The Jesuits, Ignatian Spirituality and Silent retreats
Who are the Jesuits?
The Jesuits, or Society of Jesus, are a Roman Catholic religious order founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius Loyola and a group of companions. Ignatius, after a profound spiritual and religious conversion, developed a method of prayer called the Spiritual Exercises. The Jesuits were, in some sense, a corporate attempt to embody and live out of the experience of the Exercises and to be companions of Jesus working to help the whole world enter deeper relationship with God. After receiving papal approval, Jesuits quickly became missionaries, educators, givers of retreats, preachers, scientists, philosophers, and theologians. Today, there are about 14,000 Jesuits in the world. Gonzaga Eastern Point Retreat House is a work of the United States East Province of the Society of Jesus.
Interested in becoming a Jesuit? Visit beajesuit.org.
Interested in becoming a Jesuit? Visit beajesuit.org.
What is Ignatian Spirituality?
Ignatian Spirituality is a term that describes the manner of seeking, finding, and entering a relationship with God, as articulated in the Spiritual Exercises and by its various practitioners. Ignatian Spirituality helps people identify where and how God is at work in persons, places, and things; it helps people learn how to respond to God gratefully and generously, and it provides a framework for thinking about the entirety of one's life as a participation in the mission of Jesus. It is a practical spirituality for busy people, and millions -- from lay people to priests to popes-- have found it a helpful tool in building their relationships with God.
What is an ignatian retreat?
An Ignatian retreat is a period of prayer and reflection, based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The retreat is, designed to deepen one's relationship with God and aid in spiritual discernment. At Gonzaga Eastern Point Retreat House, these retreats vary in length and are offered as a single day, a weekend, a week, or a 30 – day experience. Our retreats typically involve periods of daily prayer with scripture, contemplative practice, individual meetings with an experienced spiritual director, and communal activities, such as the Eucharistic liturgy. The aim is to help retreatants deepen their experience of God and to grow in faith through intentional, personalized spiritual formation.
why are retreats silent?
At various moments in the Gospels, Jesus invites the disciples to get away from the crowds and take time for prayer. This tradition was central to the development of early Christian spirituality, as men and women began to move out of cities and into the deserts, dedicating their lives to prayer and fasting. While these "Desert Fathers" and "Desert Mothers" become the first Christian monks and nuns, they also created a path for lay people to make a habit of spending time in seclusion, praying. St. Ignatius, after his conversion, spent time in prayer at a monastery, followed by months of silent meditation practices under the guidance of holy men and women.
Solitude and silence allowed Ignatius to be alone with God, and it allowed God to work a more profound transformation in his soul. As a result, the Spiritual Exercises he developed envisioned a person entering silence to be alone with God, so that the retreatant could focus exclusively on God, and give God the space to work on them without needing to compete with other external influences. In a world of noise and distractions, making space for the "still, small voice" of God seems even more important than it was five centuries ago!
Solitude and silence allowed Ignatius to be alone with God, and it allowed God to work a more profound transformation in his soul. As a result, the Spiritual Exercises he developed envisioned a person entering silence to be alone with God, so that the retreatant could focus exclusively on God, and give God the space to work on them without needing to compete with other external influences. In a world of noise and distractions, making space for the "still, small voice" of God seems even more important than it was five centuries ago!
Do i have to be Catholic to go on retreat here?
We welcome people of a variety of faith traditions here and open our doors to any who find
value in the silence, natural beauty, and stillness that define our retreat experiences. People of
different faith traditions participate to varying degrees in the Spiritual Exercise, and many non-
Catholics have found them to be life-giving and a great help in their own lives of prayer.
value in the silence, natural beauty, and stillness that define our retreat experiences. People of
different faith traditions participate to varying degrees in the Spiritual Exercise, and many non-
Catholics have found them to be life-giving and a great help in their own lives of prayer.