Working with Saints: How—And Why—to Develop a Relationship with Divine Intercessors: Illustrated Lecture and Workshop with Writer, Educator and “Folk Catholic" Bob Doto
Sunday, March 22nd.
1pm - 4pm
Admission: $50
Location: Morbid Anatomy Library, 543 Union Square, 11215 Brooklyn NY
Tickets and Infos HERE

What is a saint? What are the benefits of developing a relationship with a saint? And how does one go about it? 

In this slide-illustrated class, writer, educator and “folk Catholic" Bob Doto—brought up in the Italian Catholic tradition and student of many of the world’s mystic traditions—will teach students about the history of saints in the Catholic church, and common forms of devotion, such as pilgrimage, relics, procession, prayer, shrines and altars. He will explain what defines a saint, explore the differences between folk and canonical (Church-approved) saints, and introduce students to some of the most beloved saints and their attributes. He will explore reasons one might wish to engage with saints, and teach traditional methods for developing strong relationships with them, such as crafting a home altar, making offerings, and developing personal prayers and petitions. Students will leave this class with an understanding of what a saint is, how they are venerated, and the skills they need to craft their own lasting personal relationship with a saint of their choice.

Bob Doto is a prolific writer and speaker on the intersection of spiritual margins and society, having been born into an Italian-American Catholic family, spiritually educated within many of the world’s mystic traditions for over twenty-five years, and has been a practicing “folk Catholic” for over a decade. He is the host of the Wild Christianity Salon, the creator of the anarcho-folkcath zine, Babylon Begone, and teaches the 8-week online course, “Engaging the Christ Tradition: A course for Radicals, Mystics, and Church-a-Phobes.” Between 2005-2010 he was the Managing Editor of internationally acclaimed journal of esoteric studies, Parabola. He is a founding member of renegade yoga blog, The Babarazzi, which explored how commercial yoga culture functions in the US, and wrote on the margins of spirituality in NYC on his blog Not New York. Bob is the owner and director of the Ditmas Park Yoga Society in Brooklyn, where he teaches and practices Ashtanga yoga and Tui Na bodywork, and is a faculty member at the Pacific College of Health and Science in Manhattan. His books Press Here: Acupressure for Beginners and The Power of Stretching are available from Quarto Press. He is currently working on his next book Sitting with Spirits, which explores spirit work on the fringes of the Christ tradition. Find Bob on Instagram @newoldtraditions.