About the Center for Action and Contemplation
We support those seeking healing within themselves and in the world around them through everyday Christian contemplative wisdom and practices.
At the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC), we believe that transformation begins with learning to see and love the world as it is. Through everyday Christian contemplative wisdom and practices, we support those seeking healing—within themselves and in the world around them.
Founded by Richard Rohr in 1987, our work is rooted in a long tradition of Christian contemplation but presented in ways that meet people where they are today. Whether through teachings, practices, or community engagement, our goal is to help people live out this wisdom in practical ways—so that they become instruments of love, peacemaking, and positive change in the world.
Vision & Mission
The Center for Action and Contemplation offers programs and resources that introduce Christian contemplative wisdom and practices—guiding seekers toward personal transformation and inspiring compassionate action in the world.
Our Vision
Transformed people working together for a more just and connected world.
Our Mission
To introduce Christian contemplative wisdom and practices that support transformation and inspire loving action.
Our Values
Our values shape everything we do at the Center for Action and Contemplation. Rooted in the Christian contemplative traditions, they guide us as we seek to nurture transformation, foster belonging, and inspire loving action in the world.
Humility
What we do isn’t about us, but about our mission and message. We strive for excellence in our work while recognizing that we are all works in progress. We view our mistakes and failures as wonderful teachers, and we rely upon the help of others to realize our vision.
Truthfulness
We trust that speaking the truth directly, with compassion, is more generative than saying what we believe people want to hear. We strive to be transparent and match our words with our actions. We share and are present to each other’s needs.
Simplicity
We do what is ours to do in service to our mission and nothing more. We value clarity over comprehensiveness and work hard to create solutions that are elegant and beautiful in their simplicity.
Solidarity
Our work is built on identifying with the plight of each other, our communities, and our common planetary home. We see spiritual awakening as contributing to social and political liberation and focus on personal transformation to realize our vision for a more just and loving world.
What We Believe
The Center for Action and Contemplation is dedicated to bringing the timeless practices of the Christian contemplative traditions to life in a modern context. By nurturing reflective inquiry and living our faith through solidarity and love, we create a space where everyone is invited to explore, grow, and contribute to a more connected and caring world.
A Journey of Transformation
We are all students on the path of transformation. Contemplation is not about having the right answers but about living into deeper questions—questions that lead us toward wisdom, compassion, and meaningful action. At the CAC, we invite you to walk this path with us, discovering how contemplative practice can shape your life and deepen your sense of belonging.
Contemplation in Action
Spiritual wisdom is not just something to be learned—it must be lived. We do not think ourselves into a new way of being; we live ourselves into a new way of thinking. Contemplation naturally leads to loving action, to solidarity with suffering, to a deeper commitment to justice and peace. If Love is the goal, then contemplative practice is the path.
A Place of Belonging
We are committed to fostering a way of being in the world that reflects Jesus’ radical solidarity and compassion. In a time of division and disconnection, we offer a vision of wholeness—where everyone and everything belongs. Through the contemplative path, we let go of unhealthy ego attachments and open ourselves to a reality in which all of life is sacred, precious, and deeply interconnected.
Drawing from Living Traditions
For centuries, Christian contemplative traditions have carried profound wisdom about the inner journey and its power to shape the world. The CAC exists to breathe new life into these traditions, offering them in ways that are accessible, practical, and transformative for people today—so that we might become, together, a healing presence in our world.
The Trinity Tree at the Center for Action and Contemplation.