Staff & Presenters

A member of the Sacred Heart Missionary Order, and a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin Ireland, is a social psychologist most of whose working life has been in social ministry, as a couple’s counsellor, in bereavement work, AIDS-HIV counselling, and, in more recent times, with homeless people and refugees. As a workshop leader and group facilitator, he has worked in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, The Philippines, Thailand, India, Peru and in several African countries, facilitating programmes on Adult Faith Development. His best-known books include Quantum Theology (1996 – revised in 2004),  Ancestral Grace (2008), and others. He now lives in Dublin,  Ireland.

Former Director and Professor of spirituality, Holy Name University, Sophia Center in Culture and Spirituality, Oakland, CA.
Jim was presented the 2013 Thomas Berry Award by Mary Evelyn Tucker, senior lecturer and senior research scholar at Yale University and trustee of the Thomas Berry Foundation. This award was initiated in 1999 to recognize those instrumental in carrying on the work and legacy of Thomas Berry. This award honored Conlon’s more than two decades of leadership as director of Holy Names University Sophia Center. Visit Jim online at www.jimconlon.net

Steve is an astronomer, educator, and author who has taught astronomy, physics and consciousness studies at colleges, universities and learning centers across the US for nearly three decades. He is currently Director of the Deeptime Leadership Program at the Deeptime Network. Steve frequently offered experiential workshops on stargazing, astronomy and personal transformation at observatories, learning centers and other popular venues around the world. You can learn more about his work at www.cosmicconversations.org and at dtnetwork.org

A member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis, Linda brings her contemplative heart to the creative process of basket making. She is a family nurse practitioner, and spiritual guide. She collaborated to establish a day program in Milwaukee for women in the street-based sex trade. She shares time with the women who now have a pathway to find hope, resources and support to live healthier, safer lives.

Gillian embraced her love of arts from a young age. She graduated from College with a degree in fine arts. Her love for nature as her teacher, drew her to the writings of Thomas Berry and Brian Thomas Swimme, seeing the parallel between the creative process and the journey of the Universe. For a few years, she continued her artistic process with Mary Southard CSJ as guide. Gillian is now the facilitator of the ‘Come and Paint’ retreats at The Well Spirituality Center, La Grange Park, IL.

Richard retired in 2017 after serving for over thirty years in the field of public mental health in a variety of specialty areas including forensics and emergency services.  For the last thirteen years of his career, he served as the Executive Director of a comprehensive Community Mental Health Center which served four rural counties in South Carolina. Richard is also a Certified Master Naturalist and a Journeyman level beekeeper.
 He now works part-time as a trail technician, volunteer coordinator, and environmental educator at an 800 acre Nature Preserve along the Wateree River in Kershaw County.   Like many South Carolinians, Richard is of Native American Ancestry.  His passion for life-long learning, his interest in Native American Spirituality and his ongoing study of comparative religions compel him to teach others. Richards unique skills as a storyteller and his relaxed style combine to make him a  popular speaker in a variety of settings.

An Oldenburg Franciscan Sister since 1963, Marya Grathwohl lived for over thirty years in African American, Crow and Northern Cheyenne communities.  While serving on her congregation’s leadership team, she initiated the revitalization of her community’s farm in Indiana, integrating natural farming methods with vegetable gardens, chickens and heritage breed cattle.
As founding director of Earth Hope, she was consultant for a women’s center in Northern Cheyenne country, developing wind and solar energy, ground-source heating and cooling, a greenhouse and native prairie restoration.  Earth Hope provided a Cosmology Program for use in jails and prisons in CA, NY and MO.
Marya offers retreats, workshops and lectures that enliven peoples’ heartfelt connection with the whole Earth community and nourish their
commitment to care for our common home.

Dream work got hold of Elizabeth in 1987 when a friend told her that her mom was in a dream group.   She then attended a workshop on the fundamentals and the group began meeting regularly.  For more than 30 years, dream work has been her passion.

Elizabetbh has been employed and volunteers in community organizing, state government and law of office administration, and church leadership.  

Along side the “works” on her resume, Elizabeth’s journey has been informed by experiences with parental alcoholism, ADHD, bereavement, adoption, childbirth and parenting, depression, Jungian psychology, Unitarian Universalism, Enneagram study and many generours teachers, not the least important of whom are her husband and daughters.

In 2011, Elizabeth graduated from the Institute for Dream Studies and joyfully engages with individual and group dream work, presentations and workshops.

Sr. Pam has a doctorate in systematic theology with specialization in environmental ethics. Author of 10 book and articles on Biblical, ethical and ecological themes, she is currently Director for Ecumenical and interreligious Affairs at the Diocese of Charleston.

Claire holds a master’s degree in European History from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and a Doctorate in Ministry from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. A fourth-generation Polish American, she has traveled to Poland several times and is the author of Seasons of the Slavic Soul : A quest for an Authentic Polish Spirituality.
Claire currently serves as the Executive Director of Siena Retreat Center.

Susan Lincoln is an inspiring classical singer and teacher from Austin, Texas. After a 1999 pivotal experience at the Abbey of St. Hildegard of Bingen in Germany, Susan made a commitment to helping women heal through the power of their own voices with Hildegard as our guide. She is the founder of Hilde Girls in Austin, now celebrating 20 wonderful years! Susan has an exuberant spirit, passionate curiosity, empathic heart, and two precious granddaughters who keep her young at heart!

Linda Gibler, OP, PhD, is a Dominican Sister of Houston. She has served as vicaress to her congregation since June 2022. Before her return to Houston, Linda was the Associate Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Science and Religion at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio.
Linda studied with Brian Swimme at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and completed her PhD in Philosophy and Religion in 2007. In addition to the PhD, she earned a MA in Philosophy and Religion at CIIS, a MAPS at Aquinas Institute of Theology, and a BA in Sociology and Life Science Ethics at the William Paterson College of New Jersey. Before her San Francisco studies, Linda was the director of social ministry for a parish in Houston where she coordinated direct services, social outreach, and social justice programs. She worked for a Texas agency to insure health care for indigent women, and served on a hospital medical ethics board.
Linda delights in telling the 14 billion-year story of the Universe, stars, and Earth, as well as the stories of the common things that surround us. Her book, From the Beginning to Baptism: Scientific and Sacred Stories of Water, Oil, and Fire (Liturgical Press, 2010), tells the cosmic stories of the primary sacramentals of baptism and considers the difference it would make if we allowed Nature to teach us about God, ourselves, and right relationship with all members of the Earth community.

Joe Vinciguerra is a passionate truth seeker and a lover of yoga, learning, technology, blogging, biking and Italian culture. A native of New York, Joe studied with numerous instructors including Tao- Porchon-Lynch, who at 100 is the world’s oldest yoga instructor. Joe has travelled to Dharamshalla, India, the birthplace of Yoga to deepen his practice and knowledge of yoga and received his 200 hours level training there.
Joe is a licensed Broga Yoga Instructor teaching students of all ages in the Charleston SC area.

Health and Well-being Coach, Certified Functional Medicine Coach, Registered Nurse, Certified Qigong Coach and Instructor, Jacki entered the world of medicine with a nursing degree and quickly realized she wasn’t in healthcare, she was in sick care.
Learning about the mind body emotion connection, she embarked upon a path to help herself and her clients heal from emotional turmoil that can lead to disease. Jacki has been practicing Qigong for over 20 years. It has helped her quiet her mind, open her heart and listen to her body and she most enjoys teaching clients to do the same. Jacki is a Certified Functional Medicine Coach, Registered Nurse, Qigong Coach and Instructor.

Deborah has practiced yoga since 1995 when she came to yoga as therapy to recover from a mastectomy. She began to study yoga and to develop her personal practice when she retired in 2013 after a career as an Information Technology Officer with the Federal Government.

Deb teaches traditional Hatha Yoga combining stillness (meditation), movement (asana), and awareness of the breath (pranayama) to help students release and relax and unite mind, body, and spirit. She also offers Yoga Nidra guided meditation for deep relaxation, stress relief, and manifesting intentions.

Deborah is a graduate of the Amrit Yoga Institute (AYI) and completed the Integrative Amrit Methods of Yoga and Yoga Nidra curriculum. Deborah is registered with Yoga Alliance as a RYT 500. She also completed certification with UNC Lineberger’s Yoga for Cancer program. She is currently enrolled in the AYI Yoga Therapy 800 hour program.

Sister of Holy Cross, BA in Special Education and Psychology, for 30 years Doreen was a missionary in Mali, West Africa and Haiti. An accomplished educator she has accompanied women and youth through school administration, campus ministry and community leadership. Doreen brings her experience, creativity, appreciation of indigenous wisdom, love for earth, music, movement as an expression of truth and beauty and passion for justice to Springbank. After being on the Springbank team for 4 years, Doreen is now a full time member of the leadership team of the Holy Cross sisters.

Helene Loper has over 30 years of experience in using faith developmental theory in pastoral care and 19 years of recovery in the 12 Step tradition.  She has done spirituality of recovery groups in the 12 Step tradition with inpatient adolescents at the START Program in Fayette, Alabama since 2010.  She became a CRSS in 2016 and has shared the theoretical foundation and variety of creative therapeutic groups she does at START with peer support specialists in Alabama since 2017.  These groups have also been tested in adult settings where the activities have been welcomed as practical and engaging.  She also was a panelist on the topic of Healing through Religion and Spirituality at the Parliament of World Religions in 2023 and presented on her book at the National Recovery Leadership Summit in 2024.

Executive Director.

Loreto Sister of the Province of South Asia, Anita joined the Staff at Springbank with her experience as Province and Community Leader, High School Principal and Youth Animator. Anita has an MA in English Literature, MS in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University, Maryland and a Licentiate in the piano from the Trinity College of Music London. As Executive Director from September 1, 2022 , Anita brings a creative soul, administrative skills,  a strong work ethic and a great love and commitment  to her ministry at Springbank. Her remarkable gift of producing music at the piano for prayer or a party is greatly enjoyed and appreciated.

Founding Director.

Artist, spiritual director, licensed massage therapist. Trina has been committed to retreat work and native spirituality and rituals for more than 30 years and has developed the ecological initiative at Springbank. At the meeting of the Board of Directors in June 2022, Trina requested the Board that she be relieved of her role as Executive Director with effect from September 1, 2022. 

Trina retired officially as Executive Director and was honoured with the title Founding Director of Springbank by the Board of Directors.

Former Director and Professor of spirituality, Holy Name University, Sophia Center in Culture and Spirituality, Oakland, CA. Jim was presented the 2013 Thomas Berry Award by Mary Evelyn Tucker, senior lecturer and senior research scholar at Yale University and trustee of the Thomas Berry Foundation. This award was initiated in 1999 to recognize those instrumental in carrying on the work and legacy of Thomas Berry. This award honored Conlon’s more than two decades of leadership as director of Holy Names University
Sophia Center. Visit Jim online at www.jimconlon.net

Marce is a pediatric nurse and certified Healing Touch practitioner who gives time out of her schedule to come from Canada and be part of the mission of Springbank for four-plus months of each year. Her love of the outdoors and her skills in building and grounds enhances and beautifies the Springbank grounds. Her commitment to healing contributes to the well-being of participants and the natural world.

Jacquie is the resident Mindfulness & Spirituality Coach at Springbank Retreat. She leads retreats internationally and her work is to help those struggling with worry and regret (especially women) to understand how to live in peace through acceptance and awareness. She started her life’s work as counselor and has evolved into an integrative healer using her own grounded energy, mindfulness, sound bowls, meditation, inner child work, breath and BEING. Jacquie earned a Masters in Counseling Psychology (2001) worked with families of adjudicated youth and children on the autistic spectrum for the first 10 years of her journey which taught her so much about the human experience. She is a Level 2 certified holistic psychotherapist and loves opening people up to their authentic self. Jacquie enjoys learning about divine feminine and masculine energies as well as the effects of patriarchal influence on society.

Jacquie was one of the first to bring mindfulness to schools over 12 years ago in the Greater Philadelphia area teaching over 5000 children and teachers. She is passionate about teaching the science and practices of emotional intelligence and wellbeing. Jacquie has been blessed with 3 young adult children who have been her greatest teachers on this journey.

Jacquie now spends most of her time at Springbank Retreat Center in Kingstree, S.C. where she coaches individuals and leads groups on their mindfulness journey both virtually and in-person. She taps into her creative side while cooking plant based meals for the attendees. For more info or to book a session, visit Project Mindful

Virgie brings to Springbank her experience of working in various office roles in the Phillipines. With her commitment , efficiency and secretarial skills, Virgie is an asset to Springbank.