6th Annual Contemplative Community Week
Contemplative Community Week
Sept. 15 – 19, 2025
Depth. Connection. Wholeness.
We are excited to announce our sixth annual Contemplative Community Week for Sept. 15-19! This is a week of presentations, meditation, prayer, and contemplative practices aimed at inviting the whole Seton Hall community to promote holistic well-being, enter into study more thoughtfully and deeply, and form stronger personal and communal bonds. Events and resources for the week will be shared in a variety of modalities—in-person and virtual, indoor and outdoor, synchronous and asynchronous. We are grateful to our co-sponsors for bringing this week to fruition: the Center for Faculty Development, the Center for Catholic Studies, University Libraries, and Campus Ministry. Continue below for the full week’s schedule, links, and additional resources.
Monday, Sept. 15
Coloring for Contemplation
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Location: 2nd floor, Walsh Library
Drop by the 2nd floor of the Library to start the week with a relaxing coloring session featuring contemplation-inspired images. Coloring pages and crayons/colored pencils will be available free of charge. Refreshments will be available.
Practice of the Day: Mindful Eating
Each day this week we will recommend a mindfulness practice. Today try eating one of your meals “mindfully”. Here’s how: https://ro.co/weight-loss/mindful-eating/
Resource of the Day: Nod app
This app combines science and student-powered design to give students the skills they need to build meaningful social connections. Take guided steps to progress toward your social goals, complete exercises to reduce negative thoughts and build resilience, and hear from fellow students working toward the same goals. https://heynod.com/
Tuesday, Sept. 16
Taize Prayer Service
1:00pm – 1:45pm
Location: Immaculate Conception Chapel
Practice of the Day: Mindful Pause
Today whenever you hear a bell or chime (a phone, on your computer, the bell on campus), stop whatever you are doing and take a deep breath before continuing with your activity.
Resource of the Day: Headspace app
“Meditation and mindfulness for any mind, any mood, any goal.” Sleep better, reduce anxiety, relieve stress, feel better, relax. Free trial available (Students have free access to Headspace here).
Wednesday, Sept. 17
“Meditation Workshop for Health Care Professionals”
1:00-2:15 pm
Interprofessional Health Sciences Campus, Room 3118, and Teams
Speaker: Dr. Pradeep Desphande, Dr. Pradeep Deshpande Professor Emeritus and a former Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Louisville
“One SHU, One Breath”
1:00pm
Location: Wherever you are
At 1:00pm today all members of the SHU community are invited to pause whatever they are doing to take one deep, intentional breath. (The One University – One Breath initiative was originated by the Project for Mindfulness and Contemplation at the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. We express our gratitude to our friends at St. Thomas for sharing this idea.)
Practice of the Day: Gratitude
Sit quietly. Reflect on the many things you are grateful for. Write down three of them.
Resource of the Day: Gratitude Revealed
Select from among 15 beautiful film shorts to explore what gratitude is, why it’s important and what we can all do to live more gracious lives: https://movingart.com/gratitude-revealed/
Thursday, Sept. 18
Walking Meditation
11:00am – 12:00pm
Location: The Green (meet at the seal)
Join us to discover contemplation through movement with this walking meditation; it will be led by Dr. Kelly Shea of the English Department. We’ll meet at the seal.
SHU Meditates
12:30 – 1:00pm
Location: Teams
Relieve stress and anxiety with a brief guided meditation session led by an experienced instructor.
“Falling Leaves Picnic”
1:00 – 2:00pm
Location: The Green, meet at the seal.
Bring your lunch and a blanket to sit on and enjoy a relaxing mid-day break on the Green. Snacks and beverages will be provided.
Practice of the Day: Email/Text mindfully
Learn how: https://www.mindful.org/the-six-rules-of-conscious-emailing/
Resource of the Day: Hallow app
“Hallow is an excellent resource for people searching for deeper spiritual lives….” A Catholic app for prayer and meditation, Hallow is also a resource for sleep, calming music, journaling, scripture, inspiration and more. https://hallow.com/
Friday, Sept. 19
“Is it possible to think slow in the age of AI?”
Seminar Leaders: Ruth Tsuria, Assoc. Prof. of Communication ad Media and Judith Stark, Professor of Philosophy and the Environment
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Location: Teams
In the media-saturated, hectic and busy lives—both professional and personal—how can we find ways to de-compress and unwind? The book entitled The Slow Professor can help us enormously with these difficult challenges. Published almost ten years ago and written by Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber, the authors present creative strategies to address challenges faculty face in their academic lives. The session will specifically touch on how we as faculty are bombarded with more tasks, more media, and more technologies that we are encouraged to adopt.
In this session, we can listen and learn how these technologies can be used “for good,” along with how to stay centered in a constantly moving world. What strategies does the “slow movement” offer us in today’s AI generated work environments? Come and join this important and highly relevant conversation.
Practice of the Day: Beholding
Find a tree (or a stream or clouds, etc.) and watch it attentively for 5 minutes. Try to notice details that you would normally overlook.
Resource: Garrison Institute Virtual Sanctuary
A virtual space for connection and balance. Participate in retreats and meditation sessions, learn about mental health and contemplative practice in webinars and articles, and explore other resources. https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/the-garrison-institute-forum/
More Contemplative Community Week Opportunities:
Videos of previous Contemplative Community events
Check out the Contemplative Community YouTube playlist for talks on how mindfulness can improve your performance in various areas of work and life, how to use technology mindfully, a musical meditation, and more.
Book Display at Walsh Library
Check out this display of books on mindfulness, contemplative practices and prayer, and a variety of other contemplative topics at the end of the reference book stacks on the second floor of the library (near the photocopiers and Dunkin Donuts).
Don’t want this week to end?
If you would like to keep learning about contemplation and/or continue/nurture a contemplative practice, consider the following:
- Join the Contemplative Community Teams group (open to all) or the Contemplative Pedagogy Teams group (for faculty) to explore more resources and connect with others.
- Join faculty and staff every Thursday at 12:30pm in Teams for a weekly guided meditation; check the Events calendar for the link.
- Be on the lookout for announcements about Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 faculty development opportunities.
- Join the Sant’Egidio prayer group which meets every Thursday 4:00-4:30pm in the Xavier Hall chapel.
- Download an app like Calm, Headspace, Hallow, or Integration