From Retreatant to Retreat Leader

When my family first moved to Seattle in 2017, I couldn’t believe my luck that the Ignatian Spirituality Center was right in my backyard. I was fairly new to Ignatian spirituality and so hungry to learn more. I jumped right in, attending several retreats, including the annual one at Palisades Retreat Center, which was a beautiful time of getting in touch with my own sense of purpose in the midst of parenting two small children.

I loved getting to be part of an ISC book club and attending a contemplative parenting retreat with my husband.

As Covid hit, I continued to enjoy ISC programs via Zoom, often from my closet, the only truly quiet place in our house! As my vocation as a writer and retreat leader developed, I was honored to be able to contribute to the Ignatian Family Handbook and lead a parenting retreat myself. It was a delight to work on both of those projects with Maria Ochoa Vazquez.

As my work continues to grow, I’m so grateful to have the ISC as a guiding presence in my life, always bringing me back to the fundamentals of finding God in all things and listening to the call of the Divine through my own desires.

After completing her PhD in Russian literature, Cameron Bellm traded the academic life for the contemplative life. Her poems, prayers, and prose can be found at the intersection of mysticism and activism, linking our modern lives with our ancient faith. Cameron’s work has been featured in America Magazine, National Catholic Reporter, Jesuit Media Lab, and Catholic Women Preach.