERIE IN THE WORKPLACE; HOPEFUL LIVING; JOURNEY TO HEALING: GRIEF AND RESILIENCE. CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS ARE AVAILABLE FOR SOME PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS. PARTICIPANTS PRAISED THE PROGRAMS FOR THEIR ABILITY TO FOSTER VULNERABILITY AND HUMAN CONNECTION, WHICH ARE OFTEN MISSING IN HIGH-PRESSURE PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENTS. ONE PARTICIPANT NOTED, "THE RETREAT ALLOWED US TO SEE A SIDE OF OUR COWORKERS THAT WE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED BEFORE. IT WAS REFRESHING TO SEE THAT HUMANISTIC SIDE OF OUR PEERS." CRANALEITH PLANS TO EXPAND THE COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE INITIATIVE, CONTINUING TO OFFER THESE TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES TO MORE ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS IN NEED OF RENEWAL AND SUPPORT.DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, CRANALEITH FACILITATED 178 PROGRAMS FOR 1,732 INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANTS. THESE PROGRAMS CENTERED ON REFLECTIVE, CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES DESIGNED TO SUPPORT RACIAL HEALING INITIATIVES, ECO-SPIRITUALITY, IMMIGRATION AWARENESS, ANTI-VIOLENCE AND ISSUES RELATED TO WOMEN. CRANALEITH CONTINUED ITS PRACTICE OF PROVIDING FORMAL AND INFORMAL WELLNESS RETREAT DAYS FOR HOMELESS, ABUSED, ADDICTED, MENTALLY ILL AND OTHER MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS SERVED BY OUR SOCIAL-SERVICE PARTNERS, MOSTLY FROM INNER-CITY PHILADELPHIA, INCLUDING CATCH (CITIZENS ACTING TOGETHER CAN HELP), ST. JOHN'S HOSPICE AND MERCY NEIGHBORHOOD MINISTRIES. WITHIN THE SAME FISCAL YEAR, CRANALEITH CONTINUED ITS SUPPORT FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVICE POOR, VULNERABLE AND MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, HOSTING 61 ORGANIZATIONS FOR A TOTAL OF 1,129 VISITORS. THESE HOSTED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED SOCIAL-SERVICE, EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING RACIALLY AND SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE POPULATIONS FROM ALL (OR NO) FAITH TRADITIONS. THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED IN THE CONTEMPLATIVE, RESTORATIVE SPACE OF CRANALEITH HELPED THE ATTENDING LEADERS, ADMINISTRATORS, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS COPE WITH THE DEMANDS OF THEIR WORK-RELATED LEVELS OF STRESS, SECONDARY TRAUMA AND MORE.THE SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR FORMATION PROGRAM (SDFP) INCLUDED THE ACTIVE AND ONGOING PARTICIPATION OF THE 15 MEN AND WOMEN ENROLLED IN THE 2023-2025 COHORT. DRAWING FROM THE RICH WELLSPRING OF THE CONTEMPLATIVE TRADITION AND THE CHARISM OF MERCY, THIS TWO-YEAR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM NURTURES AND SUPPORTS THOSE WHO WISH TO DEEPEN THEIR OWN SPIRITUALITY AND DISCERN SPIRITUAL COMPANIONSHIP WITH OTHERS. THE CURRICULA INCLUDE A PARTICULAR (BUT NOT EXCLUSIVE) FOCUS ON THE ART OF SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT WITH THOSE ON THE MARGINS OF SOCIETY.