Julian of Norwich

A Woman Named Julian

In 14th Century England, in a small town named ‘Norwich’ a very ill young woman had a religious experience that transformed her life and her understanding of the Holy. Immediately after the event she wrote it down as much as she could. For the next twenty years she reflected on her experience and developed a spirituality and a theology. When the tradition challenged some of her insights, she held fast to what she had come to know – she claimed her experience.

For hundreds of year her voice was silent as her text remained unknown. In the last forty years or so, her voice has broken through the silence and she is gifting us to new understandings of what it means to be human, a new understanding of Divine, and the action of God in our lives. Thomas Merton wrote that he would give up all of the Spanish mystics for the writings of Julian of Norwich
Together we will come to hear the words of Julian, to pray with them and allow them to transform us.

Presented by Elaine Biollo

Elaine Biollo, SC, was born on the prairies but having lived in four provinces in Canada her appreciation of our country has deepened and enlarged so that she claims all of Canada as her identity.

Her interest in spirituality and theology is rooted in her own experience of the action of God in her life. This interest has become the touchstone of her study of spirituality and theology in both Canada and the US.

Having completed a doctorate in theology she began to look forward to a life of teaching and sharing the fruits of her study. But that was not to be the primary direction of her ministry. Although keeping her finger in teaching she has been involved in the development and administration of programs at the university level.

This involvement has broadened the scope of her understanding of how to walk with persons who thirst for their living God. It has challenged her and created a space for her to explore spirituality in a different, but no less inspiring, way that teaching alone could not have done.

Related to her focus Elaine recommends reading the book

The Showings of Julian Of Norwich
by Mirabai Starr
Published by Hampton Road 2013
Order here

Suggested donation

$30 (Includes a simple lunch of soup,  biscuits, pastries and beverages)
All are welcome!

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Reserve your spot below.  Cheques can be made out to ‘Gabriola Ecumenical Society’ and mailed to:

Jacquie Jessup
776 Roxanne Blvd
Gabrila Island VOR1X0

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