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You are invited to experience the work and prayer of Portiuncula Guild at historic Thomas Chapel during a three-day open house filled with opportunities for prayer, conversation, art, music, and spiritual practices. Leavened by local practitioners, and drawn from a rich variety of religious traditions, these days will provide opportunities to root yourself in the wisdom of the past, clarity in the present, and resilience for the future.
Each opportunity is facilitated by a local creative, and their work in the community … folks that cultivate a positive, active, and hopeful spirituality by focusing on and nurturing the inherent human capacity for goodness, growth, and service. These practices are not focused on ideologies but rather cultivate a spirit of inclusiveness and hospitality as an alternative to a culture of division in which we currently find ourselves. Samhain/All Saints'/All Souls' have historically formed a sacred hinge in time … when the veil between heaven and earth … past and present … is thin, and we are invited to live with deeper awareness of the divine presence and our shared humanity. Come share with others … or spend time alone in this beautiful setting in Thaxton. The chapel, sculpture garden, and labyrinth will be open throughout the day for quiet reflection. 
Portiuncula Guild is a welcoming community of spiritual seekers who come together to explore life’s deepest questions. We believe that hope for the world begins with a change of heart within each of us. Our faith is humble, willing to live with uncertainty rather than claim every answer, and open to the wisdom and lived experience of every person.
We draw from sacred stories and spiritual teachings across many traditions, using creativity and imagination to spark insight, open honest conversations, and nurture mutual respect. We see differences not as barriers, but as invitations to deeper understanding and shared discovery. We listen for voices that are too often overlooked, paying attention to how power is used in difficult issues and reflecting on how our own work and prayer affect the most vulnerable among us. We lift perspectives that challenge familiar stories, believing that this openness can guide us toward a more just and compassionate world. Though theology can sometimes divide, we believe our inclusive prayer and shared work can become a practice of listening, learning, and growing together. In this way, we hope to build a community — and a society — that is more connected, more courageous, and more filled with hope for all. May I be a guard for those who need protection;
a guide for those on the path; a boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood. May I be a lamp in the darkness, a resting place for the weary, a healing medicine for all who are sick, a vase of plenty, a tree of miracles. And for the boundless multitudes of living beings, may I bring sustenance and awakening ‐ enduring like the earth and sky until all beings are freed from sorrow and all are awakened. Shantideva, 8th Century CE Buddhist Teacher/Poet/Bodhisattva He told you, O mortal, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your god.
Micah, 6th Century BCE Hebrew Prophet/Poet 
Thomas Chapel
The name Portiuncula (pronounced port-see-UN-cluh) comes from the Latin “little portion,” the nickname of a small church restored by St. Francis of Assisi and his companions in the 13th century. In rebuilding this humble chapel, they discovered a new way of seeing life, faith, and one another. In 2021, the Guild was entrusted with Thomas Chapel to restore as a space for prayer, retreat, meditation, and creative gathering, surrounded by a contemplative garden. Like Francis, we believe such work can transform us, deepen community, and open new ways of seeing the divine. We hope this space will welcome artists, dreamers, and seekers of every faith to find common ground, build respect, and shape a more compassionate world. You’ll find that Thomas Chapel is a work in progress. Built in the mid-1800s and decommissioned as an active church in the early 1970s, the chapel sat empty for nearly 50 years. The setting is rural and rustic, with no electricity or running water on site. In recent years, we’ve made several improvements for cleanliness and safety—removing old furnishings, patching floors, and retaining a few original pews for seating in the round. A covered pavilion and an outbuilding with a composting toilet have also been added. Most parking is along the gravel driveway and requires a short walk up a slight incline, though a few spaces are available closer to the building for those with mobility needs. Our gatherings are held rain or shine. 
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Workshop Schedule
All workshops are free and open to the public. Sign up registration is required to plan accordingly for parking, seating, and food. Please use the sign up link below. Contact paxetbonum@portiunculaguild.org for questions or more information Friday, October 31
12:00-1:30 pm
Chapel and Grounds Open for Quiet Reflection 1:30-2:15 pm
So Much More Than Looking: Art and Spiritual Practice
The average museum goer spends seven seconds looking at an image. Are we less inspired by the arts … or have our traditional ways of engaging with the arts failed to keep up with technology or our search for deeper meaning? Can we discover ways to reengage visual art, poetry/storytelling, music, drama, and performance in our personal and communal spiritual practice? This workshop and walking art meditation will explore this question through the work of local artists who have contributed art to the chapel and sculpture garden. We will also explore the power the arts to foster concentration and insight, find common ground across religious and social differences, and foster social justice in a desire for reconciliation and healing.
Patrick Ellis is a conceptual/installation artist and a ritual theologian exploring how the arts can provide insight into new way of being spiritual community, foster deeper meditative and participatory practice, and more inclusive community engagement and interaction. 2:30-3:30 pm
An Invitation to Relax
Acupuncture works to balance your body’s energy. 5 Needle Auricular Acupuncture Protocol (5NP) consists of placing 5 sterile single-use small needles on specific points of the outer ear to promote relaxation, pain relief, and emotional balance. Research has shown the effectiveness of the 5 Needle Protocol as a supportive component in addressing a wide range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and substance use challenges. This is an opportunity for self-care in which you can close your eyes, focus on your breathing, unplug, and mindfully drop into the experience.
Cindy Burks is a certified Auricular Acu-Technician and a member of POCA, the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture. With more than thirteen years of personal experience in the calming and restorative effects of acupuncture, Cindy brings a deep appreciation for the body’s innate capacity to heal. Rooted in the spiritual traditions of Unity and New Thought, she finds joy and peace in the natural world and in music. Cindy’s sense of community is nourished through her connections with Portiuncula Guild, All Things Mystical & Metaphysical, the Sacred Sisterhood, and Bedford Chants. Saturday, November 1
10:00 am-12:00 pm
Hands and Heart: A Creative Journey of Reflection and Renewal
Enter a gentle, creative space where image and word meet as tools for reflection, mindfulness, and spiritual connection. Through intuitive play with paint, print, collage, and found materials, we’ll explore how layering color and texture can mirror the layers of our own inner life. No art experience is needed—only curiosity, presence, and a willingness to listen with your hands as well as your heart. All materials are provided, and you’re welcome to bring personal scraps, mementos, or found objects to make your journal a living expression of your unique story.
Sally McDowell is a mixed media artist, art journaler, and mental health advocate who sees creativity as a path to healing, self-discovery, and spiritual connection. Blending painting, printmaking, collage, and upcycled materials, she explores emotion, resilience, and the beauty in imperfection. Her background in mental health and contemplative practice shapes a teaching style that fosters reflection, intuition, and emotional well-being through art. 12:00-1:00 pm - Simple Meal
1:00-2:00 pm
Listening With the Heart
Settle into stillness beneath the mind’s chatter through a guided meditation that opens the heart and quiets the inner noise. Explore the practice of loving-kindness (metta) meditation as a way of softening self-judgment and cultivating compassion toward others. From this grounded, heart-centered space, engage in simple exercises in deep listening—to ourselves, to one another, and to the more subtle currents of life around us. Come prepared to slow down, rest in presence, and rediscover the gentle power of listening with the whole self.
Dan McNeil is a certified mindfulness instructor who leads meditation in the workplace and shares reflections through his weekly blog “Mindful Week by Week.” 2:30-3:30 pm
Sound, Silence, and the Compassionate Heart
An immersion of sound and stillness designed to awaken compassion and cultivate inner clarity. Through a guided sound bath, simple group chanting, and reflection on the Bodhisattva vow, we will explore how vibration, intention, and silence can cultivate a deep awareness that opens the heart to the suffering of the world.
Mitchell Bond is a lifelong seeker, contemplative maker, and yoga practitioner/facilitator exploring how embodied spiritual practices can equip us to care for the communities in which we live and work. He approaches practice as an art of deep listening, inviting presence, stillness, and compassion. Sunday, November 2
12:00-1:30 pm
Chapel & Grounds Open for Quiet Reflection 1:30-2:30 pm
Autumn: A Season to Let Go
As the days shorten and the leaves release their hold, nature invites us into the sacred rhythm of letting go. In this season of turning, pause to notice what is ready to fall away and what wisdom is asking to be carried forward. Through guided reflection and gentle embodied practice, we’ll honor the wisdom of those who came before us, drawing strength from the unseen web of connection that holds us all. Together, we’ll listen for what the changing light has to teach—about surrender, renewal, and trust in the cycles that sustain life.
Dan McNeil is a certified mindfulness instructor who leads meditation in the workplace and shares reflections through his weekly blog “Mindful Week by Week.” 3:00-5:00 pm
First Sunday Love Feast and Potluck
Portiuncula Guild celebrates a spirit of radical welcome by embracing many tradition and spiritual practices through prayer, storytelling, conversation, and a shared meal. Inspired by the Moravian tradition a simple ritual of sweet bread and apple juice, our gatherings offer an interfaith table fellowship that transcends the boundaries of formal communion services. The Love Feast at Thomas Chapel is an imaginative spiritual mosaic, bringing together Jewish Sabbath blessings, the open welcome of the Moravian cup and bread, moments of quiet reflection, and centering chants drawn from Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian traditions. Everyone is invited to share in this meal as a sign of unity, hope for the world, and prayer that all beings everywhere may be happy and free. A potluck meal always follows this gathering.
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