Ignatius Loyola: the Accessible Mystic Weekend Retreat

A retreat exploring St. Ignatius’ intimate relationship with God and the ways he opens his experiences to us all through the Spiritual Exercises

After his mid-life conversion and transformation, Saint Ignatius was graced with a life of mystical intimacy with the Holy Trinity. His gift to all of who follow in his path is a step-by-step guide to mystical union with our loving God. This weekend will focus on Ignatius’ mystical graces about the Trinity, Creation, the Humanity of Jesus, and the Eucharist.

This retreat draws from a variety of primary sources about the life and person of Saint Ignatius, including:

• The Autobiography of Saint Ignatius
• The Spiritual Journal of Saint Ignatius Loyola: February, 1544 to 1545Translated by William J. Young, SJ
• Remembering Inigo: Glimpses of the Life of Saint Ignatius Loyola by Ignatius’ secretary, Luis Goncalves da Camara

Our prayer during this retreat will use prayer exercises from The Spiritual Exercises and meditations from An Ignatian Pathway: Experiencing the Mystical Dimension of the Spiritual Exercises by Paul Coutinho, SJ.

This retreat was first offered in September 2011 at the Jesuit Retreat House in Parma, OH. Some feedback from retreatants is below.

This retreat is scheduled for November 11-13, 2011 at the John XXIII Retreat Center in Hartford City, Indiana.

Feedback from others who have made this retreat:

From Jean who participated in the retreat at Jesuit Retreat House in Parma OH in September 2011
The retreat experience, with Patrick Cleary-Burns as the Spiritual Director, helped deepen my relationship with God. Through Patrick’s talks, prayer exercises and meditations, quiet prayer time and group discusions I came to realize that even though God is, and has been, with me always, I may not have always been with God. I need to want and desire His graces all the time. These are His gifts to me that will help make Christ the center of my life. Patrick expertly used several of the Ignatian exercises to lead our group into a weekend of soul searching and God-finding. He is compassionate and knowledgeable and his presentation style refreshing. I look forward to attending his other programs and feel blessed to have been part of this retreat.

From Kathy who also participated in the September 2011 weekend at JRH
I truly enjoyed the weekend. I primarily enjoyed learning about contemplative prayer and eagerly have started to use it. The weekend was reflective, prayerful, and relaxing and provided me with information I could not have received on my own. Your knowledge of Ignatius and how to apply his teachings to my everyday life was so valuable to my everyday prayer life. Thank you again, Pat.