Sisters Kathryn Boorman and Alison Mackay – founders of Sanctuary.

Every Sunday at 10am, a group of people  gather in the Catholic church hall in Bangalow to sing, listen to inspiring words and meditate. One of the founders, Kathryn Boorman, writes about their weekly sanctuary for the soul.

“Sanctuary began more than 16 years ago, when my sister, Alison Mackay and I were inspired by the songs of the Taize Spiritual Community in France. Sanctuary has become more eclectic over the years, adding songs and chants from many other spiritual traditions. Alison, who is a local choir leader, has arranged the harmonies for the songs and chants, and has also written many herself. Some regular Sanctuary goers have sung in Alison’s choirs over the years, and the singing is beautiful, with harmonies resonating through the old wooden hall. There is no expectation however, that everyone will be able to sing the harmonies, and some people just listen or sing along with the melody. Singing these songs lifts our spirits, and during the hour and a half we experience a profound shift, and leave the hall feeling calmer, quieter and more present. We love the fact that  the group has come to treasure this time of soul nurturing, absorbing the wisdom of poets, mystics and philosophers from many faiths and cultures.

Gathering at Sanctuary once a week feeds the soul.

The Sanctuary group has many leaders who take turns to run it each Sunday, choosing a theme and drawing upon a vast collection of readings and poems amassed over the years. The themes are mostly universal spiritual ideas such as Forgiveness, Courage, Gratitude, and Mindfulness. Some favourite sources include the ancient Sufi mystics Hafiz, Rumi, and Kabir, the contemporary poets Mary Oliver, David Whyte and Michael Leunig, and the philosophers and teachers, Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hahn, and the Dalai Lama.

Each Sunday I find that a poem, a reading, or the words of a song give me a new perspective on whatever I am going through at the time. I feel spiritually nurtured for the whole week, for example, by the words of Hafiz: ‘I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.’ Or I am shown the bigger picture by Thich Nhat Hahn: ‘When you are truly here and now in this moment, you are in paradise. You have all that you need for happiness right now: eyes that can see, lungs breathing in and out. What a privilege, what a joy, to be alive.'”

Sanctuary welcomes everyone, only a gold coin is asked to cover the rent.

Kathryn Boorman is a poet and ESOL teacher who lives in the Byron Shire. You can email her for more information [email protected].  Sanctuary has a facebook page called Sanctuary at Bangalow Sanctuary-at-Bangalow

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