The Spirituality Program for Adults (SPA) is based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Written 500 years ago, these stand firm as the very heart of Ignatian Spirituality embraced by the Jesuits. A key part of that spirituality is examining one’s day to see how God is present – and how one chooses to respond (or not) to God’s presence. The SPA retreats teach practical ways to pray and think – in order to discern God’s action in the daily events of our lives.
The SPA program was developed at Saint Ignatius more than a decade ago by Fr. Jim Lewis, S.J. Since then, more than 1,300 people in the Saint Ignatius community have participated in the SPA retreats. The two eight-session retreats take place each year – one in the fall and one during Lent. Retreats are held in St. Mary of the Assumption Chapel on the Saint Ignatius campus and are open to essentially any adult, but more specifically to the Ignatius community (parents, staff, faculty, alumni).
Spirituality Program for Adults (SPA) based on the Spiritual Exercises
Fall 2013 retreat dates:
Fridays 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. October 4th through November 22nd
Mondays 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Septmeber 30th through November 18th
Each retreat session begins with Mass. After the Mass, a 20-minute teaching will take place on the week's theme for the reflection. Then, retreatants will break into small groups which are led by trained facilitators.
Between weekly sessions, participants are expected to commit 30 minutes per day to: read, reflect and write about assigned Scripture (25 minutes); and, review the day in prayer (5 minutes).
For more information on SPA, contact Colleen Wyszynski at 216-961-2583 or cwyszynski@ignatius.edu.