Silent Retreat for Men
With the Church meditating on Jesus' suffering and death, we contemplate the dream-shattering experiences of Old and New Testaments, discovering that human failures cannot frustrate God's restoration of humanity.
Fr. Duc Vu, S.J., a software engineer before joining the Jesuits, was ordained in 2002 and served in a parish until 2007. An M.F.A. in Creative Writing reflects his interest in life as story. He likes to explore the creative dynamic among stories human and divine, as well as the fascinating dialectic between our corporeality and spirituality.
Assisting
Ms. Linda Batton is the Director of Social Ministries at the Diocese of San Jose where she has served since 1999. She holds an MA in Pastoral Ministries from Santa Clara University and has over 20 years of experience serving the Church and community as a volunteer and pastoral leader. In 1996, she completed the 36-day Ignatian Spiritual Excercises at El Retiro, which she says changed her life. Linda has traveled widely, particularly in the developing world. She has been a member of Church delegations to Cambodia, Jamaica, Tanzania, and the Holy Land. Linda has three grown children and five grandchildren.
Fr. Bernard Bush, S.J., is a spiritual director and psychotherapist by training, background that he believes enables him to see people's lives in a rich and diverse way. He says he enjoys the challenging adventure of helping others find God in their lives, something he recognizes is different for every person. He defines a spiritual director as one who is a servant to others as they grow in their relationship with God.
Born in Humboldt County, California, Fr. Bernie entered the Society of Jesus following graduation from Bellarmine College Preparatory, San Jose, CA. He was ordained in 1965, and then trained as a spiritual director and psychotherapist, earning a Ph.D. in human science (psychology and theology) from the Saybrook Graduate School, San Francisco. More about Fr. Bernie
Fr. Joseph Fice, S.J., spent 25 years as a religious educator in Jesuit high schools in California and Arizona. He taught at Jesuit High School in Sacramento, Loyola High School in Los Angeles, and Brophy Preparatory School in Phoenix. His academic interests evolved from mathematics to a deep interest in scripture and ethics. After earning a B.S. in Mathematics from Loyola University of Los Angeles, he received an M.A. in Philosophy from Gonzaga University and an S.T.M. in Theology from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley. A lecturer in Philosophy at Loyola University of Los Angeles from 1967 to 1969, his subsequent high school teaching focused on Scripture and Catholic Christianity.
Fr. Gerald F. Hudson, S.J., was, for many years, a mathematics teacher (at Loyola High School, Loyola Marymount University, and St. Ignatius College Preparatory). He has served several times as a director in the JRC 36-day program. He joined the staff of the JRC in August of 2006 and has been involved in retreats and spiritual direction.
Ms. Maureen O'Connor, a native of New Orleans, has lived and worked in San Francisco and Colma since 1970. She has been active at the parish level in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul since 1990.
In 2008 she retired after 38 years of service as a medical Speech Pathologist. She had always had the dream of deepening her spiritual life in retirement. In her responding to that call from God, the doors have continued to open. She is entering her second year in the Pierre Favré Program and is a lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Agnes Catholic Community in San Francisco. New opportunities for spiritual direction are opening in her Vincentian work, as well as at the Jesuit Retreat Center. More about Ms. O'Connor
