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Speaker Series
The Bethany Center is a Speaker Series presented by the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon. Through Bethany Center, they offer lifelong learning opportunities to men and women throughout the greater Portland community.
The Bethany Center offers a rich array of programs and lectures. See the speakers for 2009-10.
Bethany Center began in the late 1980s as a discussion between Sister Noreen Orazio and Sister Barbara Jean Laughlin on the need for a resource center on the west side of Portland where people could come together to learn, talk, listen, contemplate and pray.
Today, Bethany Center, which was established in 1990, continues that tradition through spiritual retreats, seminars and adult religious education. Qualified professionals lead seminars in many areas, including such topics as comparative religions, spirituality and the environment, domestic violence, grief and dying, homelessness, sacramental theology, servant leadership, art music, the psycho-spiritual approach to aging, communication from birth to death, and much more.
Sister Noreen Orazio, who coordinates Bethany Center programs, issues an invitation. "Whether you're a regular visitor to our campus or are coming here for the first time, you will find that Bethany Center is a place where you can take part in classes and workshops or spend quiet time. Join us, enrich yourself and be nurtured."
To register for Bethany Center workshops, please contact Sister Noreen Orazio at 503- 644-9181 ext. 1268, or by emailing her at srnoreeno@ssmo.org. All workshops will take place in the Bethany Center Conference Room in the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Convent. Each program is $15 per person with lunch available for an additional $5.