The Janssen Spirituality Centre in Boronia on Melbourne’s outskirts is inviting individuals and groups to a range of activities and opportunities for reflection to help promote both inner peace and world peace at a grassroots level.
From spiritual direction to interfaith dinners, Bible studies and retreat days, the Centre aims to be a tranquil space of peace and reflection within easy reach of the city.
Newly appointed JSC Director Fr Viet Ngyuen SVD said the Centre’s program of events aims to attract a broad range of people who are looking for something deeper in today’s busy world.
“My hope for the Janssen Spirituality Centre is very simple, very down to earth,” he said.
“We are trying to develop the retreat centre to be a place of welcome for all people, a place to show our hospitality and care and love to all people from different cultural backgrounds and religions and be a safe environment in which they can experience spiritual refreshment and a sense of inner peace.”
Upcoming events at the JSC include a Celebration of Creation with Blessing of Pets and Loved Objects on October 4, the feast of St Francis of Assisi, whose 800th year jubilee is being celebrated this year.
“People are invited to bring their pets or loved objects such as rocks and plants and to share the significance of their loving relationship with them,” Fr Viet said.
The JSC has long been known as a place of interfaith and intercultural dialogue, with Fr Thien Nguyen SVD arranging a number of events throughout the year, including regular interfaith dinners, featuring guest speakers. The next Interfaith Dinner will be held in November.
“Many people are aware of theological interfaith dialogue,” Fr Viet said. “But what we offer here at the Janssen Spirituality Centre is living dialogue.
“We do this by bringing people together and creating a space where we can love God and love our neighbour.”
The Centre also recently hosted a Candlelight Labyrinth Walk for Peace to mark the United Nations International Day of Peace, with the theme, ‘Invest in Peace – For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day’.
Participants were invited to walk the labyrinth with an intention or prayer for inner peace, and/or for insight into how to help bring about a just and peaceful world, or simply to walk with the intention of calming the mind, the place where peace begins.
For those wishing to take part, but not wishing to walk, seats were available, allowing participants to relax and enjoy the glow of the candlelight and the soft instrumental music.
Fr Viet said the JSC is also open to Christian and non-Christian groups as a retreat centre.
“The Centre itself is located in a peaceful, tranquil area and we work hard at having the flowers and the gardens looking beautiful so that people can enjoy being in nature in a reflective way,” he said.
“It can be a place of pilgrimage, both for people coming from Melbourne and Victoria, but also for interstate visitors.
“We offer a space for groups to come here, from parishes or schools or other organisations. We can offer the celebration of Mass and a place to relax together and experience spiritual refreshment.”
Fr Viet said the Janssen Spirituality Centre is also a place where people can be accompanied as they reflect on their spiritual journey with qualified spiritual directors, both SVD priests, as well as religious sisters.
“Modern life can get very busy and very overwhelming in some respects,” he said. “We hope the Janssen Spiritualty Centre can be a place to ‘come away and rest awhile’ and enjoy a time of spiritual refreshment and peace.”
PHOTO: Director of the Janssen Spirituality Centre Fr Viet Ngyuen SVD in the tranquil grounds of the Centre.
