Staff

Meet the Desert House of Prayer Resident Community

Father Tom Picton is a Redemptorist priest and a member of the Denver Province. He has had a relationship with the Desert House of Prayer for thirty-five years. He is a Fellow in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors and a Clinical Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. Tom began making retreats at Desert House almost from its founding by Fr. John Kane and Sisters Dorothy Lesher and Peg Williams. His interests include spirituality, history, music, theater, film, paleontology, the conjuring arts and last but not least baseball.

Sister Marilyn Omieczynski is a member of the United States Province of the Union of Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is an educator, spiritual director, and massage therapist. Marilyn has spent over forty years practicing various forms of contemplative prayer, especially centering prayer. She also loves to pray and work with clay.

Regina Widney in addition to being a mother and grandmother has experience in social work both in the medical and educational arenas. Here at Desert House she does all the usual things that people do in an office: answers the phone, makes reservations, looks after guest needs,  She also supervises her dog Shadow whose job is to clear the office of bugs, pick up crumbs from the floor, and appear cutely contemplative.

Sister Anne Miller, SNDdeN has a background of 35 years as a community health nurse in home visiting, clinics in the inner city, and serving her own religious community. She takes care of buying provisions and the library at Desert House. Anne also enjoys baseball and meeting new people.

Br. Bill Cloughley has been a Redemptorist Brother for over 50 years. He has a special interest in affordable housing for low-income families. He is responsible for the maintenance, and care of the grounds at Desert House. Bill has become sort of the “archivist” for Desert House; transferring many tape recordings to CD’s thus preserving the talks of Thomas Merton and Fr. John Kane, among others. He also loves to photograph the beauty of the desert.