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Ignatian spirituality is a way of relating to God and to the world that is based on the reflection and prayer experiences of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Ignatius was born in 1491 into a family of minor
nobility in the Basque region of Spain. He became a 'man of the world' who
enjoyed fast living.
At age 26, Ignatius' life changed drastically.
While seeking worldly honors and glory, he was struck in the leg by a cannonball
in a military battle at Pamplona. After several excruciating surgeries and
weeks of fever and delirium, he began a long convalescence.
During his recuperation, he asked for books to read,
expecting to be given the romance novels he so enjoyed. To his dismay, the
only books available were "The Life of Christ" and a collection of stories
about saints. As he read these and reflected on them, he became strangely
moved and excited by thoughts of imitating the selfless deeds the saints
had done for God.
 Ignatius then divested himself of his armor and noble clothes and took on the simple garb and lifestyle of a begging pilgrim. He went to a place called Manresa and lived for eleven months in a cave near a monastery. He spent many hours in prayer and meditation, recording in journals his experiences of God, who gently and powerfully communicated with him and transformed his soul.
During the years that followed, Ignatius edited
his journals and devised a month-long retreat program of
spiritual exercises, consisting of meditations, contemplations and self-examinations.
The retreat was composed of four sections called "weeks." The First Week focused on conversion from sin and worldliness to a life centered on God. During the Second Week, one contemplated Jesus from his Incarnation to the end of his public ministry, seeing Jesus as the model for all true Christian living. The Third and Fourth Weeks were experiences of unitive prayer in which the retreatant accompanies Jesus through his Passion and Resurrection. The retreat ended with the "Contemplation to attain the love of God," which
reviews all the gifts and graces of the preceding four
weeks. The goal of this contemplation was to help retreatants return
to their daily
lives ready and able to love as universally and unselfishly
as God loves.
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The Ignatian Spiritual Exercises are still offered today to people who want to take their Christian life and their relationship to God more seriously. Jesuits sponsor retreat houses all over the world where people can go for silence and communion with God. Retreats vary in length from the traditional full 30 days, to eight days, five days, weekends and single days.
For those who cannot take even a few days out of their lives to go on retreat, Ignatius adapted the exercises to be made over a six to eight month period where one can spend an hour a day in prayer. These popular 19th Annotation retreats allow a person to make the full exercises in a schedule that accommodates his or her needs.
Many people deepen and broaden their relationship with God through regular visits to a spiritual director. Spiritual direction is a sacred conversation in which the director helps another to reflect on experiences of God in prayer and in the events of their lives. The Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, MA offers both advanced formation for spiritual directors and opportunities for people to receive ongoing spiritual direction in an Ignatian tradition.
The New England Province of Jesuits sponsors two centers that specialize in Ignatian
Retreats and Spiritual Direction.
Campion Renewal Center
319 Concord Road
Weston, MA 02493-1398
Phone: (781) 788-6810
Fax: (781) 894-5864
E-mail: acopponi@campioncenter.org
Web site:www.campioncenter.org
Eastern Point Retreat House
37 Niles Pond Road
Gloucester, MA 01930-4499,
Phone: (978) 283-0013
Fax: (978) 282-1989
E-mail:gonzaga@cove.com
Web site:www.easternpoint.org
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Spiritual Direction and
Formation of Spiritual Directors
Spiritual Direction and training in Spiritual Direction is available at the Center for Religious Development
 Center for Religious Development
2240 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140-1837
Phone: (617) 547-4122
Fax: (617) 491-9945
E-mail: info@crdcambridge.com
Web site: www.crdcambridge.com
In addition to these institutions, individual Jesuits and their collaborators are available for retreats and spiritual direction. One can usually establish contact with one or more of these at the various schools and parishes that the Society of Jesus of New England sponsors and/or staffs.
A dynamic new web site conceived and maintained through the College of the Holy Cross and funded through a generous grant from Lilly Endowment aimed to provide spiritual resources from the particular perspective of Ignatian spirituality.
www.makingthepartswhole.com
Spiritual Exercises in the contemporary art of New England Jesuit Bob Gilroy, S.J.
http://www.prayerwindows.com/
Nineteenth Annotation Retreat from the Jesuits of Creighton University, Omaha
http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/cmo-retreat.html
Daily Reflections from the Jesuits of Ireland
http://www.sacredspace.ie/
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Jesuit Voices - Listen to podcasts and read blogs from Jesuits around the world.
Spirited Talk Today weekly podcast presented by Loyola Press are designed to nurture a live faith and help people be conscious of God’s work in their daily lives. Each show explores spiritual issues and relevant topics that enlighten, encourage, and provide inspiration to today’s listeners. Episodes include interviews with best-selling authors and experts on a variety of religious topics.
America Connects are weekly podcasts from America Magazine featuring interviews with staff members and writers.
 The Jesuit Connection is a newly organized group of young adults who have graduated from Jesuit institutions or have had other experiences with Jesuit teachings and values. The group sponsors events for those interested in continuing the "Jesuit" conversation, both spiritually and socially. If you are interested in joining our e-list or attending one of our events, please email Suzanne Heffernan at sheffernan@sjnen.org with your name, contact information and a brief note about your interests. For additional information, visit the Jesuit Connection section.
 The Jesuit Collaborative is the newly formed Ignatian spirituality ministry initiative of the New England, New York, and Maryland Provinces of the Jesuits.
It is a professional association of Jesuits, laypersons, clergy, and religious who share in common the spiritual tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The Jesuit Collaborative promotes networking, reflection, scholarship, and learning while managing and coordinating the diverse ministries that derive from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). The Jesuit Collaborative is pledged to serve the Catholic Church by providing for the spiritual development and care of persons, forming leaders, and nurturing a faith that does justice. For upcoming events visit the Jesuit Collaborative web site.
 Principle Centered Leadership and Ignatian Conversations is a new series designed to support and nurture business leaders in their ongoing growth through Ignatian programming and opportunities for discourse and dialogue. Programming will focus on business, ethics, leadership, spirituality, and a faith that does justice, altruism and philanthropy.
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