News From New Mexico
The Mendicant
Expanding the Circle of Support
May 13th, 2024
Ben Keesey is the Development & Partnerships Director for the Center for Action and Contemplation and has been working with Fr. Richard and the CAC team since 2016. Prior to joining CAC, Ben was the Executive Director of the international justice organization Invisible Children working in three countries in east
Guideposts on the Camino
May 13th, 2024
Braxton Martorano is a resident of Indianapolis and recent graduate of Butler University, where he designed a racial equity workshop based in storytelling, served as a ministry leader, and studied economics. He now works to support small, disadvantaged businesses at the Indy Chamber of Commerce.
By Braxton
Contemplation, Community, and Commitment
May 13th, 2024
Cheri Crockett is a retired CPA living in St. Charles, Missouri. She is actively involved in volunteer work for a nonprofit organization that promotes voting, voter education, and civic engagement. She and her husband also coordinate their church’s self-service pantry. Cheri enjoys reading, yoga, hanging out with
In Appreciation of Vanessa Guerin, Managing Editor of the Mendicant
February 14th, 2024
CAC staff member Paul Swanson started a staff meeting recently with a reflection about the dynamic tension between being an amateur and being a professional when working on something we deeply care about. The word “amateur” originated from the French and Italian in the eighteenth century to mean "one who loves" or
Radical Grace: Honoring Vanessa Guerin’s 20 years of Service to CAC
February 14th, 2024
The best way out is always through. —Robert Frost
I can’t believe that it’s been twenty years since I was invited to join the small CAC staff. There were twelve of us then, accomplishing a large amount of work with the support of work interns and volunteers. Today, there are almost fifty gifted and
Woundedness and Change
February 14th, 2024
By Jennifer Tompos
This last fall, I sat in a home I had never been in, looking across the dinner table into the eyes of a man who looks just like me. It was like looking at a version of myself. Me staring at him, him staring back at me. Our eyes telling one another the wordless stories of missed decades.
I
Embracing Transformation: A Journey into Single Motherhood
February 14th, 2024
Ashanti Rouse holds a wealth of experience in designing and implementing innovative online learning experiences, playing a pivotal role in fostering a culture of continuous learning among learners. Her strategic approach involves leveraging cutting-edge technologies and pedagogical methods to create dynamic and
This Fella in the Straw Hat
November 3rd, 2023
Paul Swanson is on staff at the CAC. He is a jackleg Mennonite and novice in the new monastic Community of the Incarnation. Paul and his wife, Laura, have two feral and beloved children. Learn more about Paul's work kindling the examined life for contemplatives in the world at contemplify.com
I discovered a
Finding the Baby
November 3rd, 2023
Betsy Cañas Garmon (Living School Sendee 2023) is an artist, writer, and creativity coach. She hosts workshops and online makers’ circles at the intersection of creativity and spiritual practice and is the creator of the visual journaling course Soul Cartography. The parents of five grown children, Betsy and her
Becoming a Disciple of the Big Picture
November 3rd, 2023
Tia Norman is a teacher and guide specializing in spirituality and practices anchored in the mystical teachings of the Christian contemplative tradition. She leads workshops, retreats, and courses while serving as Pastor of Awakenings, Inc., a contemplative community based in Houston, Texas. She’s interested in