16th Annual Spirituality Conference
Pádraig Ó Tuama: Poetry Prayer, and Place
Saturday, October 18, 2025
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
We carry desire and location with us: desires for change, improvement, revenge, release, joy or achievement; and locations of home or exile or anything in between. This retreat day will consider poems of longing and land, and by doing so, deepen reflection on language, truth, creativity and communication. There will be some writing exercises during the day — it is open to first time writers, as well as those who’ve been writing for a long time.
A poet and theologian, Pádraig Ó Tuama’s work centers around themes of language, power, conflict and religion. Working fluently on the page and in public, he is a compelling poet and skilled speaker, teacher and group worker. He has worked with groups to explore story, conflict, their relationship with religion and argument, and violence. Using poetry, group discussion, and lectures, his work is marked both by lyricism and pragmatism, and includes a practice of evoking stories and participation from attendees at his always-popular lectures, retreats, and events.
He presents Poetry Unbound with On Being Studios. From 2014-2019 he was the leader of the Corrymeela Community, Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation community. With undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in theology, multiple professional qualifications in conflict mediation (specializing in groups), he also holds a PhD (Poetry & Theology) from the University of Glasgow. For the Autumn terms of 2024-28, he is a visiting scholar at the Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia University.
His most recent books are 44 Poems on Being with Each Other: A Poetry Unbound Collection, and Kitchen Hymns. You can visit his website here.
TICKET INFORMATION
Please decide which pricing option works best for your budget, while allowing us to continue to offer high-quality speakers:
Sponsorship: $100
Standard: $80
Reduced Rate 1: $60
Reduced Rate 2: $30
Lunch is included!
To pay by check, please mail your check, phone number, and email address to:
The Cathedral of St. Philip
Attn: Jeannie Mahood
2744 Peachtree Road, NW
Atlanta, GA 30305
For questions, please contact Jeannie Mahood, 404-365-1031, or jmahood@cathedralATL.org.
About the Spirituality Conference
Since 2009, people have traveled from around the Southeast (and beyond) to spend the day in retreat with acclaimed writers and teachers of Christian spirituality, including Richard Rohr, Kathleen Norris, John Philip Newell, Joyce Rupp, Cynthia Bourgeault, Lauren Artress, Margaret Silf, Barbara Brown Taylor, Becca Stevens, Lerita Coleman Brown, and Amy-Jill Levine.
Donations
To make a donation for this and future spirituality conferences, click here.
Feel free to contact Jeannie Mahood, jmahood@cathedralATL.org or 404-365-1031.