Who We Are
The School for Contemplative Living was born of Founding Director William Thiele’s longing for a school marked off from the divisiveness and violence of our marketplace world, a gathering place where we might recollect our true selves and welcome them.
We have come to believe that from a place of such centeredness, the walls that divided us fall away, as every human who fully inhabits themselves becomes a bridge, a boat, a bed, a glass of water. We realize we have always been each other’s deepest need. And our home becomes one that is shared, in which we are both guest and host. In this way the “school without walls,” as William called it, is born.
Based on this vision, since 2010, The School for Contemplative Living has offered small group practice and study meetings, workshops, classes, retreats, spiritual direction and annual conferences. View a sampling of these past offerings here, or sign up to tune into those that are forthcoming.
David Prichard
Director of the School for Contemplative Living
For 15 years David has practiced deeply in the secular mediation linage of Shambhala, which was founded by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and in its Tibetan Buddhist counterpart lead by his son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, for whom David worked closely as a personal aide. He was trained and certified as a Mediation Instructor in those lineages in 2017.
After the birth of their first child in 2019, his family resettled in Mississippi, David’s home state, where they began a homestead, now budding into a retreat center called Marpa Farms. David’s spiritual practices deepened with the return home, as the clear waters he’d known in Buddhism mixed with the baptismal fount of his birthplace. He is a Contemplative Spiritual Director, and is an associate in the Spiritual Guidance Program, class of 2026, at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. He leads mediation and small prayer groups, and offer retreats that join the insights of eastern and western religious traditions.
Currently, his practice is nourished by the teachings of Cynthia Bourgault and Kabir Helminski, Christian/Fourthway and Sufi mystics respectively. He believes that the spiritual path begins as it ends, with primordial goodness and worthiness of experience. He is interested in what he calls the “day-long living prayer” using “applied spirituality” towards that end. He is curious about the circumstances in which the world’s religious and wisdom traditions may open to one another without the depth of their singularities being lost in the process.
He is available as a mediation instructor, spiritual director, retreat leader, writer, and speaker.
Yvonne Harrison (Vice-Chair)
Welcome y’all to the deep south and even deeper contemplation!
Originally from Southern Illinois farmlands and most recently from the beautiful Arizona desert, I am enjoying living in the rich culture, sub-tropical climate and world renowned hospitality of the gulf coast of Mississippi with my two faithful companions, Happy and Cinder. I’ve been with the School of Contemplative Living for a little over two years and actively participate in the Contemplative Justice Group that meets via zoom on Mondays at noon.
I do believe that we are all walking each other home. It is good to journey with you.
Bob Hopkins
Hello friends, I am a retired pediatric lung/ICU specialist who lives just outside of New Orleans. My wife Nancy and I have 3 children, 6 grandchildren, and a menagerie of pets. I have been associated with the School for more than 10 years, and I work with a group that practices Visio Divina. I'm excited about our future and hope all of us can make the School thrive. Blessings , Bob
Mal McLetchie
Hello, folks! I’m a retired CPA with a BS in accounting and an MBA. I spent several years in public accounting with two international CPA firms before joining Entergy where I held a variety of accounting and finance positions. After that, I consulted on tax issues for several years. I’ve taught on an adjunct basis at various universities and have served on the boards of a variety of non-profit organizations, including as chair and treasurer. I am currently an elder in the Presbyterian Church. My wife, Sue, passed away in 2023. I now live in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia (Did you know that West Virginia is the only state with two panhandles?) and have three sons, two kids-in-law, and three grandkids, along with two cats. While I am new to the School, I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues and am excited about the activities and opportunities offered by the School.
Ani Vidrine
Hello, fellow contemplatives! I live in Church Point, LA, was married to Aaron Hebert for 24 years until his death in 2022, and have two grown sons. I serve as an interfaith/interspiritual minister, spiritual director, educator, and yoga instructor, as well as on staff for The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. My education includes a master's degree in social work and a doctorate in integral & transpersonal psychology, with a research focus on the Enneagram Personality Typology System. I have led retreats and workshops for the SCL over many years. I look forward to working with our director and dedicated board of directors to facilitate the promotion of contemplative living with an open heart. Big love, Ani
Shane Steinkamp (Interim Chair)
All, I am New Orleans born and raised. I have tried to escape a few times, but the Universe conspires to keep me here. I am married to my favorite person, and we have a son and a daughter. In the World of Men I am a systems engineer, specializing in complex operational systems. I intend to use my ability to reduce complexity into functioning order to benefit the SCL. In my role as Interim Chair, I hope to help guide the School through a season of growth and renewal while remaining faithful to its founding vision. My deepest interest is not in building institutions for their own sake, but in helping cultivate communities where people can listen deeply, live authentically, and discover that they have always belonged to one another.
