Fr. Robert Fabing, SJ, who has lived at the Jesuit Retreat Center for almost 50 years, loves to remind us that the Retreat Center exists to be a house of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. That truth shines most evidently during the summer months of June and July. We close the Center to all other retreats and allow four groups of retreatants to experience the quiet depth and power of what St. Ignatius Loyola presented to the world almost 500 years ago.
The first group is the group that comes on the property for the full experience of the Spiritual Exercises: for thirty-four days, they prepare for, pray with and debrief on the experience of Spiritual Exercises. Guided by a director, they spend four to five hours in prayer every day, enjoy Mass together, go on reflective walks, read some spiritual work, maybe do a bit of artwork and open their hearts to God in the silence of our retreat property.
Beginning in mid-June, the other three groups come in successive 8-day waves and do much the same as those praying through the full exercises. In a shortened version of the Exercises or a focused experience of one aspect of the Exercises, these retreatants also open their hearts to God in prayer, in guidance by a director and in the silence of 8 days spent peacefully here. Many come each year treasuring their annual 8 days with the Lord.
Please consider this summer as an opportunity for you to come experience the Retreat Center as a home for St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and as a quiet place for you to encounter the Lord.
To sign up for the 30 Day Program (June 15 - July 19, 2022), click here
To sign up for 8 Day Retreat # 1 (June 17 - June 25, 2022), click here
To sign up for 8 Day Retreat # 2 (June 25 - July 5, 2022), click here
To sign up for 8 Day Retreat # 2 (July 7 - July 15, 2022), click here
Fr. John Auther, SJ is a Jesuit for 42 years and a priest for almost 30 years. In his pastoral ministry he has devoted a good deal of time to Spanish-speaking work, detention facilities and retreats. He began working at JRC in January 2020.
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