| Retreat Ministry |
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola
The sixteenth century was remarkable for its colorful parade of extraordinary personalities—personalities that were destined to influence, for good or evil, all succeeding generations. In that long, brilliant line of statesmen, scholars, reformers, and revolutionaries, limped a short, five foot two, bald-headed Spaniard. He had a tiny book tucked under his arm, and a burning desire buried deep in his heart. The man was Ignatius Loyola; the book was the Spiritual Exercises; and the burning desire was for "the greater glory of God." These Spiritual Exercises were destined to become the source and the dynamic of the Society of Jesus. It has been said that only the New Testament and Kempis' Imitation of Christ has had more influence in Western Christianity than the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
Working through the Spiritual Exercises in periods of prayer, quiet reflection, and in dialogue with a spiritual director is commonly known as making a retreat. The New Orleans Province maintains five retreat houses for individuals wishing to make the Spiritual Exercises. Often, the retreat houses also provide special retreats for groups from certain parishes, for married couples, for just women or men, for priests, etc.
Retreat Houses of the New Orleans Province
Ignatius House For more than 40 years, Ignatius House has been serving the community of Georgia as a center for spiritual growth. Catholics and those of other faiths go there to renew or deepen their relationship with God, to find greater peace of mind, to seek renewal of hope that has been damaged or destroyed by the struggles in their lives. Located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, Ignatius House serves as a location for individual and group retreats, which consist of silent reflection, meditation, and prayer. The retreat house is situated in a naturally lovely setting on a bluff overlooking the Chattahoochee River. It is surrounded by twenty acres of beautiful trees and hills, and a natural waterfall flows into a wandering creek at one end of the property. The grounds have a deck overlooking the river and trails for walking and reflection. An outdoor chapel situated on a hilltop near the property’s entrance features a beautiful stained glass cross and religious symbols, and provides an additional quiet place for prayer and contemplation. Stations of the Cross placed on the grounds make it possible to walk through a meditation of Christ’s passion. Visit the Ignatius House website for more information. |
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Jesuit Spirituality Center The Jesuit Spirituality Center specializes in personally directed retreats based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Solitude and silence are important aspects of these retreats. Length of retreats are typically 3 days, 5 days, 8 days, or 30 days. Retreatants receive one-on-one attention from an experienced retreat director, so that the retreat is tailored to the needs of the individual. The Center is located in Grand Coteau, south central Louisiana, near Lafayette, in the heart of Cajun country. It has spacious grounds with beautiful oak trees and pines with paths for walking and bicycling. There is a swimming pool available during the summer. Visit the Jesuit Spirituality Center website for more information. |
Manresa House of Retreats Manresa is located very near Convent, Louisiana, on the east bank of the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. This retreat house is named after the town near the cave where Ignatius of Loyola spent many months in prayer and reflection resulting in the experiences which he wrote down as his Spiritual Exercises. Thus, the cave at Manresa is where the first Ignatian retreat took place. Visit the Manresa House of Retreats website for more information. |
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Montserrat Retreat House On the western shore of Lake Lewisville, Montserrat Retreat House is located in the town of Lake Dallas, Texas, about twenty miles north of Dallas. This retreat house is named after the Monastery of Montserrat, in Spain, in the mountains northwest of Barcelona where Ignatius of Loyola gave himself to prayer, to fasting, and to other works of piety. There he made up his mind to pursue a new life of service to God, which he symbolized by placing his sword at the feet of the famous statue of Our Lady of Montserrat. Visit the Montserrat Retreat House website for more information. |
Our Lady of the Oaks Retreat House Our Lady of the Oaks is located in the little town of Grand Coteau, in the heart of Cajun Louisiana. The retreat house is built in a Spanish style of architecture and encloses a courtyard with a fountain in the middle that is shaded by century-old live oak trees. An oak arcade lines the driveway leading to the front of the building. Visit the Our Lady of the Oaks Retreat House website for more information. |
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