This summer, the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies at Boston College is offering again the opportunity for people around the world to join together in an Ignatian retreat in daily life: Twelve Weeks in Manresa. First offered in the summer of 2020, thousands of people have benefited from this amazing experience of prayer, personal growth, and community. “… It was one of the most profound, beneficial experiences of my life,” reported one participant. “And it really did change the trajectory of my life.”
This summer, retreatants can participate in two ways (register here): One option is to make the Manresa retreat individually, with the opportunity to be a member of a virtual small group for faith sharing; the second option is to make the retreat with the faith sharing occur in person with friends or with a group from a parish.
It was in the small town of Manresa in northeastern Spain where St. Ignatius composed the Spiritual Exercises, upon which the 12-week retreat is based. Ignatius spent nearly a year devoting his life to prayer and he grew to deeply experience the presence of God in all things. He wrote down the fruits of his prayer, with the hopes of sharing with others the gifts he had been given by God. His goal was to help souls and to encourage people to grow in holy discernment, which would ultimately reveal God’s will for their lives.
People have been making these Spiritual Exercises for centuries and this gift of St. Ignatius continues to benefit people even to the present moment. Twelve Weeks in Manresa is your opportunity to receive this important spiritual benefit, too. The retreat centers upon a handy workbook, Finding Christ in the World, an introductory adaption of the Spiritual Exercises. The retreat consists of daily prayer as outlined in the workbook and includes biweekly video presentations.
Check out this video to learn more and be sure to register here for the retreat. The deadline is May 31, with the retreat beginning officially on June 12.
