Servite Center of Compassion

Servite Center Mission
The Mission of the Servite Center of Compassion, located at the Servite Motherhouse in Omaha, is to be "a sacred space in the city welcoming all with compassion and hope."

The Ministry of the Servite Center of Compassion is to offer a variety of programs, which are related to the three areas of spirituality, healing, and women's issues.

Spirituality offerings include;

• retreat days and spiritual direction;
• workshops on scripture, theology, and spirituality;
• programming on the spirituality of compassion;
• a bookstore with resources for spiritual development.

Offerings related to healing include:

• the St. Peregrine Prayer Program for those who suffer from cancer and other life threatening illnesses;
• the Peregrine Chapel and the Healing Garden, peaceful places for reflection;
• healing arts such as massage, healing touch, and Tai Chi;
• presentations on topics related to wellness and care giving.

Programs around issues of interest to women include:

• book sharing groups and support groups;
• presentations on women's spirituality and on family enrichment;
• music lessons;
• reading and math tutoring for children.

For a complete listing of Servite Center of Compassion scheduled programs and ongoing programs and to register for a program, please click here.

The Servite Center is available for rental to groups offering programs compatible with the Center's Mission. The Center offers a large gathering space (100 persons in lecture style and 80 at round tables), small breakout rooms, a chapel, healing garden and grounds, and a kitchenette (food service not provided). For more information on the Servite Center of Compassion contact the Director at scc@osms.org or 402-951-3026.

Institute of Compassionate Presence
The Institute of Compassionate Presence (ICP) is a program of the Servite Center of Compassion in Omaha, NE. This eight-month program, from September to April, is offered to professional and non-professional persons who wish to deepen the living of compassion in their personal and professional lives. Once a month participants come together for a day of input, sharing of experiences, and integration activities. A different facet of compassion is explored in each session. Presenters are local and national professionals with expertise in their fields. Participants can receive college credit or CEUs for the program through the College of St. Mary in Omaha. This enrichment opportunity both enhances the participants' lives and brings a deepened sense of compassion to our world.

Goal of ICP

To deepen the living of compassion in one's personal and professional life

Objectives of ICP

* To examine compassion from various disciplines and spiritualities to see its role in personal and social transformation
* To recognize that compassion for self is the foundation of compassion for others
* To explore the dynamics of empathy as crucial to healthy, human relationships
* To identify how experiences of loss and grieving can be catalysts for developing skills of coping and care giving
* To discover how personality styles can impact attitudes about and expressions of compassion
* To practice and promote compassion in the workplace both in staff relationships and in rendering services
* To recognize in the stories of marginalized and suffering peoples our common humanity, the source of our unity and healing
* To explore how reverence for earth and all creation develops and deepens within us a compassionate stance toward life

ICP Program

9/11/09
Overview of Compassion
Joyce Rupp is an international retreat and conference speaker, writer, and spiritual "midwife"

10/9/09
Compassion for Self
Stephanie Koraleski is a psychologist and co-founder of A Time to Heal, a program for cancer survivors

11/13/09
Compassion for Others
Joseph Nassal is a writer and a retreat, renewal and reconciliation minister

12/11/09
Compassion in Loss and Suffering
Joyce Rupp (as above)

1/8/10
Compassion and Personality
Margaret Stratman is an educator, spiritual director, and Director of the Servite Center of Compassion

2/12/10
Compassion in the Workplace
Pat Bombard is an educator at DePaul University, focusing on research and training for spiritual leadership

3/12/10
Compassion and the Marginalized
Roger Bergman is a professor at Creighton University and the director of the Justice and Peace Studies Program there

4/9/10
Compassion for the Earth
Mary Southard is an artist, an educator, retreat director and program facilitator

Some Experiences of ICP

The program is well formatted and the content is deeply nourishing. It enlarged my thinking and my experiences of compassion. Excellent faculty! Carol D.

ICP supports my journey of faith – to grow and learn the beauty of compassion, to meet with others and share the challenges, and to discover the process of how and what compassion "looks like" toward myself and others. Wendy E.

The ICP has opened desperately needed doors of compassion in our currently troubled world to create hope. Maureen B.

The program has given me a better understanding of areas I need to work on in my spiritual life. Betty H.

The program has a wide and rich variety of approaches, experiences, and disciplines to nourish and challenge one spiritually. Mike M.

I always feel refreshed after attending. I look forward to it every month. I hate to see it end. Neshelle R.

CEU and College Credit Options for the ICP

Both CEUs and College Credit can be attained through the College of St. Mary (www.csm.edu) for attending the Institute of Compassionate Presence.

To Receive 3 College Credits for the ICP, a participant must:

• Attend all 8 sessions of the Institute of Compassionate Presence
• Write a 10 page reflection paper on Compassion due the last month of class
• Request a CSM application form at the last ICP session
• Send the application form and payment to CSM to receive a transcript of credit from the College.

To Receive up to 40 CEUs for the ICP, a participant must:

• Determine the number of CEUs you wish to request and for which sessions
• Request a CSM application form at the last ICP session
• Send the application form and payment to CSM to receive a transcript from the College which may be presented to your professional group for translation into your profession's CEUs

Click here to see the 2009 brochure.

St. Peregrine Ministry

The St. Peregrine Ministry is a program of the Servite Center of Compassion in Omaha with out-reach in other areas where the Sisters serve. It is part of a national ministry that the Servite Order established in honor of St. Peregrine, the Servite saint who is the patron of those suffering from cancer or other serious illnesses.

St. Peregrine
St. Peregrine Laziosi was born in Forli, Italy, in 1265. At age 17, Peregrine was the leader of a gang of youths in Forli. Later, Peregrine was remorseful for the wrongs he had done and asked to be admitted to the Servants of Mary Order.

Later in his life, Peregrine was afflicted with cancer on his leg. The doctor recommended amputation as the only course of action. The night before surgery, Peregrine prayed before a large crucifix in the monastery. That night, Peregrine dreamed that Christ on the crucifix lifted his hand from the cross and touched the sore on Peregrine's leg, immediately healing the cancer. When Peregrine awoke, the cancer was gone.

Peregrine continued his life of preaching and penance for another 20 years. In 1726, he was canonized and named the official saint of the Church for the cure of cancer.

St. Peregrine Prayer Program
We are privileged to pray for individuals and families through the intercession of St. Peregrine, a cancer survivor who turned to prayer during his time of need. Thousands of people from throughout the world have found emotional and physical strength from being remembered in our prayer and participating in the Program. We invite you to enroll yourself or a loved one in the St. Peregrine Prayer Program. Click here to enroll.

A Mass is celebrated in honor of St. Peregrine the third Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows Convent in Omaha, Nebraska. At the Mass, we pray for all who are suffering from cancer or other life threatening illnesses. Three times a year, an anointing service takes place during the Liturgy. We also sponsor three days of prayer (Triduum) the third weekend in May, the month of the feast of St. Peregrine.

Our Peregrine ministry extends to family members after the death of a loved one. Our Bereavement Program includes a newsletter and a memorial Mass on the third Saturday of November, which is held in honor of all who have died during the past year.

The Peregrine Chapel, next to our main Chapel, contains a sculpture of St. Peregrine and provides visitors a place for quiet prayer.

Our beautiful Healing Garden, on the grounds of our Motherhouse, has a life-size sculpture of the Compassionate Christ. It is the focal point that welcomes visitors into the garden. A display of the Seven Sorrows of Mary is mounted on the garden's north wall. Benches placed among the garden's floral beauty provide the perfect setting for solitary meditation and healing reflection.

For more information please contact the St. Peregrine Program Director at stperegrine@osms.org.

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