Dear Jay:

Bailey Cunningham in her book, Mandela: Journey to the Center, states:

The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.

Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.

"The integrated view of the world represented by the mandala, while long embraced by some Eastern religions, has now begun to emerge in Western religious and secular cultures. Awareness of the mandala may have the potential of changing how we see ourselves, our planet, and perhaps even our own life purpose."

This is utterly inconsistent with Christianity. It is a cosmology and philosophy that is not compatible with Christianity.

 This is a Buddhist Mandala.

While the Mandala has its origins in the East the word has come to mean a plan, chart or geometric pattern (in a circle) that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically.  For example a personal mandala that maps one's life may look like this:

This personal Mandala is a way to organize one's life and to assess it. As long as this is done without a Eastern Philosophy or cosmology attached it is just another way to organize.

As for using a Mandala as a form of prayer, I suspect that we might have a problem but I don't know since I do not know how they are using it. I say that I suspect a problem because using this circle form as a method of prayer is using it in a spiritual context. Are they bringing in any non-Christian notions? Why are they using this form when there are already myriad forms already within the Church.

There is one thing that is clear. The Catholic Church is rich in devotional and prayer forms. She is so rich in this that there is never a reason to go outside of the Church for any prayer form.

What does it have to do with Catholic Prayer? Good question. Why aren't they using any one of the thousands of prayer forms already within the Catholic Church?

I think you have reason to be concerned and I would be asking some questions.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary