Francis Tiso

I'm Francis Tiso (Fr. Francis), a Catholic priest in Italy, grateful to be of service to the human family. As a retreat facilitator with Acraya, I share my experience across contemplative traditions—including preparing you for dark retreat in Christian terms.
It brings me joy when people find freedom from thoughts and feelings that never lift—a freedom that becomes a steady feature of life, lived from interior resilience.
As facilitator and spiritual director, I support clients exploring the work of God in their lives—the "godding" of a fully aware human, a fruit of the Spirit. Often I simply point out where that work is happening; other times I offer methods for opening to it. Our work allows an intuitive flow toward what Thomas Merton called the "true self," abiding in the divine Presence where the Spirit touches the apex of the soul.
I've immersed this life in meditation—mainly yogic, Buddhist, and Catholic—since childhood, with nearly forty years of pastoral service. I lived twelve years in a hermitage in Isernia, Italy, and founded an independent center for contemplative prayer. I bow in gratitude to my Benedictine, Cistercian, and Jesuit guides, and to the Zen and Vajrayana teachers who shaped my journey.
EXPERIENCE & CREDENTIALS
Six decades in Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Christian spirituality. Ordained priest in good standing, serving Central Italy and beyond. Doctorate in Buddhist studies (the lives of Milarepa); retreats in Mahamudra and Dzogchen, linked to rainbow body attainment. I offer retreats and spiritual direction in several languages; active with Mind & Life Europe.
DARK RETREAT PHILOSOPHY
St. John of the Cross wrote of the "dark night" not only as purification but as a way to enduring love. Entering darkness, we are embraced by a healing, transforming Presence. The dark lets the light within—the truest guide—ignite into mystical union, the longing that stills human restlessness. The way there is what you already are.