The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia

Weekly Online Welcoming & Centering & Prayer
2026-10-02 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-10-09 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-10-16 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-10-23 12:00 - 13:00, 2026-10-30 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | WA
Fridays, starting September 19, 12:00 pm
$20 Suggested Donation to Sacred Waters
Weekly Online Interspiritual Group Contemplative Practices beginning Friday, September 19, via Zoom. Welcoming Prayer meets Fridays from 12:00pm PT to 12:30pm PT. Centering Prayer meets Fridays from 12:30pm PT to approximately 1:00pm PT. Fee: $20/month for either or both sessions. Register to receive the Zoom link.
Though contemplative practices are often thought of as solitary endeavors, community is a very important component in supporting our individual intentions. Whether you’re an experienced contemplative or just starting to engage, you’re welcome to join in!
Welcoming Prayer is a method of consenting to God’s presence and action in our physical and emotional reactions to events and situations in daily life. The purpose of the Welcoming Prayer is to deepen our relationship with God through consenting in the ordinary activities of our day — “consent-on-the-go.”
Centering Prayer is a receptive method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself.
Facilitator: Sylvia Sepulveda is a longtime longtime practitioner, organizer, and facilitator of contemplative group practices. She offers spiritual direction, dreamwork, retreats, and art-based workshops through Secret Garden Practices (https://secretgardenpractices.com/).

Compline, Sung by The Compline Choir
2026-10-04 21:30 - 22:00, 2026-10-11 21:30 - 22:00, 2026-10-18 21:30 - 22:00, 2026-10-25 21:30 - 22:00 | Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, 1245 10th AVE E., Seattle, WA, 98102, United States
Sundays, 9:30 – 10:00 pm
A beloved Seattle institution since 1956, the all-male Compline Choir sings the last monastic office of the day, offering prayers before sleep, giving thanks for the blessings of the day that has passed, and asking for “a quiet night and perfect end”. Hundreds pack the cathedral nave each week for this meditative service, while thousands more listen to the live radio broadcast on Classical KING, participate via livestream, or listen to weekly podcasts.
Livestream available at https://complinechoir.org/livestream/ or https://saintmarks.org/worship/live-stream/.

Following in the Footsteps of Paul: A Pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey
2026-10-08 - 2026-10-19 | Greece and Turkey, Greece
October 8–19, 2026
Early registration discount ends: December 31, 2025
Registration closes: April 1, 2026
Full payment due: July 1, 2026
$5,999 Registration per Person (Double Occupancy until 12/31/25)
$6,149 Registration per Person (Double Occupancy from 1/1/26)
$1,500 Single Supplement (Limited Availability)
Leader: The Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason
Greece has often been called the birthplace of democracy and the cradle of Western Civilization. It, together with Turkey, is also the earliest home of Christianity outside of the Palestine/Israel. Led by The Very Rev. Steven L. Thomason and local archaeological guides on the ground, this 12-day pilgrimage traces the footsteps of Paul in Greece and Turkey as he engaged the early Christian communities there. Our journey will take us to the well-preserved ruins of Athens, Corinth, Philippi, and Thessaloniki in Greece. Along the way, you’ll marvel at the byzantine monasteries perched on the cliffs of Meteora. In Turkey, we’ll visit Smyrna and Pergamum, two of the churches to whom Revelation was written to encourage them during troubled times. On our last full day we’ll explore Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Letter to the Ephesians is a remarkable witness to Paul’s courage and encouragement to the beleaguered Church. Note: Our schedule may be adjusted based on guide availability.
Full details, including pilgrimage brochure, can be found at saintmarks.org/learn/wisdom-school/pilgrimages/
