JESUIT SPIRITUALITY CENTRES IN EUROPE

Ignatius Loyola born 1491
Ignatius, a Basque from Loyola in the north of Spain, is the founder of the Roman Catholic religious order known as the Society of Jesus, or "Jesuits".
Something of an adventurer in his youth he enjoyed the swordplay and loose living common in the young noblemen of his day.

While trying to drive away an attack by French at Pamplona in northern Spain, he was wounded in the leg. He was sent back home and during his convalescence had a conversion experience. When recovered he set off on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On the way he stopped off at Manresa (near Barcelona) and spent many months in anguished reflection and prayer. The fruit of this period was his 'Spiritual Exercises'. Something of an attempt to help others avoid the pitfalls he had fallen into, while at the same time filling the retreatant with enthusiasm to follow Christ, our Lord.

 

What is a Retreat?

Ignatius developed a programme of prayer and reflection on life, based on the life of Christ, in which the person doing the Exercises looks at how best to serve God in his or her life. The Exercises introduce the retreatant to various ways of praying - using scripture in imaginative contemplation, meditating upon ones own life.

The full programme of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius takes about a month on a full-time basis, and nearly a year if done part time in daily life.

Today the term 'retreat' covers a much broader range of subjects than just the Spiritual exercises. Sometimes it is a time away from the normal routine, perhaps in a place of quiet, where a person can take some time to reflect and pray and take stock of life.

What is really important for me?
What should I do?
Where are you God?
Who am I?

Often there is someone to talk to on this time away, a spiritual guide or director. Individually Guided Retreats are where the person sees a guide daily to see how things are going and how to proceed most fruitfully. Many retreats are made in silence to help focus the prayer.

On the other hand there are many group retreats where people talk of life, pray together and often hear talks by the retreat director.

For details of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola or Ignatius himself contact:

An on-line history of Ignatius is available: www.ignatiushistory.info/

If English isn't your language follow the flags above to the national pages.
Many countries produce web pages with details of Ignatius and his Spirituality.

This page maintained by David Birchall SJ
2007-9
For errors, omissions, additions or comments contact: